refinishing my chrome and stainless steel or alumiuim(IDK)

[83countrysquire]

they are all getting dull and scratch. anything i can do? To repair that? I also some have black spots that leave a litle rustspot that can be scraped away? what would happen if i put aircraft striper on the bumpers wil it take away the clear coat or everything?I want to get its shine back. what can i do?

[gadget73]

Not to be mean, but try a bit of punctiation so the question is more clear.

I'd suggest 000 or 0000 steel wool and some metal polish to clean it up. Put the metal polish on the metal, and go at it with the steel wool.

[83countrysquire]

srry. thats what happens when u type at 2 in the moring with no glasses.

[mrltd]

bumpers don't have clear coat. they are chrome plated, the rear I think is just aluminum, and was never a really shiny part. I'm prolly going to spend the time and actually polish it to a nice mirror fininsh instead of the satin

[p71towny]

Yeah, you can polish the hell out of aluminum and make it look like chrome.

[Mercmarquis]

Once you get it polished up, u can try that Zoop's seal. I guess it seals the metal so it doesnt fade and lasts for a year or 2.

[83countrysquire]

so is poslishing using steel whool and stuff like that or wat is it? I want to make shure i dont screw up

[zwack88]

When I polished my aluminum rims on my old s-10 (same rims as that brown vic that you wanted the wheels photoshopped) and they were that same light grey and when I was done they looked like chrome. I used Never Dull. But if you have pitting and some spots use a fine grade steel wool with a good polish.

[83countrysquire]

i have never dull how much did u rub when u did that

[91 LTD]

Any of the chrome, steel, etc. polishes do a good job. I think I use Eagle something and it works great but now Id try Meguiars cause I really like their prroducts. Id polish before I tried steel wool. Mothers makes a foam polishing ball that goes on a drill, looks sweet.

Found this on a harley site:

Chrome

You don't polish chrome, you clean it. Unlike aluminum and stainless, chrome don't oxidize much, it's pretty inert, very hard, and usually pretty thin. I have tried a bunch of polishes, including the expensive German ones, and have found nothing that will remove scratches from chrome. You live with a scratch in chrome, or replace the part.

If you are real careful not to scratch it, all you have to do is remove the schmutz and the shiny chrome will be (somewhere) underneath. Use soaps and solvents, but keep abrasives far away from chrome. Be very careful to use clean, soft rags, one imbedded metal chip will ruin your day.

Aluminum and stainless

There are hundreds of alloys of both, but all share the fact that they oxidize at the surface. In fact, that oxide layer is what protects the metal from further corrosion. All you have to do is remove the oxide, and get it smooth enough (easier said than done), and it will rival chrome in shine. I actually prefer the softer look of polished aluminum, but I may be conning myself as I can't afford all those chrome parts.