Leave the Clear or Take It All Off?

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So, everyone seems to have their favorite method of Chrome Removal that works great for your needs. The question is, "Do you leave the Clear Coat on spray over it or do you Strip It Clean?"

Why do you leave it on or why do you strip it bare naked? Those who leave the Clear Coat on, how about sharing your reasoning.

Look at the Chrome Stripping thread some do and some don't. Most didn't say one way or the other why they do what they do, they were explaining how they removed the chrome itself.

For me I prefer the naked parts as a foundation to refinish either with the appropriate metal or paint finish.

[zenrat]

IMO if you don't strip the lacquer than you are wasting your time stripping the chrome. You might as well just brush paint a heavy coat of gloss black over the chrome and then alclad the resulting shapeless blob.

The lacquer is much thicker than the chrome and obscures any fine detail that may be under there.

Heck, half the time i'm stripping the parts because of over thick lacquer rather than because of dodgy chrome, attachment points or mould separation lines.

I've stripped the lacquer off radiator grilles and been pleasantly surprised to find there is actually a Ford script end not just an oval blob.

[jeffs396]

IMO if you don't strip the lacquer than you are wasting your time stripping the chrome. You might as well just brush paint a heavy coat of gloss black over the chrome and then alclad the resulting shapeless blob.

The lacquer is much thicker than the chrome and obscures any fine detail that may be under there.

Heck, half the time i'm stripping the parts because of over thick lacquer rather than because of dodgy chrome, attachment points or mould separation lines.

I've stripped the lacquer off radiator grilles and been pleasantly surprised to find there is actually a Ford script end not just an oval blob.

X2!!!

[PappyD340]

IMO if you don't strip the lacquer than you are wasting your time stripping the chrome. You might as well just brush paint a heavy coat of gloss black over the chrome and then alclad the resulting shapeless blob.

The lacquer is much thicker than the chrome and obscures any fine detail that may be under there.

Heck, half the time i'm stripping the parts because of over thick lacquer rather than because of dodgy chrome, attachment points or mould separation lines.

I've stripped the lacquer off radiator grilles and been pleasantly surprised to find there is actually a Ford script end not just an oval blob.

X3

[Ace-Garageguy]

For me I prefer the naked parts as a foundation to refinish either with the appropriate metal or paint finish.

IMO if you don't strip the lacquer than you are wasting your time stripping the chrome. You might as well just brush paint a heavy coat of gloss black over the chrome and then alclad the resulting shapeless blob.

The lacquer is much thicker than the chrome and obscures any fine detail that may be under there.

X-actly.

[Mike Kucaba]

X4 or whatever. I also suggest trying a very dark blue (think Royal Blue) under the Alclad.

[Roncla]

IMO if you don't strip the lacquer than you are wasting your time stripping the chrome. You might as well just brush paint a heavy coat of gloss black over the chrome and then alclad the resulting shapeless blob.

The lacquer is much thicker than the chrome and obscures any fine detail that may be under there.

Heck, half the time i'm stripping the parts because of over thick lacquer rather than because of dodgy chrome, attachment points or mould separation lines.

I've stripped the lacquer off radiator grilles and been pleasantly surprised to find there is actually a Ford script end not just an oval blob.

I'll X5 on removing that lacquer clear coat. I've been surprised myself at how sharp some of the detail is once the ' dipped in treacle ' coating is removed