Chrome or chrome powder coat?
 

We're currently redoing paint and motors in the Cafe. Has anyone done chrome on trim tabs or a swim platform? Will chrome hold-up underwater on tabs? Does chrome stick to aluminum? I've seen the billet tabs - my current tabs work fine other than needing a finish upgrade. Anyone have any pics of chrome or black chrome powder coat? Just kicking some ideas around in my head.

Thank you for any input.

Think about having the tabs electro polished, then "top coat" with clear anodizing, or one of the hard durable clear powder coatings. I'm no expert but I think one of those will hold up better than real Chrome plating over aluminum.

You could also do the "Chrome" Powder coat with the durable clear top coat..but I have never seen a Chrome Powder Coating that really looks like chrome or even polished aluminum. At first glance from a distance it can be close on curved complex parts...but not so close on large flat surfaces like tabs....it just doesn't reflect/refract the light the same.

do not chrome them...
single stage powder coating would work best..

Chrome Powder-coat doesn't look like real chrome. If it's prepped right the powder will hold up but again, it doesn't look like real chrome.

The chrome will not hold up in the long run
Powder is probably the best option

Ilmor uses a powder coat on their intakes that really DOES look like chrome. I don't know who does it, or how well it will handle being submerged...

For what it is worth, I had a pipe on a ski of mine polished, then clear powdercoated. it was always getting wet being the type of ski it was, and it would be warm due to it being exhaust. Never got spotted, never went dull, never flaked. The better you can get it to polish out the better it will look. IMO.

If you powder the platform you better have it cleared to to protect it form uv's or it will be faded in no time.