chrome plated stainless steel?

[RandalPark@xxxxxxx]

I have seen posts about flash plating of stainless. I could be all wrong, but I 
believe that flash plating usually is done to aluminum to give the part a 
rather dull look as in brushed stainless, or even to turn it gold as in 
anodizing. An example of the "dull" finish would be the thin aluminum trim on 
the dash of 1960 - 1963 Imperials. It is below the top pad where the radio is 
mounted. This piece extends all the way across to the passengers side of the 
car and ends above the glove box door. This is a dull finish and will rub 
through if you polish it. 

When I had a piece of stainless steel wheel well trim straightened and polished 
for the '62 Imperial a few years back, it did not need to be plated to match 
the other stainless on the car and it looked great both alone and on the car.

I have polished used exterior stainless trim pieces that I bought in wrecking 
yards with Brillo Pads. I think that if there was a thin layer of chrome, the 
pad would have rubbed through it and caused a problem. So far this hasn't ever 
happened. Maybe I have just been lucky.

Paul

 In a message dated 12/31/2003 7:29:56 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
lecrown60@xxxxxxxxx writes:

> Paul, that is what I thought people might think, I know that discoloration 
>can happen with too much heat.  When I said yellow it was more a way to 
>describe a difference in character.  My color changed upon sanding with 600 
>wet and dry before I ever buffed it.  Maybe from white to grey is a better 
>description.  I don't quite know how to explain it but when the piece is 
>entirely finished and brilliant, you can hold it in the light and I swear 
>something is different.  The whole piece will have gone through the buffing 
>process but the areas that were not sanded have a different quality, there is 
>a distinct edge like I have sanded through a layer of paint.  I would get 
>buffing swirls in the stainless and not in these unsanded areas at the edges, 
>like it is a harder surface.  This "chrome" surface can be buffed off as it 
>seems to be very thin.  I knew everyone was going to think I am nuts!  I hope 
>you are right, the back side looks like plain stainless, I just have no other 
>way of explaining what is going on.  Richard
> 
> RandalPark@xxxxxxx wrote:
> 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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