How do I clean 1930 reflectors and lenses

How can I get the yellow lenses on my early 1930 Chevrolet back to clear and how do you clean the reflectors ( I have tried chrome cleaner on the lenses ) to really shine again!
Thanks wayne

 

If the reflectors are original, the are actually silver plated, not nickeled or chromed. The sliver plating can be easily removed, so you need to be careful. Try a really good polish made for silver like Wenal (spelling?) or any other good grade silver polish. Chrome polish will likely ruin the silver. Make sure to use a soft rag too!
By the way, the silver may not shine like chrome, but it will give much better reflection than chrome will, even though it looks a lot duller.

 

There is no way to make those lens clear again as the gl*** it's self has dis-colored.

 

You may not be able to get all of the discoloration out, but I've had very good results running old lenses through the dishwasher with Cascade. The pair of '36 Ford car lenses on my '38 Ford pickup were caked with dirt and dust when I got them, but they came out of the dishwasher looking like NOS.

 

I'm not sure the condition of your lenses, but if they have rust stains, muratic acid works very good. I've never had acid hurt gl*** before, but....

 

fine steel wool soapy warm water.

 

Almost the same topic.
If the silver finish on the reflector is worn off, is there a way to make them serviceable ?, other than having them re-plated. Is there a rattle can answer?

 

The lenses part is taken care of. I laid them in a bathtub abd covered them with clothes bleach overnight. They are now crystal clear !!! Now to the reflectors ?????

 

I had good luck using vinegar to clean my gl*** lenses for my deuce headlights... I let them soak overnight in a large bowl.. one came out better than the other, but they are 150% better than they were..
Let us know how you get it worked out..

 

If the finish is worn off of the reflectors your only options are to have them re-silvered OR to paint them with a nice, bright, glossy reflective paint that vaguely resembles the same color. (Actually white paint would work, too, but would not look original even from a distance.) If you paint, just make sure it's something that won't discolor from the heat of the bulbs if you do much driving at night.

 

You can either have them re-silvered or vacuum aluminized. Here is a link to a discussion on the VCCA site about this:
http://vcca.org/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/174315/1

Here is one company that does the vacuum aluminum coating:
Uvira Inc
310 Pleasant Valley Road
Merlin, OR 97532-8871
Phone: (541) 474-5050

Good luck!
-dave

 

Thanks to everyone the problems are solved. I used a silver cleaner called " SILVO " to clean the reflectors and they look like new again. I layed the reflectors in a tub covered with laundry bleach for a few hours and then run them thru the dishwasher and they look crystal clear.
Thanks agin, Wayne