Early 2000s Jamis Coda with a "polished" finish. Is it really just polished bare steel?

[ektar100]

Currently have my eyes on a Jamis Coda hybrid bike from the early 2000s. I'm guessing 2000/2001 based on the components. Anyway, it is a Reynolds 525 frame and, from what I can tell, Jamis offered it in a "polished" finish for a number of years.

I'm wondering if anyone here happens to know what the actual finish is. Is it really just bare steel with a clear coat? It seems too uniform in finish (no discoloration at welds) for that to be the case. Is it a real chrome finish? Is it a chrome paint that was then clear-coated? There is some surface rust on one of the pics in the ad. The rest of the pics are not great, and the bike is a bit of a way away, so I can't check it out in person, and I am hoping to figure out the answer before I make the drive.

Attached a couple pics, first is a random good pic I found online of that model, second (with the rust) is from the actual ad. As always, many thanks in advance for any help.

 

[mior]

looks clear coated

 

[klunkrider]

Chrome or nickel plate. Looks more nickel to me going by the colour.

 

[ektar100]

Chrome or nickel plate. Looks more nickel to me going by the colour.

Nickel plating, interesting. That sounds like it would be a complication for a potential repaint job (I'm not fond of the chrome look). Thanks for the reply!

 

[klunkrider]

Nickel plating, interesting. That sounds like it would be a complication for a potential repaint job (I'm not fond of the chrome look). Thanks for the reply!

Not sure really.

Paint should stick to it alright I think?

On road frames that have chromed chainstays and then paint elsewhere the chroming often extends beyond the areas it's exposed, ie, there's chrome under at least some of the paint. As I understand it, in the chrome plating process you do a coat of nickel plating before the chrome plating so if paint sticks to chrome and chrome sticks to nickel...?

Probably be worth giving the whole frame a sand to 'key' it, that'll give the paint more to grab onto. I'm sure there'll be info out there from people who have painted over plated finishes.

 

[winjohn]

My first proper bike at aged 11 in 1967 wa a Calton Cobra. It was fully chromed with a black and red paint finish over parts of the chrome. The paint started flaking off from day one. In three years it looked a mess, I spent a day taking all that paint off, it was very easy, you could pick it off with your fingernail. If you are not fond of the chrome/nickel look then I would look for a painted frame that you could easily repaint.

 

[joglo]

just wanted to second that this Coda is nickel plated.
Quite a few CroMo Bikes had that finish Mid 90ties Scott, Marin, ParPre, Diamond Back others, but a lot have similar corrosion at the bottom braket like shown on the picture.
Hard if not impossible to fix, because nowadays you don't find someone able to renew the nickel plating.

But it will not stark flaking like chrome, so no issue at all to paint over (ideally remove the corrosion before by sanding or sandblasting)..

 

[ektar100]

just wanted to second that this Coda is nickel plated.
Quite a few CroMo Bikes had that finish Mid 90ties Scott, Marin, ParPre, Diamond Back others, but a lot have similar corrosion at the bottom braket like shown on the picture.
Hard if not impossible to fix, because nowadays you don't find someone able to renew the nickel plating.

But it will not stark flaking like chrome, so no issue at all to paint over (ideally remove the corrosion before by sanding or sandblasting)..

Appreciate the info. I am definitely not concerned with preserving the finish, as I'm not a big fan of chromed things, and if I pick it up it sounds like sandblasting is the way to go.