Best way to remove paint from headlight doors without using abrasives

Need to remove paint from headlight doors which are potmetal. Whats the best way to do that without harming any of the chrome parts. I don't want to destroy the chromed parts when doing it, and would rather not use any abrasives. Someone must have done this before. Thanks for your help.

 

I too have to do this to the ones on my 72, I think mine are plastic though. Interested in what you find out.

 

I've done this before with a mild paint remover. I saw no ill effects on the chrome at all.
Takes a number of passes but worked very well.

 

I used household strength paint stripper.
It only takes one layer of paint at a time.
When you get down to the green wash layer.... stop and leave it there.
That is the adhesion promoter the factory used to get paint to stick to chrome and you can't find it anywhere now.
I just scuffed it lightly with scotch-brite and applied new colour over it.

Take Care

 

Same by me.

 

Let them soak in a pan of lacquer thinner. Will remove any auto paint in about 1 day.

 

I've used carb cleaner.

 

Soda Blast Them!!! Will not and can not hurt the chrome or pot metal. Soda blasting will only remove paint and primer. I have been told you can soda blast an entire car, with everything still intact and nothing covered up for protection and only the paint and primer will be removed. Will not hurt glass, rubber, weather stripping, stainless trim, chrome etc. I would think the headlight bezels would be $10 bucks each (I'm Guessing), but they cant be expensive. A blaster could do them anytime he was doing a bigger project instead of having to fire up his system just to do 2 bezels. My 2 cents worth..... Mark

 

Soak in a strong professional grade paint thinner ie "virgin" not the oily recycled crap, the brillo them real good. Heads up on soda blasting no paint company will warrantee paint applied over soda blast

 

I used Aircraft Stripper! then soaked in lacquer thinner! No Problems.

 

Found this Adhesion Promoter for chrome:

http://www.duplicolor.com/products/adhesionPromoter/

here's another one

http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/klean-strip-bulldog-adhesion-promoter-p-12810.aspx

 

This is an awesome thread with a variety of suggested solutions. I have printed it and put it in my "How to" binder in the 'paint' tab so I can find it when I need it on short notice.

 

BULLDOG is Awesome stuff I go thru a can every two weeks

 

Hugger, I do believe that you are correct in saying that few or "no" paint companies will extend a warranty on a part/car/surface that has been soda blasted. Here is why I believe they wont give a warranty, Because a lot of people will not, wont or can't wash and clean the surface thoroughly before it gets primed and painted. You MUST wash the part/car/surface THOROUGHLY! This could be tough or challenging if you are dealing with a large part, a part with a lot of corners or tight areas or an entire car body. HOWEVER, a headlight bezel is small and can be cleaned thoroughly very easily. Heck fellas, do what I do, Take the small parts with you in the shower with a strong spray cleaner and an old tooth brush and CLEAN that part!!! The wife might not agree but your primer and paint will bond and last!! My 2 cents worth.... Mark

 

I agree with Bulldog. I use it on all sorts of things.In the business I work in I've used it on all sorts of hard to adhere things.I've even tinted it to spray out vinyl material for a project. I couldn't scrape it off the material. I've also never hurt chrome with any paint stripper industrial or not. Put it liberally and wrap it with plastic (saran wrap) and let it do it's work.