When I got my 2005 MCSC 1 1/2 years ago, I wanted it to have a "retro look," and decided wire mesh stone guards for my driving lamps would complete the picture. After looking everywhere to no avail, I finally found some vintage (but new in package) chromed stone guards on ebay that would fit. I made some mods and fitted them to the lamp assembly. Unfortunately, after about 8 months in the rain and fog of San Francisco, the mesh looked rusty, and it stood out from the rest of the car. So, I thought "I'll just get them re-chromed."

Well, little did I know that chrome platers in the Bay Area are about as scarce as hen's teeth. CA environmental laws make it really hard to have this kind of business, so much so that in 1979, there were 30 platers in the area - now there are about three, and none in SF. After some calls, I found one in Oakland, and called him up about my problem. The owner of this particular plating business has many years of experience, and in fact is now semi-retired. While he was more than happy to re-plate my stone guards, it would be pricy Knowing this, he was kind enough to give me some BIG hints on how to take care of the chrome, and recommended I try a few other things first. I found out some very interesting things from him, and thought I'd share them with the group. Below are three key points I learned from our 15 minute conversation....

#1) NEVER use "chrome polish"! They all contain an abrasive, and after many applications, will eventually dull the chrome. He said "I see so many guys using this stuff on their cars, and then a few years later they wonder why the chrome is all dull." Before those of you who have already used it slit your throats - know this: one application or so is not going to do it. But if you use it repeatedly, you'll eventually regret it.

#2) If you want the chrome to look good and be maintained for the next 40 years, WAX IT! That's right folks - WAX. When I asked him about what kind of wax, he said "Any kind of carnuba-type wax." He explained to me that under the extreme magnification of an electron microscope, chrome plating looks like the grass on a lawn - i.e., it's very POROUS. When water penetrates between the "blades of grass", it can cause rust. By applying wax, you "fill in" the areas between the grass, and so the water rolls off. Now, maybe you don't plan on keeping your MINI for 40 years, but there are plenty of other chromed items in any household, so think about applying a coat of wax every so often if you want to maintain them.

#3) Most chrome bits made today have a lot of nickel in the plating and not enough copper. Nickel is cheaper to do, so is used for items that are mass-produced. Unfortunately, what this means is that the chrome looks great when it comes from the factory...but it doesn't really last unless it's properly maintained. The reason why his re-plating would be pricy is because he does it "right", and so uses copper - hence the extra expense.

SO....I followed his recommendations, and using Lemon Joy and a soft wire brush, scrubbed the stone guards clean. (He said I could also use chrome polish this one time, because I needed the abrasive cleansing action to get off the rust.) The chrome plating is already starting to come off the metal in many areas, but they are so small that overall you don't really notice it. I dried them with a hair dryer and applied a coating of wax.

I have chrome bits all over inside and outside my MINI. I decided to put a thin coating of wax on the exterior bits - my MINI driving lamps, chrome grill, headlamps, side mirror covers, etc. Yes, it looks a bit "smeary" compared to before the application - the crisp reflection in the chrome of the side mirror covers is now a bit blurred-looking. Although I wash and wax my MINI religiously, I hadn't really noticed the beginning of some pock marks/early erosion areas (very tiny, but definitely there). I figure the wax is a lot cheaper than paying MINI for a new grill and mirror covers. So I am going to forgo the crisp reflection for awhile and see if the wax maintains the chrome better. And, if and when I get tired of waxing the stone guards, I'll call my "tutor" and have him redo them for me!

 

Thanks for the tips! I will definitely be waxing the chrome bits on my new MINI regularly :D

 

Thanks for sharing the tips! One question though - the OEM chrome bits on the outside (like the grill and mirror covers) and inside (chromed rings) are plastic as I understand it, so treating it as metal might be unnecessary?

 

I use Nevr-Dull Wadding Polish on my chrome (rally lights, gas cap, exhaust). It's not an abrasive polish, just cotton dipped in what smells like gasoline.

Off-topic, for protecting those rally lights I use a clear film headlight protection, which I got from nam sponsor ryan at autoclearguard. Cheap, invisible, and effective, and I never have to use my covers.

 

Darn! Really... That's too bad. I wonder if I could find some real chrome to replace the plastic stuff with. At the very least, I'm hoping to find some retro-looking rally lights and should be able to keep them in good shape for a long time

 

Great tips! Lucky for me I've always waxed even the chrome on my various vehicles; it looked fine after so I never stopped.

 

Hi eVal! I was with you on the midnight run in SF - great time, wasn't it?

You know, I was at Randy's PP earlier that day and one of the guys there had taken off his chrome headlight ring to see about having it painted to match the car color. Anyway, he sanded it down and found out that there is a layer of copper under the chrome. Makes sense, since the chrome has to have a metal to bond to. Underneath the copper layer there is plastic. So, I guess in theory at least, water could penetrate the chrome and get into the copper - which I suppose might cause some pitting? I dunno - copper doesn't rust, but it does oxidize...

 

Yeah the drive was awesome, glad we dragged ourselves out after the long day

Interesting about the headlight rings, so some bits have metal in there. Hmm, the mirror covers seem like just plastic though - but I guess who knows. People who have replaced the interior bits can tell for sure, but those also just seem like the chrome plastic I've seen before.