Chrome treatment

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Charles Morgan

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 2, 2010
Messages
8,206
Car
Mercedes 250CE W114, Alfa Romeo GT Coupe 3.2 V6
The grille of my 190 is polished regularly with Autosol or T Cut metal polish, depending upon which comes to hand. After a couple of weeks it starts showing rust spots which really never go away despite the polishing.

Are there any better products out there as the abrasion of the polish is making this worse I think. My Allard grille has no such problems probably because it's brass under the chrome.
 
It maybe a copied grill. My S-class has one and it suffers the same issue.
 
Agree with Olly, it's probably not the Autosol which from my mototrbike days I recall as being top notch stuff.
 
Solvol is pretty abrasive, chrome plate is only about half a thou thick, then you're down to nickel plate (same) then it's steel.
Once the plating is perforated the steel is exposed and will start rusting, more abrasion just makes it worse. Removing the rust leaves the steel polished but unprotected.
Cure is re-plating, or you could try lacquer after polishing.
 
^+1. Once clean, protect the surface with wax or, as above, lacquer.
 
I agree with Olly,must be after market,mine is 23yrs old and totally rust free without
any pitting.
 

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