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General MG Chrome restoration

Sarastro

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As I work on the TD, I'm surprised at how much I can accomplish fairly simply. I keep finding that seemingly helpless chrome can be restored quite nicely by buffing. The chrome headlight rings below are an example. I think most people would assume that the chrome has corroded or otherwise failed, but in fact, that's just a strongly attached scuzz layer (pardon the technical terminology) that came off nicely when I buffed it on a wheel with a medium abrasive. I followed it with some metal polish and it looks almost new. Given the cost of new plating, things like this are worth trying, I think

headlight_3492.jpg headlight_3494.jpg
 
You'll find a lot of the post war chrome was stainless steel and can be emery clothed and polished to new. Dent can be taken out and repolished.
 
Very nicely done. Have some need to do that to bits on the Bugeye, will have to give it a go seeing how well yours came out.
 
I'm not surprised if some "chrome" is really stainless steel. I'm aware that a lot of chrome is really just bright nickel, and it seems likely that much of it is really some other kind of shiny metal finishing. In any case, it's just metal, and as long as it isn't deeply corroded, there are options for cleaning and restoring it. In fact, just a good metal polish like Simichrome can do wonders.
 
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