The long, full width dash inset piece on my 67 is actually in really good shape. It has maybe a dozen little pock marks where the chrome broke and leaves a rough little tit. Now, if this was a metal part with real chrome, I would get some ultra fine steel wool and go to work. But this is chrome vapor deposited surface on top of plastic. So how can I polish this up a bit, and smooth off the little pock marks without screwing up the vast majority of the part that looks good. My first step will be to work a soft toothbrush thru all the grooves to clean it up, and touch up the black painted parts, but then it is on to polishing that surface. So what do I use?
The insert in my '67 GS was most definitely real chrome on metal. I know this because I removed mine to refurbish it. I'm pretty sure all of them were made of pot metal. What makes you think yours is plastic?
ok, my bad, yes, it is pot metal. I was thinking of my old 69 camaro dash. I went and looked up close at the skylark one and yeah, brain fart, it's pot metal. Still, the point wasn't what is it made from, the question still stands, what method can I use to polish off the pot metal corrosion tits on the dash? I'm not looking for perfect, this is a driver restore and I don't intend to have this replated. I'm ok with patina, but would like to buff and seal that so it doesn't get worse
I doubt they'll polish off. Most likely, the chrome is blistered and the underlying pot metal is corroded. You can clean it up with chrome polish and a toothbrush. I've heard of cleaning chrome with an acid to remove corrosion. I don't know if or how it affects pot metal. Try a Google search on Oxalic acid.
Most of what you see in this close up is gunk since it has been sitting for a long time. In this photo, I wiped the upper area clean with some simple green and a microfiber towel. You can see about 5 of the larger "tits" I'm talking about. They are not bad, hence my wanting to polish them out if possible. So my question remains, what do I use to seriously clean and buff out this piece?
The pitting will need to be drilled, the holes refilled, and then a replate if you really want to restore that piece. I have used these guys (see link below) for multiple jobs and they do great work. If you are inclined to diy, research a product called muggy weld. http://www.chromeplatingin.com
Try the 000 steel wool. It may remove some of what you see..... corrosion on top of the chrome. If there are blisters thru the chrome surface, well that ain't gonna buff out.
Well, I sucked it up and took it to ye old local chrome shop. They have done some stuff for me and he measured it up, looked it over and said...... $400 and I have to paint the black myself. Sigh, It's only money.
When you get it back would you mind posting a few pics and maybe a name or contact info for the shop that did the work?
Sadly I got a call the next week. The owner came in and said, if we take that job for $400, you are fired. The boss re-quoted me at $1,200, 3X the initial quote. I took it back home and will buff and polish off the tits and crap and if it aint great, it's patina.
