Chrome under my paint?

O

oldgit

Retro Guru
A few chips here and there seem to reveal chrome under the paint. I can understand the stays being chrome at some point, but the down tube?

Decided to keep my very original Rampon now after it only generated £160 of interest when I tried selling it.
I managed to trace some details on the make, the shop contracted frames out, and every frame I've come across has been SL or SLX. I thought it might be fairly good, the detail was too good for a gas pipe frame.

Just need some good 600EX non aero levers and a spanking new paint job
 
It is not uncommon for bikes to be chromed under the paint although it adds expense, and weight (well not a lot of weight). Generally chromed bikes were the nicer ones in the line up so congratulations.
 
As Lewis said quite a few bikes were fully chromed, I had a Bianchi which was exactly the same. I think it dates back to when it was more time and cost efficient to plate the whole frame rather than mask. The added bonus is that it prevents a lot of corrosion which occurs under the paint on plain steel frames.
 
One of my mates had a lugged steel Colnago - I forget the exact model - which turned out to be all-chrome once the paint got a bit shabby and chipped in parts. It's only the bits intended to be seen that end up being nice and shiny, the rest is left slightly rough and unpolished as it gives the subsequent paint finish a better key.

David
 
hamster":1uo8hugl said:
I don't think it was permissible to chrome 753 though.
Click to expand...

Reynolds themselves advised against it, although my old Brian Rourke race frame certainly had a chrome drive-side chainstay (presumably instead of paint as an anti-scratch measure). Never had any structural problems, mind. Dad's Tom Bromwich lo-pro in the similarly thin-walled 531SL did suffer a fracture though, so off it went to Frank Clements at Sirius for a new 531c stay and a new paint job!

David
 
I have a Lazaretti made of very thin walled Deda Zero steel. It is fully chromed under the paint and the paint actually flakes off easier because the steel flexes like a tin can.
 
I bought an Olagnero f&f with a knackered paint job. There was chrome showing, so I figured I'd strip it and ride it all chrome.

Slightly disappointed to find it was only chromed from the waist down: take a horizontal line from the front mech. braze-on across the bike and above that was plain.

As mentioned above, the chrome that is painted over is not finished to the same standard as the parts on show.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Bike_Recyclery
For Sale NOS 1983 Colnago Master Arabesque: 58cm - Campagnolo Super Record 50th - Internal Routing - Top Mount Shift
2
Replies
15
Views
3K
Rapparee87
R
P
Andy Bone Paragon - What would you do?
Replies
7
Views
1K
hamster
H
LongLegsRetro
Tom Avon
2 3 4
Replies
37
Views
3K
torqueless
torqueless
coreygun
Sold Cannondale F700 CAAD4 Super Fatty Headshok bike
Replies
2
Views
799
coreygun
coreygun
georges1
Another rarity arrived in my stable last february, the 1990 Grandis Overmax
2
Replies
10
Views
1K
vtwinvince
V

Latest posts

Back
Top