Technical Copper through chrome

I'm in planning stages for my 53 210 club coupe and am trying to make some plans for the chrome. The grill is showing the copper through the chromium.

Not sure to rechrome, replace or buff down to copper.

Anyone have an experience with buffing down to copper? Any negative?

 

Rechrome... trying to buff the chrome (and probably nickel below that) off will prove to be impossible without going all the way down to the base steel in places.

 

The '52 - '53 plating on Chevrolet grilles was terrible new, & deteriorated to blackish tarnish in months. Even NOS parts found in old dealerships are amberish yellow with some clear crap coating them.
Easy fix ? Whole '54 nose & taillights ...

 

Copper oxidizes and turns green quickly, it would require clear coating. On top of that, it would most likely be cheaper to get the parts replated then what you would spend on buffing pads, compound, and grinding discs to get through the chrome. Chrome is very hard (even at the standard 0.01 mils thickness), that is one of it's main benefits, so it chews up grinding wheels and polishing compound quickly.

 

I friend of mine got some '52 grille teeth for his car and he said the chrome was so thin that he was able to polish it right off to copper, he put them on the car that way. Not my style but something different I guess.

Got any pics? If it were me I'd just shine up what is there as best as I could and run that until you can afford to replate or find cleaner pieces.

 

it would help us know exactly what you have & condition

 

The problem with the chrome was caused by the Korean war and what the government needed for the war effort.

 

At least you have copper underneath.

 

Painted bars with chrome teeth can look good.
'53 teeth are no longer re-popped, but '54's are, and also look good. (About $350 for 5 from Nation Chevy Association.)