Hot Rods Purposely tarnishing chrome

I have a 54 Chevy and whoever had this car before me had tarnished the chrome takin it down to the nickel playing its got a real vintage natural look just wanting to do something different.. Anyone know what chemical may have done this it's not a Brillo or scotch Brite pad because where it stops is too perfect. any answers? thanks jarrett


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If I remember, that was Chevys answer to a cheep chrome finish. I saw many back then and it was even on the 50s & up. You would see a nice car and the chrome was a disaster. Bumpers OK but the grills were bad.

 

are you sure it was chromed and just nickel plated?

 

if u can see where it's dull and where it's not its been taped and purposely done u have any clue how to finish it out


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80 grit sand paper and a ball peen hammer - if you want it to look ****py, why not go all out .......

 

It actually had to do with the Korean war. There was a nickel shortage and the auto industry had to plate the chrome directly onto the copper. I had a '52 Ford, and the chrome turned green.

 

Nothing bout it looks ****py it's just a different look why always do the same as the next guy be different ima have to figure out how to make it all the same


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No it's chrome in the spots where it appeared to be taped off from the chemical or whatever they have used


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are you sure the dull area isn't a paint that was done to cover damage ?
That would explain the tape lines

jeff

 

No it's deff a turn in the Crome it still looks like trim not painted like a chemical stripper or something


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Google chrome removal, I think there is an acid that will take chrome and leave nickel. Might be Nitric acid.
Any time something is re-chromed the original plating is removed, but usually by electrolysis

 

I used to work at a golf club maker's chrome dept. They used muradic acid to strip the chrome completely off of a part. Some times they would leave it in the vat all day. Someone may have taped a section off, and poured acid over, and over to strip the chrome off. I personally would not try it myself.

 

Not sure what is going on there, but it really does look like someone shot some sort of chrome finish on bad areas to cover it up. Looks kind of like that Alsa junk after a few months in the rain. Weird!

 

Ok did my research and called bumper Boyz someone stripped it down to the nickel plating being that it has a yellow tint they said muriatic acid will do the trick since u cannot use what chrome platers use to remove it (hydrochloric acid) thanks everyone looks like ill be gettin all my chrome down to nickel!!! Thanks for the help and for people who thinks its a dumb idea keep ridin the bandwagon maybe one day ull have enough gumption to jump off and try to go in a different direction


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Interesting. Well, post some pics up when you are done. I would be interested to see how this turns out.

 

Bumper Boyz would know ****py chrome plating,,they excel in it! HRP

 

Ill do it never thought you would get bashed so bad for being different? Pics will be posted shortly and I have never had issues with Bumper Boyz


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Chrome is a grayish CLEAR. It is put on top of another metal to keep it from tarnishing. If you plate over something like copper it would be shinny copper color, but, chrome will not stick to copper. Chrome should come off the underlayer with swimming pool acid (Muriatic acid). Swimming pool suppliers and Home Depot have it.

 

Haha...must be Bumper Boyz if they don't know that Muriatic acid and Hydrochloric acid are the same...

 

Thanks models916 I'm just trying to get the nickel plating to show like the rest


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Bumper Boyz said they were very similar besides the hydrochloric is hard to get that's all I kno I'm not a scientist and I don't really care this is about chrome plating not bumper Boyz


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Ain't that the truth!

 

After stripping it with the acid you might have to buff it
to get it to look like the other parts. I have stripped
the chrome off using Muriatic acid and buffed the nickel
back up.

 

dont forget the gloves and respirator ( I like to put a small fan to my back so it blows the vapors away from me) and goggles and splash mask if ya have it. I would use a saturated rag and wipe the areas needing treatment, then wash off liberally when your happy with the etch or look.

 

Thanks for the info!!


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For sure I've only used it to relic guitar parts and it eats up everything but thanks for the tips!!


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Oops, my mistake, for a minute there, I figured you were jumping on the patina bandwagon...

 

It's not patina it's just trying to get it down to nickel it's a different look patina is oxidation over a period of time read up


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And mister flacon man if u had looked at the picture I'm Just tryin to get it all look the same and since I'm not a big fan of chrome I'd rather take it down to nickel maybe you should actually go through the post before you comment I'm asking for help and advice not trying to f****** argue


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Oh well, when I see this ^^^^

...And I think that you are trying to f**King argue.

I like nickle plating and the satin look on the right car.
Personally I see your dilemma here, its gotta match and its probably one hell of a lot cheaper to take the rest down than bring the satin back up.

But one has to ask what was going thru the mind of the guy that did it in the first place. I would "think" as in my first thoughs - its paint over top of some ugly stuff. I know there's a lot of cheap *******s flipping cars and can't see this as a trick done by someone thinking clearly. Anyone tring for the look would have done the entire bumper. Someone covering up some ugly on the cheap would paint the bad section. However I'm not there looking at it.