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bumper chrom
- Thread starter bbonner
- Start date
George Coleman
Gold Level Sponsor
An old body shop trick get some 0000 steal wool, it will clean the old chrome up very nice and any other parts and will not hurt it also good for cleaning glass as well!!!
Bev, the best cleaner for dull chrome is aluminum foil and coke. No kidding! Dip the foil in coke and rub the chrome real good, like you were cleaning it with steel wool. You will be amazed with the results. Any cola will work, as will diet cola, no sticky cleanup.
Bill
Bill
Bev,
The July issue of Classic Motorsports just did a comparison on Chrome Polishes (along with steel wool and Coke). I don't have the issue in front of me but I don't believe Coke and steel wool tricks ranked too high.
Turtle Wax makes a chrome polish that is inexpensive and works well.
Meguiars' NXT Generation All Metal Polish works well also.
I recall both in the article getting good reviews.
Paul
The July issue of Classic Motorsports just did a comparison on Chrome Polishes (along with steel wool and Coke). I don't have the issue in front of me but I don't believe Coke and steel wool tricks ranked too high.
Turtle Wax makes a chrome polish that is inexpensive and works well.
Meguiars' NXT Generation All Metal Polish works well also.
I recall both in the article getting good reviews.
Paul
puff4
Platinum Level Sponsor
I've used the methods posted, and indeed they work.
I would offer caution on the steel wool, though, as it can sometimes leave little fine scratches in the finish... plus, if you use if for chrome you have not removed from the car, all those little fibers from the steel wool drop off and tend to fall into/on the car, and if they're able to collect in a crack or elsewhere they will quickly rust and promote rusting of nearby metal too, not to mention leaving rust stains where they fell. For that reason, almost all boating folks use brass wool and not steel wool for polishing chrome or stainless.
I tend to use regular 3M Polishing Compound (the kind you use on the paint). You can use it by hand on a cloth, or on a power buffer. Another choice, similarly applied, is Simichrome, and it is somewhat more mild than the 3M stuff.
I would offer caution on the steel wool, though, as it can sometimes leave little fine scratches in the finish... plus, if you use if for chrome you have not removed from the car, all those little fibers from the steel wool drop off and tend to fall into/on the car, and if they're able to collect in a crack or elsewhere they will quickly rust and promote rusting of nearby metal too, not to mention leaving rust stains where they fell. For that reason, almost all boating folks use brass wool and not steel wool for polishing chrome or stainless.
I tend to use regular 3M Polishing Compound (the kind you use on the paint). You can use it by hand on a cloth, or on a power buffer. Another choice, similarly applied, is Simichrome, and it is somewhat more mild than the 3M stuff.
Geore Gee my father told me that years ago...I forgot about it as he passed on in 1990 but you are right it was an old trick of cleaning up used cars when he sold them. Thanks for reminding me of that. He had a garage and fixed up used cars and sold them on the side. I helped him many a day getting the car cleaned up for sale. I should have remembered that but old age has set in. Thanks
Paul, the coke and aluminum works very well, especially if some effort is put into the application. It does not leave a protective coating, so it should be followed with wax. If a magazine says differently, I'd suggest they are looking at ad revenue more than service to readers. But that would be nothing new.
Bill
Bill
mikephillips
Donation Time
Saw this morning that Coke is expect to go up 10-15% in price after Labor day. To make up for increased costs, and smaller than expected per share returns.
puff4
Platinum Level Sponsor
L
Lee DeRamus saoca0404
With steel wool, clean the bumper VERY good after. Very small particles of the wool will stay on the bumper and rust. I built a stainless exaust system for a friend's 40 ft sailboat. The entire length had a stainless steel water jacket on it. A couple of weeks after we installed it he compalined that the entire 9 feet had rusted. Little did I know he had used steel wool to "polish" it before we installed it. I did see coke used in a comparison test on the MythBusters TV show. They rated it high.
Nickodell
Donation Time
You forgot the Mentos
Seriously; the active ingredient in Coke that does the trick is the phosphoric acid (look at the label). Phos. acid is an excellent dissolver of rust. An old mechanic's trick to loosen rusted nuts & bolts is to wrap a rag round it and soak it in Coke.
I have never used steel wool, now that I know a little about chrome plating, never will. "Chrome" is a heavy layer of nickel with a thin layer of chromium on top to add "flash" to the nickel plate. The layer of chromium is so thin you can see through it. "Heavy" chrome plating usually means several layers of different types of nickel, followed by the same chromium "flash".
Why risk removing the thin layer of chromium?
Bill
Why risk removing the thin layer of chromium?
Bill
Never heard that but good thought. We found some chrome polish from Mother's that is helping and some other stuff can't remember name that is just a can of fiber type stuff that has something in it that removes the residue from years past of road grime. You have to buff it like crazing and finding we need to do several applications.