I recently bought a Miyata and noticed the fork and some of the rear triangle have chrome beneath the paint.

Can I mask off a few inches up the chain & seat stays and up the fork and reveal the chrome? If not, why not?

In days gone by lots of frames were chrome plated to protect against rust then painted. there is also the theroy that it made them stiffer. the chrome under the paint is not the same as the shiny smooth "Show Chrome" you would normally see on forks and rear triangles. the frames are not as polished so the chrome has a rough texture so the paint sticks. I have seen people take the paint off bikes like this thinking they would have a nice shinny chrome bike. the shine last a few days then you have to buff it up a bit again.

personally I would not do it

^^^^^^^^ What she said.

^^^^^^^^^^^yeah, what he said she said.

Awesome ... this is why I posted here. I knew there would be logic behind keeping it as is. Thanks guys.

^^^^^^And one more voice in emphatic agreement!

Me too. I've never seen a frame or fork w/chrome underneath the paint that was as brilliant as the chrome intended to be exposed. That is not to say they aren't out there, but the odds are against you.

Almost all the good stuff that came from japan back in the day was 100% chromed under it, specially miyata ones, I believe the paint was not even wet paint, those bikes have some like powder coating or another type of electrostatic paint jobs that are extremely hard to get off the frame. Dont do it as everybody advice.

An example of roughened under-paint chrome:



-Kurt