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Stay with Chrome or go black?

3K views 38 replies 22 participants last post by  SoKnoJeep 
#1 ·
Alright guys I recently bought this jeep and the guy that had it obviously liked the chrome look. I'm torn between keeping the chrome look and switching to a black theme. I love the rims and plan to keep them for now...

I was debating taking out the chrome inserts on the grill and painting the headlight bezels black. Also want a new front bumper that would obviously be black. The bumper would be down the road, because I have to install a SYE first.

Thoughts?
 

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#6 ·
A Jeep has a classic style and a beauty all its own. I've never understood the desire to dress it up like a pimp (yours isn't pimpish, just a bit of unnecessary chrome). It doesn't need any more chrome, these are Jeeps, not Harleys! Jerry's advice is excellent.

Like I told my son's girlfriend, a S. Calif blonde, 25 yr. old beauty, when she asked what I thought about a small tattoo she got of a flower just above her ankle..."Honey, a tattoo on you is like painting flames on a Ferrari, its just not not necessary."
 
#11 ·
Not exactly the same, but I went through something very similar on my '97 TJ.

I put on similar aluminum wheels (and 35's) when I bought it



I then scored a set of 36's super cheap, so I mounted them on some black steelies that I had to see what it would look/drive like



Long story short, I thought the black wheels looked terrible on the Jeep

I know black wheels are all the (current) rage, but I'm not a fan (and I have some on my current JK). They just don't make anything now that looks decent to my eye, and fits.

HTH (nice Jeep, BTW)

Hoss
 
#13 ·
Long story short, I thought the black wheels looked terrible on the Jeep

I know black wheels are all the (current) rage, but I'm not a fan (and I have some on my current JK). They just don't make anything now that looks decent to my eye, and fits.

Hoss
agree, when 1st got our 97 i put 2012 wheels on and they were already plasti-dipped black......looked good to me for a while but once i saw the newer wheels and then got a set, they are def not getting sprayed.

Tire Wheel Automotive parking light Vehicle Automotive tire


and now......

Automotive parking light Tire Wheel Automotive side marker light Vehicle
 
#19 ·
Chrome or blacked out is the whatever the style is at the time... chrome was popular back in the CJ days and I doubt anyone would have said chrome was a blasphemy then. And a natural finish aluminum wheel is not chrome. I don't like too much chrome either but what I especially don't like is the current fad of everything being blacked out either. And I think that fad is dying out from having been overdone in the ghettos.
 
#21 ·
I didn't mean polished wheels, I meant Chrome everything like hinges, light bars, grille ect.
I picked up a Jeep for my kid and got rid of it all.
Actually it was polished stainless. They were cheap and half the thickness of OEM.
I had a new CJ back in the day. My first new vehicle ever. In 84' the only factory chrome was the door handles and wheel center caps on the white wagon wheels.

Agreed, the new "ghetto" flat black everything fad can go away now.
 
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#22 ·
I am not a fan of chrome too. Actually i unbadged my Jeep of it chrome "JEEP" on the gill this weekend.

I have the silver rims on my JKU and I plan tot put the Rubi rims on it. Much like the Red Jeep posted above.

But I am painting mine body color not black. Duplocolor plastic paint so I can revert them back if I don't like them. Or I decide to sell them later.

Black center caps.

I think that will look good.

black rims with black tiers and black fenders and a black bumper... to me seems a bit much.

I like your trims. I had something similar on my YJ back in the day.
 

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#35 ·
I don't think I noticed much change with the control arm swap. You might want to have someone help you with a steering test to see if you have any loose components. Also having them rock the Jeep back and forth, bounce it up and down while you are under it looking for loose components could help you find some issues. If everything looks tight I would skip swapping parts and look at shocks. I've heard good things about the Rancho 5000x shocks, but have no practical experience with them.
 
#37 ·
chrome fan here. black wheels look good on a black jeep but to me black wheels on about anything else looks like you were to cheap to by polished rims so just spray painted your old ones. now a black wheel does look good to me if it has some contrasting chrome on it. Like a bead lock rim ect. But you can have the plain black. But then I'm 60 and am a bit old school.
 
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