Chrome rust?

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Kovic
Posts: 40
Joined: Nov 23, 2022 6:32 AM
Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Chrome rust?

Post by Kovic »

The other day I went an did the cheapo WD40 and aluminium foil method to remove the rust from the rear bumper. What appeared to be rust went off easily but what I thought was light rust on the top of the bumper seems to be something else. It is very smooth, just like the good chrome surface. I googled on oxidation and rust on chrome but have not come across something that looks like this.
Does anyone know what these spots are? Is this fixable with a certain polish method? Or does it need to be chromed totally?
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gadget73
Posts: 1176
Joined: Nov 22, 2017 10:30 PM
Location: New Jersey

Re: Chrome rust?

Post by gadget73 »

have seen this before. Not sure exactlty what it is, but I suspect its the copper under the chrome. No way to polish it out that I know of.
Kovic
Posts: 40
Joined: Nov 23, 2022 6:32 AM
Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Re: Chrome rust?

Post by Kovic »

gadget73 wrote: Nov 30, 2022 9:49 AM have seen this before. Not sure exactlty what it is, but I suspect its the copper under the chrome. No way to polish it out that I know of.
That is a shame... I will have to start looking for an other one..:(
Mike W.
Posts: 26872
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: California Whine Country

Re: Chrome rust?

Post by Mike W. »

Any chance the bottom looks like that too? I'd try chrome polish, which also removes rust before I went looking for new bumpers. Obviously try it on the bottom if you can to see what it does in case it's not good, but I'd give it a try.

I'd never heard of the aluminum foil and WD40 or vinegar it seems, but it's well documented on the 'net.
Kovic
Posts: 40
Joined: Nov 23, 2022 6:32 AM
Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Re: Chrome rust?

Post by Kovic »

Mike W. wrote: Nov 30, 2022 4:40 PM Any chance the bottom looks like that too? I'd try chrome polish, which also removes rust before I went looking for new bumpers. Obviously try it on the bottom if you can to see what it does in case it's not good, but I'd give it a try.

I'd never heard of the aluminum foil and WD40 or vinegar it seems, but it's well documented on the 'net.
The bottom and the part that normally is covered by the rubber trim does not have this. You can see this a little bit at the top of the picture. There you see the holes for the bolts that connect the corner part of the bumper with the straight part. Around the holes was pretty rusty and wd40 and alu foil took care of that in a few minutes.
But you are right. It is worth a couple of euro's to buy polishing paste and at least give it a try. Will do that in the coming days. Drove the car to the painter today. They start disassembly tomorrow. So I have a couple of weeks to get this sorted.
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