Bryan,

I don't have any brand names for you,,,but in Australia we have any number of shelf items of car accessory aerosol touch-up paint products..and I know your retailers would also.
( I would not use domestic paint finish coats....the sort you'd paint inside your house..go for the cans that are designed for car finishes..touch up work etc.


... as long as you get the etch primer and the finish coat is enamel...not water based .
And don't get an etch primer that's a brush on only type as the brush strokes will show thru the finish gloss coat of enamel.
Single colour finish coats will always be gloss or hi-gloss....the etch primer is flat grey.

The easiest way is to also select an automotive paint that doesn't require a top clear coat to protect it....

If you want to ' mask up " your rods /flappers...use only the ' blue ' masking tape,,the usual beige type actually ' bleeds' paint in under its edges ...

This is all sounding too much trouble but it actually isn't...it's dead set easy as long as you buy the right product...

OK..to apply the KISS principle..

Just go to a Home Depot, or whatever, Auto Accessories section..tell the guy/girl that all you want to do is paint out the chrome trim on your car..badges, trim etc...( they'll NEVER understand the accordion flapper story..!! )

If they're half decent salespersons..you'll walk away with a can of grey primer( hopefully etch primer which has a small acid component in it which bites into the metal and provides a key ),a can of finish coat to your colour/finish selection , and possibly a can of clear coat .
Before you apply the primer clean the rods with a little solvent...mineral turpentine, etc. to remove any fatty deposits off of your fingers etc.

And..paint it outside or in a workshop...allow for spray drift onto adjacent items..particularly your accordion...cover it totally.

Also..try a bit of your painting on a steel rod first.

That's it..can't tell ya any more.

That's a lot, thanks Darryl. I do think it much better to remover the flappers though, I can't see ever getting the connection point masked off, and it really isn't a big deal, unless you knock the removed flappers in a pile.