Had the opportunity to take a nice widowed lady's car out to a small c hurch sponsered show today. Had a good time and won a best of show! Heathy small block with a 4 speed = Fun to Drive!
Now for the question. What is the best way to remove some pitted rust and light surface rust from the chrome bumper ends without hurting the rest of the chrome?
Not trying to be a smart ass, buuutttttt,...what kind of a car show gives out a Best of Show to a car with rust pits on the bumpers? In reality, those bumper ends may need a rechrome to totally cure the problem areas. I'd try some of the above ideas first, since they tend to be pretty straight forward. Good luck. Stu
Wood bleach or oxalic acid. Soak a rag put it on the bumper and keep it wet . You could also try aluminium foil and warm soapy water. Google those for rust removal and you'll see how it works and how to do it.
Buffing compound or a good chrome polish like Flitz or Simichrome. Steel wool will scratch the surface. I don't care how many 'ought' it is. You're rubbing balled up bare steel against a plated surface, bad idea. Same with tin foil. If you had a super old, crusty bumper that you were trying to get a last hurrah out of before replating or something like that, I'd be OK with SOS or similar, but those bumpers only have a bit of staining and steel wool would be unnecessary. Wood bleach is actually another good suggestion, although it works better on disassembled parts in a soak tank, a wet rag would probably do it. When you're all done, give the bumper a good coat of wax to help keep it from getting rusty again.
HERE'S THE ONE THAT I'M DOING::::: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=693523 and it's working pretty good,
Lol...sorry...you guys call that rust??? Come to NY....RLMAO...all jokin aside...nice looking car!....i was going to say rust bucket.
Mother's wax aluminum polish works great.. Whether you're polising aluminum, chrome, stainless, or even plastic headlight lenses.. Give it a shot-- Those bumper ends do need rechroming though.. Use the Mother's--than put a coat of wax on them and buff them dry..
Copper scrubbing pad and Pledge to remove rust stains. Then wipe clean, and polish with Flitz, Simichrome or your favorite chrome polish.
comet (original powder form) bathroom cleanser does wonders on rusty bumpers wont complety kill it but will remove it and keep it away for a while (months) with weather exposure maybe years being garage kept
When you remove the rust save it. There's a huge market for "patina". Sells for a lot more than "rust".
Reality check: Polish it all you want and the rust is still going to steadily progress. Chrome work is expensive now, and costs will continue to rise drastically. As the pitting worsens, the costs skyrocket. This car needs all the chrome pieces preserved. Get them fixed. For something like this, there is really no alternative.
A small, church sponsered car show with voting by kids, grandparents, and anyone who wanted to pick out a favorite, that kinda car show. Thanks for all the advice everyone! I can't afford to rechrome the tips for her but I can polish them up to slow down the process.
Wenol or Glanol, it's the same stuff. Buy a tube of the red and the blue and use a soft cloth. Really, Wenol, google it or go buy it on ebay. Greg
Not steel wool it will leave behind rust. Use some brass wool. You can find it at boat shops. You may also find it at Home Depot or Lowe's I use brass wool and car polish.
Thanks again guys! This is a really nice 57. I wish I could do more. I did throw out the triangle sponge filter on it and put on the 14 inch finned one, I really do not want to see this car go up in flames with her in it. She is that nice! When I asked her if she could drive a 4 speed......she gave that "Look" and said "I learned with a 3 on the tree"........ I said " I'am sorry", she just smiled.
I'm with the guys who say nothing more aggresive than some quality polish and a cloth. It may take longer and be more work, but I'll bet that will clean up just fine. Only after you have exhausted the "gentle" approach, should you consider something more aggresive. That car is too nice to go after a quick solution. I would rather see a generator, and Chevrolet (early Corvette maybe?) valve covers, and air cleaner though, but that's just me.
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