How to fix peeling hood & roof top paint

[Jay11]

Is there a fix for this chrome bumper rust/peel?

 

[Rick W]

If the chrome has not delaminated, you may be able to polish it. The chrome is like a bonded piece of tinfoil. If it’s rusty on the surface from pinholes you can polish it, but if that layer, like tinfoil, is actually starting to peel off the steel, it’s done, stick a fork in it.

If you go to the paint store or Home Depot, you can get some “0000 grade steel whool.” And get some of the old-fashioned Comet abrasive cleaner for your sink.

I have to emphasize you are not going to “scrub” the bumper with the steel wool. Wipe it down, and use the Comet to create a slurry on top of the bumper. Once you’ve got the slurry, take the steel wool and rub it around with minimal pressure. It’s more of a buffing action and a scrubbing action.

I’ll say it again, if you push it hard, you’re could scratch the surface and/or dull the surface. If you don’t push down hard, the chrome is much harder than the steel in the steel wool pad, and with the comet, it will take all the surface rust off without damaging the surface.

I suggest trying it on a piece of scrap you may have or on a dark side of the bumper to start. It is a very easy technique, just start very low pressure, and amp it up if you have to. Let the chemicals do the work, and let the material science keep the chrome from getting scratched. Take your time.

There are probably tiny rust pits when you are done, that’s why it’s rusting on the top in the first place. Think of it like a volcano with a small hole, that then spews lava around that little hole. You’ll be able to clean up all the lava (rust), everything except the hole itself.

When you have it clean, there are two options for keeping it from coming back. You can wax the hound out of it with a true wax (not the spray and wipe stuff). If you do that regularly, not only will it bring out the shin in the bumper, it will keep a wax layer on top of the pit so it shouldn’t evolve further

If you do have a small spot or two where the chrome has actually peeled off, for a temporary cure, you can:
1. clean them with the steel wool and comet,
2. Use a nylon scrub brush and scrub out as much of the comet as you can
3. Use white vinegar and a nylon brush again, and it will neutralize the comment
4. When it’s dry (you can use a heat gun) spray it with brake cleaner to get all the residue off
5. Get some silver rustoleum, and paint the bare spot. Let it run over the chrome, and then just wipe it off. It will wipe off the chrome, but not the rusty spot. Give it two or three coats a few hours apart, and you will cover the bare metal and again, you can wipe it off the chrome.

That’s about the best you can do without re-chroming the bumper or getting a clean one out of a scrapyard

I hope it helps