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Chrome restoration

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For pitted chrome, I use Semi-Chrome polish.

For dull chrome I use Mother's Chrome Polish.

To shine and protect dirty or clean chrome, I use Blue Magic Chrome Polish. It leaves a thin (and invisible) silicon film behind to protect the surface.
 
Coke and steel wool used to work well back in the 60's.

I follow Steve S's pattern.

When I picked up all of my new chromed parts at NuChrome last year, I asked the girl who did the final polish what she used. I was noticing that she had spotless, soft white polishing cloths and when she reached under the bench I was shocked with what she pulled out of case.

Yup, good old Dupont #7 Chrome Polish in the green and white bottle. She said that she's tried everything, but nothing is better.

I still prefer Mother's for the hew chrome.
 
Brosky said:
Yup, good old Dupont #7 Chrome Polish in the green and white bottle. She said that she's tried everything, but nothing is better.
Click to expand...
Interesting! I wonder if it's really the best performing polish she's found, or if it's simply faster than the others. I can see using a lesser quality but faster polish to save time in her situation.
 
Auto Restorer Magazine ran a comparison test several years ago on chrome polishes. I seem to remember No. 7 ranked as a best value polish. I don't believe it had the preventatives that some of the higher ranked polishes had, be it gained it's rank on cutting corrosion and cost. Simichrome ranked very highly.
I'll try to find the magazine. It would be interesting to read it again.
Found it. No. 7 came out the value leader of the group of 32 polishes. The best polish at cutting rust and well overall rated was Turtle Wax Chrome Polish. Simichrome was a recommended product and the best overall rated of these mentioned products, but was found to be expensive/ounce. Mother's received scores lower than all three of these. What was ranked #1 overall? Blue Magic Liquid
This article ran December, 1998.
 
Has anyone tried buffing old chrome with a wad of tin-foil? I tried it after seeing it on Mythbusters and was quite surprized by the result!!
 
seems like it would remove surface rust easily enough, but might leave a few scratches behind. But possibly then ready for one of the afore-mentioned products.

I used to use steel wool/brillo pads with and without the soap in them.
 
Another thread here has been touting the powers of Bar-Keeps Friend....apparently works VERY well on rusty chrome
 
Classic Motorsports magazine (July 2008 issue) did an article on Chrome shines and fixes. A product P21s was rated the best. I was able to get some in Selinsgrove, PA and also from the manufacturer. You can find them on the internet.
 
Old Dupont #7 always seems to pop up in the final choices for cleaning chrome. It is a good polish, so is Turtle Wax chrome polish, another old name, but I think there are so many choices now that it seems to get put on the back shelf. I've learned a long time ago that cost and a high tech name are not very good determining factors in whether a product good or bad and old number 7 is cheap compared to a lot of other products. For aluminum, I think Mothers,(not cheap), is the best. So do the truckers.
 
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