1960 question chrome or no chrome

[spf720]

I purchased what I thought was a 1960 series 62 and it is actually a Coupe DeVille. Shows how little I know about these cars. Anyway I have the car in to be painted and took the chrome off to be re plated. The piece up next to the windshield that acts as a vent is currently chrome. Was it meant to be or should it be body color? Does this piece have a name? It is around 3” wide and the length of the hood.
Thanks

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

That piece is body colour in the recesses, and chrome on the top surfaces.

Looks really when done right.

Bruce.

[spf720]

Any idea how that is done? Assuming chrome first and then paint from the ack side with the chrome masked off?
Does anyone have a picture of one done?

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

What I have done is to paint the whole part, and then, with a razor blade, carefully slice the top off the paint, without hurting the chrome plating.

Another way is to wipe the top layer with a thinners-soaked rag, and remove the paint that way.

Bruce.

PS   Don't use too much thinners as the excess will soak down into the grooves.

[David Greenburg]

I used an exacto knife, high quality blades and green (fine) painters tape to tape off the chrome slots before having the body color sprayed.  It was tedious, but came out well.

[fishnjim]

I believe that's referred to as a cowl vent cover.

[59-in-pieces]

Humbly offered:

The Bruce method - even with a wiz bang blade - has its problems.
Unless the chromed areas are super clean, the paint tends to not stick so well.
As a result, when you blade through the paint to eliminate the paint from the chrome areas you want to show, the paint often chips or splinters and does not leave a clean sharp line, between where the paint should remain and not.

The David method - though tedious, is in my opinion better, but not perfect.
Why, because it allows the sides of the rectangles subject to paint, while the tops remain unpainted - thus show the chrome.

There is also the area around where the windshield transmission arms come up through the cowl vent.
That area should be painted dull black, as that area is flat and not cast as a hole - like the rest of the cowl.

I would like to offer another process which is a bit tedious but results in the top along with the inner and outer vertical walls of each "egg crate" with no paint and thus shiny chrome.

Wrap as tightly as possible a piece of cloth around a piece of say a paint stick or other piece of wood which have very sharp edges.
Only one layer to the wrap and no wrinkles.
Here is where it becomes important as to the cloth you use to wrap the stick.
The cloth should have a "nap" the length of which should be equal to the depth the the "egg crate", just long enough to wipe the paint off the sides, but not reach the bottom where the paint should stay.
You paint a smallish section of the R or L halves of the cowl - for control.
Drag the wrapped stick across the raised areas (edge down or flat - whichever works best) - of a very recently painted section - wiping L an R and up and down, until the paint is wiped off the top and vertical surfaces.
The area for the transmission arms is done the same way.
Changing the wrap often, is important as the nap fills, it will smear the wiped paint back onto the chrome.

Here are some close ups of both 59 and 60 cowls showing paint and unpainted "Egg crates", trans arm holes.

Have fun,
Steve B.

[David Greenburg]

Steve:

As usual you are full of good ideas.  But mostly I’m impressed that you would sully your hands by working on a lowly ‘60!  In my case, I think I taped part way down the sidewalks of the “fake”  openings around the wiper arms before spraying the black.  No one will ever know the difference unless you’re one of those people who shows up at a car show with an endoscope attached to your phone.

[59-in-pieces]

Dave,
I had to go back and read your comment of an endoscope to see what I was full of - and thanks.
I see you know I have poor eyesight, so your secret is safe with his group.
And you are correct - a 60 - what was I thinking - a 59's short finned little brother.
Have fun,
Steve B.

[David Greenburg]

Steve:

I did not mean to suggest that you were one of those people.  But my understanding is that “endoscope” is a generic term that covers everything from  the expensive things doctors use to check “exhaust systems” (as well as intake systems in some cases) to the cheap ones at Harbor Freight you can use to look in your spark plug holes, and the even cheaper ones you can attach to your phone and take to car shows to look in chrome slots.  I actually bought one of the cheap Harbor Freight ones, and I have almost as much fun with it as I do with my infrared thermometer.  Originally got it to see if the choke stove holes in my intake manifold were sealed up, but it’s great for everything from finding things inside door panels, to checking if anything is bleeding when you bang your head under the car.  And it’s great fun at parties.

[P Cedergren]

A long time ago I painted my '60 cowl vent and used the Bruce method (a razor blade) and it worked out beautifully.
The trick is to "peel" off the paint before it has completely cured, while it's still somewhat soft.
You'll end up with perfectly crisp lines, and no paint chipping at all.

No need to remove paint with thinner, and no need for tedious masking.

I have always wondered how the factory did it.
And how the factory did the '61 (also partially painted) hub caps.

Per C. 4218