98 Rear chrome bumper..

[ericautopart]

On my 98 XLT the chrome on the bumper has surface rust in two spots but it's not coming from the back. I can't replace the bumper (The truck was $300 and money is tight right now) so I'd rather just make it look better than the rust. I was thinking about just painting the bumper black and I'd like opinions on what paint to use. It's going to be a rattle can job..doesn't have to look great just better than the rust that's on there now. It's also my work truck..daily driven but not my personal DD. Thanks in advance..

 

[coppe]

first if you wanna try and keep the chrome, use very small grit wet sanding, and i mean small.... and the rust will most likely come off to reveal an acceptable chrome, or maybe even use some rubbing compound or polish wheel, and if that doesnt work, or if the chrome is peeling or something, you should sand it with a coarser sanding paper, clean it real well with some degreaser, spray some adhesion promoter first, and some duplicolor black wheel or bumper paint (several layers) and if you want a bit more of glow some clear coat layers. (i would keep it without the clear, as the bumper is prone to bumps and scratches, and it is easier to just do little touches and sprays here and there in the near future using only black layers.

If the chrome turns out to look ok, it might show up some rust again, as it has fomed pores with the years and the rust is coming from the underlying layers, you can polish it, and then add a clear coat, to waterproof it.

Hope this helps.