I tried a few different spray can methods but they really just come out as a shiny silver finish.....which may work for you. If you go to youtube and type in Chrome paint finishing you'll see quite a few different application techniques. Jay Leno has a guy on there that has a 3 step type process that may be the thing you want, it really makes the parts look like chrome or as close as you're going to get.
silvering or powdercoating chrome will both work. The chrome powdercoat does NOT like to be handled. They normally put a clear over it, which changed it from chrome look to more like polished aluminum. I bet if the headlights are sealed, the chrome-look wouldn't need a clear anyway. talk to your local powdercoater. be mindful of the film build since you have to reassemble it
I would say the bright reflective silver powdercoat method is going to give you the best result short of re-chroming, it comes very close to buffed stainless or aluminum in appearance.
I repainted some older tail light housing in the same condition. I sprayed them a bright silver and I am using these on the street. They are very bright and there are no problems seeing them.
You are using this on a drag car.................just spray them either bright silver or white..................do not powder coat something when you can finish it for the price of a can of paint.
I've used the "Fake" chrome spray paint in tail light housings and front driving/turn signal housings, and it seems to work there, and have seen white used there also, white seems to make a softer, more diffused glow.
I don't know if white is going to look good in a head light application compared to something at least trying to be reflective(fake chrome or bright silver)
.... Those big stop lamps light up best when you remove the internal reflector and paint it gloss white ~ this causes the bulb's light to fully illuminate the glass lens.
I had some gloss white paint here. Tried that first. Did not look quite right behind the clear headlite lens.. Behind a red lens on tail lite, I bet that would work very nice
bought some Valspar metallic paint in silver. Looks good.
Too late now, but I was going to recommend polishing them with Mothers paste polish. The reflectors on my old Austin gasser looked like yours also. I used Mothers paste and they came out really looking great! I could still see some thinning areas, but since the reflector was so shiny they were impossible to see through the glass when it was assembled.
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