stainless or chrome

[1949windsor]

I am sure this has been asked before and I am sure the answer will embarass me...... but how do you tell if my trim is stainless or chrome. I tried polishing some of the trim thinking it was stainless and it seemed to be pretty resistant to shining up. I know the bumpers are chrome (I am not that slow) but what about the rest of the car?

thanks

Brandon

[55 Fargo]

You have some stainless trim, usually the body side trim, the hood ornament, and tail light bezels, the grill might be chromed pot metal (cast), which pits, and is very expensive to have rechromed.

The stainless steel trim should polish up nice and shiny using the right method..................Fred

[47heaven]

Brandon...there's a guy in town, well the next town...I recently moved, that can take stainless and turn it into chrome, just by polishing. He a Mexican guy that speaks very limited English, but he knows his stuff and he does it out of his garage the old-fasioned way and he is extremely very reasonable on his price. People always ask me who did my chrome (referring to the stainless) and I tell them it's not chrome. They really find it hard to believe...well, see for yourself:

[mackster]

Brandon...there's a guy in town, well the next town...I recently moved, that can take stainless and turn it into chrome, just by polishing. He a Mexican guy that speaks very limited English, but he knows his stuff and he does it out of his garage the old-fasioned way and he is extremely very reasonable on his price. People always ask me who did my chrome (referring to the stainless) and I tell them it's not chrome. They really find it hard to believe...well, see for yourself:

:eek: :eek: :eek:

I can't believe it's not chrome!!!! It is beautiful....

[47heaven]

Yeah...he did do a good job I have to say. Anyone interested in his work, let me know and I will give you his info. I think he speaks more English then he leads on, but since he knows I speak Spanish, he doesn't try to speak English with me.

[daddyo23]

Beautiful work. One thing that puzzles me. My '48 has only the big grille bars. Where did the small ones go? Is that the way some of them were? inquiring minds would like to know... Wayne P.

[47heaven]

Beautiful work. One thing that puzzles me. My '48 has only the big grille bars. Where did the small ones go? Is that the way some of them were? inquiring minds would like to know... Wayne P.[ATTACH]6874[/ATTACH]

I would wager to say that yours were already missing when you got the car. Below is a '48 and the smaller grille trim is there.

[De Soto Frank]

I am sure this has been asked before and I am sure the answer will embarass me...... but how do you tell if my trim is stainless or chrome. I tried polishing some of the trim thinking it was stainless and it seemed to be pretty resistant to shining up. I know the bumpers are chrome (I am not that slow) but what about the rest of the car?

thanks

Brandon

Hi Brandon,

I have a '50 Chrysler New Yorker...

It's probably easier to list what IS stainless-steel, then whatever's left would be chrome-plated die-cast ("pot-metal").

Stainless:

Long fender "spears"

Long door "belt moulding"

Any bright window trim set into or around the rubber gasket (except the chromed divider-bar in the middle of the windshield- that's chrome/die-cast)

Wheel covers

Chrome-plate:

Grille

Moulding on lower front lip of hood

Hood ornament

All hood / side scripts, eg: "Chrysler", "Windsor", "Fluid Drive", etc

Headlight/parking light/Taillight bezels

Gravel-shields on front of rear fenders

Door handles ( interior & exterior), window cranks, vent-wing latches

Chrome-plated Steel:

Bumpers

Vent window frames

Here's the cruel joke played on us by Chrysler Corp:

From about 1940 on into the 1950's, Chryco loaded-up the more expensive De Soto and Chrysler cars with die-cast grilles and other die-cast trim.

The "cheap" Dodges & Plymouths had stainless-steel grilles & trim.

After being exposed to the elements for over half-a century, we usually find the Dodge & Plymouth trim holding-up much better than their more expensive cousins...

If your Windsor's die-cast trim is pitted, there's probably not much you can do to make it look nice; try a soft toothbrush and some chrome cleaner. Sometimes rust stains will be deposited on other-wise decent die-cast trim; the chrome cleaner will take that off.

The stainless moulding is can be cleaned with chrome or stainless polish and a soft cloth; you probably see many swirls and fine scratches that have accumulated over the years - making those go away is for a professional.

Good luck !

De Soto Frank

[BobT-47P15]

Those stainless pieces can be shined by use of a power bench grinder

type of buffer and jewelers rouge. It will take some practice to get it

just right. I bought a box of Plym trim on ebay some time ago....used, and

some has overspray on it -- just got it to practice the shining on. Have not

spent the time to master that yet. Once you get the hang of how to do

it, the stuff looks like new. Or, you can hire a professional like Darin said.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I will tell you this...if you wish to speed up your polishing process...and as the pieces are off the car...I have gound that just a spray of CLR and 0000

steel wool will remove most road grime and lot of tarnish..makes polishing a breeze...