chrome plated stainless steel?

[RandalPark@xxxxxxx]

Richard,

The stainless trim on your Imperial is not chrome plated. I suspect what may 
have happened is that the polishing was too intense and overheated the metal. I 
don't know what you can do to correct this after it has happened, but I have 
been cautioned about how over aggressive polishing can over heat and discolor 
the trim.

Paul

In a message dated 12/31/2003 5:58:52 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
lecrown60@xxxxxxxxx writes:

> Hi everyone. 
>  
> I have started the restoration of some stainless on my 1960 Crown.  I have 
>been sanding and buffing and the metal has changed color.  I swear I have 
>taken off a thin layer of chrome plating!  Has anyone else experienced this?  
>I have restored a '52 Pontiac which was covered in stainless and that 
>stainless looked nowhere near as bright after 40 years.  My Imperials' side 
>trim especially looks more like chrome than stainless, the reflections just 
>look more clear than what I would expect to see in stainless.  
>  
> When I have sanded or buffed out damage I swear the metal has gone from a 
>blue cast to a yellow cast.  I thought it was just that I had not buffed with 
>the final rouge and that the color would match the original once that had been 
>done.  It didn't.  Specifically, my car had some body damage between the 
>bumper and trunk lid and at some point this was repaired.  Whoever did it hit 
>the stainless over the bumper with their sandpaper.  I hit this with the 
>buffing wheel and swear I have gone through chrome and now I have a yellow 
>spot.  Now I have to rechrome pot metal and stainless too??????  The small 
>piece of trim on the gas door is chrome plated pot metal and I am thinking 
>they plated the stainless to match it in color?  I have witnessed this 
>phenomenon on each piece I have done.  I sanded the rear fender-well shield to 
>remove rock damage and the color changed there too.  It looks very nice 
>finished, like newly polished stainless should, but I swear I can see a 
>difference between the sanded and unsanded areas.  Am I insane or did Imperial 
>really chrome the cars' stainless?  I had to spend over three hours on the 
>fender shield before I was happy with it.  Should I keep on polishing or do 
>these pieces need to be rechromed?  There is a very good chance this could all 
>be in my imagination. Say it ain't so Ethel!
>  
> Richard Burgess
>  
> '60 "LeCrown"
> 
> 
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