Originally Posted by
cyclist2000
many older bikes had chromed frames that were painted over. I was told that I should not strip the paint to have a chrome frame because the chrome under the painted areas have not been finished (not buffed and there could be scratches in the chrome. But if you want to take the paint off, it is best to not scratch the chrome so I'm not sure but if you use some chemical paint stripper it should not hurt the chrome.
IME chrome under paint is a rarity for a number of reasons, the biggest of which is cost. Chroming a frame is expensive, so makers wouldn't bother if they were just going to paint over it. Also, paint adhesion over chrome can be problematic, and requires special primers. So not only is there the cost of the plating, it also raises the cost of subsequent painting, and makes that pricier paint job inferior to a cheaper job over bare steel.