anti-chrome is just SOOOOOOOO sexy!

-Josh

 

I hate to be a jerk(since I know that's what I'll be called anyway for what I'm about to say), but the paint over all the chrome looks incredibly cheap and tacky. It doesn't flow with the car at all. I mean, the painted headlamp bezels? Cheap. Way to draw attention to the fact that it's not all one part. About the only way it would look good is if you actually spent the money to have the bodywork redone to where the bezel itself was deleted.

Otherwise, the overall effect is one of (as a few other people mentioned) making the car look cheap and pedestrian.

Sorry, folks.

 

It's cool that you have your own opinion....not going to call you names or anything.


But do you mind explaining yourself a bit more?

How does this (pic below) look cheaper then having the exact same surround that is chromed plastic? I understand what you mean about it being a separate piece, but look at the surround on his front grill, hood scoop, and cowl scoops. Again, it is a body color surround with a noticable line between that and the body. So this beings to play upon that area and all other areas where a body panel meets nother body panel. If anything, it gives an outline of the car. If you were to mold the surrounds into the body, or delete them totally, you would be left with giant lenses in the middle of a smooth gray hood. I believe that the existence of these outlines really HELPS the flow of things, and ties those parts into the rest of the car.

I guess im just really having a hard time as to how "cheap" is the word you chose.

 

I used the word cheap because it looks cheap. The chrome was put on the car in most of the places to do exactly the opposite of what the "chrome-haters" were doing, namely hiding the details of the car in a wash of drab color. I have to say drab because some colors of the Mini really are. The chrome is there to break up the slabs of color and give the eye somewhere to focus on cool details, like our headlights.

In fact, that's why though I think it looks tacky, I can understand why some people are doing the chrome delete. Looking at the car in this pic, I can agree that some of the chrome looks silly with the body color of the car. Other colors however, like my own(Chili red, white top) the chrome looks fantastic on it. But that's neither here nor there.

All I can say is it looks cheap, especially in the above pic. Sorry if I insulted anyone, but this same styling detail is seen on a lot of econoboxes.

And at any rate, at the end of the day, it's one group of peoples' subjective opinion versus another's. I mean, hell, we all still drive Minis. We all win.

 

i'm feelin' u on this topic but if u want to call it cheap then cheap it is w/out & b4 the removal of the "cheap" plastic MNA puts on these cars.

the only thing on this car thats real chrome on metal is the gas cap, mayb jus mayb the emblems front & rear, the rest is "cheap" imitation chrome bitz!!

i dont know how i feel about colour coding the front bezels so im going to try the CF bitz first b4 i colour code....i like the way Porsche does the trim rings on their cars so u wouldnt call them/that "cheap" would U?

 

i'll start with the fact i have nothing against chrome. I like stuff that looks *good* and *right*. Sometimes that includes chrome, sometimes it does not.

For instance, my wife's stock CR/B MCSa...just the right amount of chrome to offset the red. looks great. Doesn't need the chrome grill or anything...

However, Samtrak's Mono-MINI is so freaking hot that it is silly. I really like what he has done, and I agree that the painted headlamp bezels and grill trim work very well for the look that he is going with. I love it!

I don't know if i would be willing to go through what he has done to get that look (don't mind the time, it's the cash....) but i really appreciate the look.

now...how would that look with royal grey....

 

Now you've got me thinking. I have MCS Hyperblue/White top/mirrors and wheels. I'm not a big fan of chrome, but I agree with some of the comments about breaking up, and highlighting some aspects of the body work.

Anyone have any thoughts on a matching white gas cap? That should be relatively easy to do, but matching the exact white would worry me. I'm sure someone has the color code, so if I go digging it shouldn't be to hard (or just go to a body shop and get it color matched). That way you are still getting the highlighting, it's just not chrome.

Anyone able to whip up a quick picture with hyperblue and white with a white gas cap instead of chrome?

 

if royal grey is lighter then it would be bitchin' cuz it will all fade in NiCE

one thing i dont like about the headlamps on a dark car is all that chrome inside of the bucket so in ur case the colour flow from the bucket to the rings then to the body would be a NiCER flowin' look. not as harsh as the DS cars like mine or he's above^^

 

Honestly your best bet would be to call your Mini dealer and ask who they recommend for bodywork to crashed Minis and they should be able to point you in the right direction. I can guarantee that if a bodyshop has worked on Minis, they have the white paint to match perfectly.

 

Depends on your reference point I guess. I want mine to look more "retro" so the chrome stays (and adding some more). If you're looking for a more "modern" tuner-type look then chromelessness is the way to go.

To each their own

 

After reading this whole thread I finally figured out what I didn't like about the no chrome look....it looks plastic. It looks like a Cooper has been molded. I don't like gaudy, but the no chrome is too plain. BUT, to each his own. Just not for me. I like my chrome!!!

 

Great point, hadn't thought of that. Thanks

 

This guy has it right. And i think that maybe some people are associating tuner with cheap...i dont know.

I personally think the car needs some of its chrome and doesnt need some of its other chrome highlights. I'm part of the retro tuning group and you can see in my sig that a lot of my chrome has been kept.

 

Chrome is COOL

 

If that's you in that pic, so's your car! Damn!!!

 

Hmmmm.... I kinda like that idea



Sorry for Photochopping ur car

 

meeeeeee tooooooooooo

 

wow:smile:


that looks fabulous! good photohop. im honored. thanks for making my car look soo cool!

 

I'll readily agree. See how much cooler and exotic-like the car looks?

 

yeh, everything but the driver looks cool. jk

 

Ouch! You've been served.

 

I am not big on chrome either, however the chrome mirror caps with the chrome belt line adds a quality look (ref. my gallery).

 

i agree! looks specially good on dark colour cars.......

 

I did the chrome belt surround cover up this weekend and am happy with the results. Took about 45 min and the tape cost was $18 I have some photos in my gallery showing the before and after .

Randy
M7 Tuning

 

*** :impatient :smile:


Randy, nice job. Gonna keep goin? Gloss black on those arches would look fabulous.


I wasnt happy with the results when I did it. Maybe I rushed. The look is desireable, and will probably be attempted again later this week.