The Cal-look Lounge

OK, the '67-alike is progressing well (and I'm keeping it early - too much work to change over all the details to make it late again!) and is not far off paint, in the dark red it was before. It's got t-bars and different wheels now though.
(http://halfabrain.co.uk/clubcars/dunk.jpg)

But I've seen Diederick and Jeroen and Max's '67's with blacked out handles and rear light surrounds and I'm wondering how it's done? One of the reasons I wanted to change the car back to late-model was that I've got a full set of black handles! :D

So how do you get satin black paint to stick to the chrome handles? I'm fairly confident that the rear light surrounds should be easy, just wet'n'dry paper to key them then paint them, but the chrome is a different matter. Any hints? ???

Hi, I'm in the process of blacking out the trim on my beetle, so far I've done the side trim, the rear light surrounds, the hood handle and the VW badge. The only chrome part so far is the hood handle. The chrome was pitting, so I used an electric sander to take it down through the coats, down to copper, then to bare metal. Then I antirust primed it and painted in black, then put 3 coats of mat laqueur. I've been using it quite rougly almost as a test, (the fact that my hood doesn't close easily helps) And it's perfectly tough.

For the rest I've just sanded it down to make the primer grip well, then paint and laqueur. It's all holding up so far, but I only did it 2 weeks ago!

The rear lights
(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/notablecarrot3/6aed05af.jpg)

Side trim
(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/notablecarrot3/9e701e4c.jpg)

And the handle
(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/notablecarrot3/a5b010bc.jpg)

(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/notablecarrot3/6aed05af.jpg)

Side trim
(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/notablecarrot3/9e701e4c.jpg)

And the handle
(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/notablecarrot3/a5b010bc.jpg)
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It looks a really good job, nice. :)

I think I mentioned before I owned PGT 203E a Pastel White 1500 one of my favourites over the years.

It's awesome finding people with virtually the same plate as me, so far I've met a guy with pgt204e and pgt208e now you! Do you have any history about your bug? like the dealer it originally came from? It's highly likely that mine was there at the same time!

cool idea neil ;)
first i got all double parts, i wanted to keep the original handles and got a new set e.g.
then i had the "thick" parts such as handles sandblasted and powdercoated. same for the vent windows, of which i drilled out all the pop rivets send those out for powdercoating too and then assembled them again. those needed some more work as the drain pieces wouldn't fit very well due to the added thickness of the coating. the side trim is off a jeans bug and i sanded it gave it a few coats of satin black.

hope it helps copycat
j/k  ;D ;)

What can I say Dieds, we've both got taste! ;)

I've got one-piece windows, which I'll be keeping, and the rear popouts will be swapped for lexan rear windows to get some weight out of the car, so less black there, and I've got no side trim anyway so it literally is handles and rear light rings. I'm going to colour-code the headlight rings, but I am going to leave the Lucas indicator rings in chrome - in black they look like they've been left off, and I'm not keen on the colour matched rings. They stand out with the headlight reflectors too.
I think I've got a spare handle or two, so I'll try sand blasting and see where that gets me, and I've seen an advert for a home powdercoating setup, so I might give that a go too! ;D

I had all my stuff powder coated satin black 30 years ago... they still look great

PGT 203E was sold to me by a chap that worked at Broadmoor Hospital (Really??)

He used to teach the inmates building & allied trades.........

The car was pretty rough when I got it and it needed the whole rear luggage area replacing and new brakes all round.

But it was a 1967 1500 with Disc Brakes and it was just a dream to drive. Although it looked like crap, it was without doubt the best driving/handling Beetle I've ever owned and I've had plenty.

I can't remember who bought it from me or when anymore, but it was a reliable car all the time I owned it.

I know nothing of the dealer history and such I'm sorry to say.

Yeah, but you've not driven it since 1983! ;) Joking aside, how have they stood up to use and abuse? Not faded in the sun? :)

 :P


They still look pretty sharp. No noticeable fading.

That's good to know, thanks Rick. I like the method Doug Mische used on his Ghia as detailed in KS's new Cal Look book, using paint and Armor All. Is the powder coat particularly thick? I'm thinking that if I used paint it would still look sharp, rather than too "rounded". Does that make any sense? ::) :D

no it's not very thick You can still see edges etc.

my powdercoating is nice and thick but it definitely doesn't look rounded. i had my powdercoating done via Dokke and he knew a good company, but my buggy bars were coated elsewhere and i can practically scrape it off with my fingernails :-\

can't you get them anodised?
http://www.collinschemicalblacking.co.uk/services.htm