I've just started a car model that I want to remove or paint over the chrome on parts after I've cleaned up mould/seam lines. I want to give everything that is chrome a "brushed aluminum" finish. How should I do that? Can I just spray over the chrome and have my paint stick to it and look decent?

Well there are a few ways of removing chrome, but the safest and fastest way in doing so is using a product called Simple Green. Simple Green can be bought at any auto supply store at $4-6 bucks a gallon. Just soak the parts in a glass bowl or cup, and 15mins. or so the chrome dislove. Just use a old tooth brush to get in the small tight sections. Again it's safe to use and not only removing chrome it'll remove old paints, no matter how long or which type. There are other types just like Simple Green...something purple and Castrol Super Clean.

Joe

Here is a feature I did that covers a few methods.

De-Chroming

{edit} - yes you do need to remove it, the paint wont stick to it very well or stay on for very long.

After you get the chrome removed, clean up the mold lines, polish the plastic, and get hold of some Alclad Black primer, and Alclad Chrome, airbrush the primer, let dry, then apply a few light coats of Alcad Chrome, building up a nice chrome finish, comes out looking better than the original kit finish.
For an aluminum finish use the gray primer, and any of the various Alclad aluminum finishes.

Thanks guys! That has been one of the big reasons I haven't got into auto modelling. Now I know how to "fix it" !

For making chrome parts look like aluminum I spray them with Model Master dullcote, looks right and It's a lot easier than stripping and repainting...B

You can also use Westlies bleach white. Its primary purpose is to bleach the white walls on car tires. But it works really well to dissolve chrome from parts.

I was in a sticky situation this morning, i was unhappy with a paint job on a current project (Revell Simba) but i didnt have any 'Mr Muscle' and didnt want to risk using Brake fluid due to the risk it poses to plastic parts. I had a look around in my garage and found a bottle of Automotive Engine Degreaser, there was a nice little warning on the back "do not apply to painted surfaces", BINGO...

I poured a small amount into a spray bottle i had and gave the entire model a good squirt, within 5 minutes the paint was starting to lift and rub off. I left it for about 30 minutes and came back out, gave it another light squirt and then rinsed the model under running water, the paint was literally washing away (no, it wasnt acrylic, it was humbrol enamel). Some parts were a bit more stubborn so i rubbed these with an old cloth and the models come up clean and ready for a new paint scheme.

This got me wondering if it would work in chrome plated parts, i fished an old battery box out of the spare parts box and gave it a squirt, nothing. So i decided to "give it a bath, instead of a shower", it's been sitting in the undiluted degreaser for 45 minutes so far and the chrome is flaking away with no visible damage to the plastic underneith.

Brake fluid is fine so long as you never use it on a resin truck cab! I use Castrol Super Clean...cleans the chrome off in about a minute...and strips paint too.

Tonka...I mean OD.