Hot Rods Chromed or polished engine blocks?

My motor is aluminum. And if it tarnishes and gets old liking, I'm fine with that.

 

You don't chrome something that you use hence the phrase, "if it don't run chrome it."

Chrome engines and ch***is and virtually every other part of the car was common for '60s show rods. I have seen chrome engines in other things over the years but less common then in the early '60s. Actually for the clean aspect it would be more noticeable when it wasn't clean then say a back engine block lock but part of that is that people are paying more attention to it. The cleaning itself would be easier then on a painted engine, chrome hoses off pretty easy and is non porous. Same can be said for polished aluminum, it will water stain pretty easy when it is wet and gets hot, but as for cleaning it is way easier to clean then non polished aluminum.

I would like to mention something here, it has nothing to do with the chroming of an engine but perhaps polishing does come into play. I have seen some engines over the years that have been meticulously ground and polished before painting. IE all the common landmarks ground off and smoothed, all the surfaces ground down and smoothed out prior to paint and they do look a lot better to my eye than say a stock engine that someone has painted. They just look finished.

 

I'd like to see some examples of polished cast iron blocks and heads.
I'd bet a quality casting with good alloy would shine up nice.
treated right it might even stay shiny..

Edit:
I missed the earlier pictures of the Cadillac block before paint.
That look good,
Wonder what treatment would keep it looking good..

 

I agree I like to see that kind of detail too.

 

Nice mill.

I was at an indoor show once, one of those cl*** shows where hot rods and customs and etc. were separated. There was this T roadster on Deuce rails with a 21 stud flatty. I noticed the heads at first and the guy was there so I asked him about them. They were just as smooth as silk, not a casting mark or number anywhere on them. I thought that they were some sort of old speed part or something. He said that they were just standard 21 stud heads that he had caressed a little bit. Then I noticed that there was not an identifying mark anywhere on the engine. Funny in a sea of mild to wild engines he won best engine.

 

Ah right just polish it then, its not that hard with aluminium, I polished a Buick 215 a few years ago and although it loses a little shine after a while it stayed really good.

 

Paul it actually makes them easier to clean as no pits for the dirt to get into, I just use regular car polish.

 

There is/was a product sold by Aircraft Spruce that is meant for aircraft propeller spinners that kills the oxidation on aluminum. It was also sold as Zoops Seal for way more money.

 

I have some of that Zoops seal and found it really good but can't seem to find it these days ?

 

LOL We use lemon pledge to kill oxidation. A friend and I made a machined aluminum clock for his mom for Christmas in the '90s. We soaked it with lemon pledge (furniture oil for the uninformed) before we wrapped it up. Around the turn of the century his dad took it out to the barn for some reason and it sat there until about '03. His mom found it and took it in the house dusted it off and put it back on the mantel. She has soaked it with lemon pledge a couple of times over the years but it still looks like the day we made it.

 

I dig it, but I don't want to polish it!

 

Here is the Aircraft Spruce version. (actually Stewert Systems) http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/evershield.php

 

Good info!

 

lemon pledge was the stuff I used on my polished aluminum wheels and tanks on my Pete . works great even in the salty north winters protects it better than plain wax did and we could polish the tanks out easier in the following spring . only thing is if diesel fuel comes in contact with it it come soff or yellows real bad . and it can be used to clean the rolling apartment too ..( dashes lasted longer with pledge vs any silicone based polish )