Does anyone have an effective method for removing the paint without damaging
> the mirror housings? I'm thinking the car will look much better with just
> chrome mirrors instead of nasty cracked paint.
Chrome is very smooth/shiny - no tooth means bad adhesion. Anything that will give good adhesion to chrome will ruin the chrome. Try paint stripper on a tiny not-so-noticable spot to see what it looks like. Chems shouldnt hurt your chrome.
How about removing old pinstriping? I have burgundy paint with tan colored
> pinstriping that, again, is all cracked. Heat gun? chemicals? The paint
> on the car is great and so I don't want to ruin the paint.
Is it clear-coated? Sand a tiny spot, white dust means clear. If the stripe is overtop clear, and its thick enough, you can sand the stripe off and buff it back to a shine.. If clear is overtop the stripe youre probably screwed. If the stripe isnt painted use heat, however if its old UV damage will be noticeable and you'll have a stripe of shiny new-looking paint.
FYI, Im not an expert, but I will be.