Patrick Slegers
Member
Stupid question but do I need to use chrome or aluminum cleaner to clean the wheel covers of my '72 Imperial?
Patrick
Patrick
Cleaning hubcaps
- Thread starter Patrick Slegers
- Start date
bluefury361
Old Man with a Hat
Yes......... Metal cleaner first, then polish
Use a magnet to see if they are Aluminum or steel. Steel, use a chromed polish. Aluminum will be anodized so they won't take a lot of abrasive polish without screwing up the anodize surface layer. If the Anodize is already bad, use oven cleaner to remove what's left, then polish the heck out of the aluminum, it will shine right up. Unfortunately, you'll have to re-polish the aluminum periodically.
Patrick Slegers
Member
Here's a picture of the wheel cover. I used a magnet and I think the are from steel.
Patrick
Patrick
I wouldn't get aggressive with those caps, a little wax and elbow grease is all you need!
They are most likely polished stainless steel.
bluefury361
Old Man with a Hat
Stainless steel. I use "Brite Boy".
Google
best iv'e used
73Coupe
Senior Member
x2. a lot of wheel covers were "flash chromed" at the factory even if stainless, to further help with resilience against the elements and prolonged shine. This is a very thin layer of chrome. I'm not sure if these have it or not.
I don't think they are, although I may be wrong.
They used to "flash chrome" some stainless back in the fifties on some of the higher end cars. A guy in the plating business once told me that was only to match the color of the other chrome and there's no more durability. The old hexavalent chrome that they used to use has a blue tint. With "flash chroming", just the final chrome is plated to the stainless, no nickel or copper.
They use a chemical "bright dip" to polish the stainless. All the stainless trim I've ever polished for my cars has not been flash chromed.
As I said, I may be wrong and since it's an Imperial, they may have wanted the chrome color.
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