Chrome/salt

[billlobban]

Here in the frozen north the only thing we get more of than snow is salt. The car is used every day and my chromework is in poor condition and will need replacing, eventually, especially hubcaps and headlight surrounds. They last anout 2 or 3 days before turning several shades of red. Is there anything I can do to increase the lenght of time between polishes. The bright red rust just looks bad. I dont mind replacing the aforementioned bits but not till spring at the earliest.

[mike.perry]

Brasso and a pan scourer is a fairly efficient way of getting the worst of the rust off. Chrome aint wat it used to be

[daveallgood]

Beeswax polish, the kind used on furniture. Remove with white spirit .

[PSL184]

Cheap Cola and newspaper to remove the rusting then a smear of vaseline all over to retain the finish and protect from the weather. Easy to then remove and polish up when the sun returns

[ASL642]

When you do replace the chrome hub caps can I suggest you do so with the stainless steel ones?

My cars sit outside all year and have had these on for about 5 years. They don't pit or rust. Gentle wash in washing up liquid and they're ready to go again. As PSL says as far as bumpers go smear vaseline onto the bumper before it starts to get too cold and this should preserve the life of the chrome. Also use stainless bumper bolts (Ebay?) they don't rust. The chrome bolts seem to rust within weeks of fitting.

[billlobban]

Thanks all I'll give your suggestions a try

[bmcecosse]

Stainless hub caps - and i 'think' there are Stainless (or maybe Aluminium) head lamps rims in 'Mini' world. Only hope really will be to run no hub caps in winter (very 'sporty') - or clean them/de-rust them with the usual rust killer - and then varnish them.

[jollyroger]

Do you have a link to the stainless bumper bolts on ebay?
The only ones I can find are VW.
Can anyone tell me the size of the metric equivalent of the Moggie bumper botls?

[bmcecosse]

I think they are 5/16" - from memory - so 8mm would be the equivalent. Be aware though that stainless in close company with steel makes for a voltaic cell - and guess what ? The steel next to the stainless rots away as the sacrificial anode!

[les]

Probably not before the rest of the car has had it though!

[ASL642]

When fitting stainless steel bolts to chrome bumper paint just the small area the of the chrome that will be covered by the stainless bolt with clear varnish (nail?) It stops the two coming into contact.
Just found the link:
sales@volksbolts.com. Set £10.50 (rear bumper set especially for Morris Minor) - Kenilworth, Warwickshire.

[billlobban]

Lou are the stainless steel hubcabs shiney or do they have a rather dull matt finish

[bmcecosse]

They are not quite as shiny - although with some elbow grease and brasso etc - they can certainly be 'improved' and look fine ! Certainly better than rusty old chrome ones!!

[ASL642]

Well we've had a "guess which is the stainless steel hubcap v which is the chrome one competition" and they won! They also don't go all flaky inside, which the chrome ones seem to do quite quickly.