Cleaning a radiator shell

[biggieou]

Hi everyone!

Is there a way to clean the radiator shell to make it look better/closer to new? I got a new moto-meter and now my shell looks really bad. I've attached a pic of it, but it might be hard to see how tarnished it is. Can it be saved, or do I need to get it rechromed/get a new one?

[glenn in camino]

Get a big buffing wheel, some buffing rouge, and a motor to power it, Take your time being careful not to catch the shell in the wheel. Good luck.

[SeaSlugs]

http://www.amazon.com/Eagle-One-1035.../dp/B000CNBI1A

ive used that stuff for years on all sorts of metals, works great!, just pinch of a section of wadding and rub in circles all over the part. Let it dry to a haze and then using a soft cloth hand buff it and it mirror shines, longer you buff better it gets.

[Larry Jenkins]

Originally Posted by biggieou

Hi everyone!

Is there a way to clean the radiator shell to make it look better/closer to new? I got a new moto-meter and now my shell looks really bad. I've attached a pic of it, but it might be hard to see how tarnished it is. Can it be saved, or do I need to get it rechromed/get a new one?

You are showing an image of a shell that is chrome plated. Not stainless steel like the 30-31s.

Be very careful when buffing. You might see a copper tone pretty quickly.. Light bar should be black.

[biggieou]

Thanks for the recommendation, I will try this out!

Originally Posted by SeaSlugs

http://www.amazon.com/Eagle-One-1035.../dp/B000CNBI1A

ive used that stuff for years on all sorts of metals, works great!, just pinch of a section of wadding and rub in circles all over the part. Let it dry to a haze and then using a soft cloth hand buff it and it mirror shines, longer you buff better it gets.

[SeaSlugs]

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Originally Posted by biggieou

Thanks for the recommendation, I will try this out!

ive bought that stuff at walmart and auto parts stores so dont have to order online.

[700rpm]

This shell should be nickle plated, not chrome. You will not get nickle to be the same color as the chrome on your motometer. Nickle is warmer. Yours looks good. I would try polishing it by hand so you have control over the process. Good original shells like yours are rare, and plating is expnsive. Proceed with caution. If I had a nice original nickle-plated shell and wanted the motometer to match, I'd replate the motometer, or remove the original and save it, and buy a new chrome-plated repro, which would be cheaper than plating your original.

[DougVieyra]

With a chrome head-lite bar, Biggieou (post #1) may not be too concerned about the authenticity of having the radiator shell nickle, as opposed to chrome.

I could be wrong, but I seem to remember that some of the 1929 radiator shells were chrome plated (from October through December 1929).

[DougVieyra]

I have an original 1928 Radiator Shell on my '28 Phaeton. When I restored the car in 1978-79, I plated the shell with Nickle.

Now that 37 or so years have passed, the plating is showing some raised pitting - rust poking through, I presume.

I have tried a cursory polishing, but have not been able to diminish the pitting to any significant amount. Any one have any Ideas of what I might do to improve the situation?

[biggieou]

I think this is the route I will have to take. I'm not sure how well it's going to shine up though, as it already has a goldish hue in some spots.

Originally Posted by 700rpm

This shell should be nickle plated, not chrome. You will not get nickle to be the same color as the chrome on your motometer. Nickle is warmer. Yours looks good. I would try polishing it by hand so you have control over the process. Good original shells like yours are rare, and plating is expnsive. Proceed with caution. If I had a nice original nickle-plated shell and wanted the motometer to match, I'd replate the motometer, or remove the original and save it, and buy a new chrome-plated repro, which would be cheaper than plating your original.

[biggieou]

So we're saying this is nickle plated and not chrome? Btw, the headlight bar is powder coated silver, it's not chrome-fyi in reference with the color of the shell

[DougVieyra]

No, we are not saying that your shell is nickle. We are saying that originally, as it left the factory in 1929, it probably WAS nickle (Oct.-Dec.'29 could go either way). However, over the many years since it left the factory it may have been replated (and most shells have been). If so, it was most likely replated chrome. So your radiator shell could be either chrome or nickle. From the photo that was posted it is not possible to tell which.

[700rpm]

Originally Posted by DougVieyra

With a chrome head-lite bar, Biggieou (post #1) may not be too concerned about the authenticity of having the radiator shell nickle, as opposed to chrome.

I could be wrong, but I seem to remember that some of the 1929 radiator shells were chrome plated (from October through December 1929).

You're right, Doug. My '29s are May and July nickel cars, so I forget that the later '29s had some chrome shells.

[Rowdy]

I am with others buffing is the way to go followed by Neverdull. So far I have spent about 2 hrs buffing my original. Still could use about another 4 hrs. Eventually I will get the 2 small cracks fixed and then it will be replated. Until then I will just live with it after I finish buffing it. Rod

[biggieou]

What are you using to buff?

[Rowdy]

A bench mounted buffer bought from harbor freight and stick buffing rouge. I can not read the label on it any more to tell you which brand. I know I bought it at Ace Hardware. I may try a different brand to try as in places I am not impressed with. Might just be the oxidation of the plating itself. Maybe someone here that has tried more brands could recomend a better rouge. Rod

[Tom Wesenberg]

A couple years ago someone mentioned using aluminum foil and some liquid to rub the rust off the radiator shell. I don't recall the details, but maybe the liquid was silver polish or some kind of rust remover. I'd like to clean up my original shell also, but it really needs to be replated.

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

A couple years ago someone mentioned using aluminum foil and some liquid to rub the rust off the radiator shell. I don't recall the details, but maybe the liquid was silver polish or some kind of rust remover. I'd like to clean up my original shell also, but it really needs to be replated.

mythbusters used regular coca cola and aluminum foil on a truck bumper to shine it up, just rinse with water unless you like a car thats attractive to bees. seems like it worked pretty good.

[CT Jack]

If your shell is original it is nickel plated. Nickel is softer than chrome so care must be taken not to use a coarse abrasive to shine it with. If you are going to buff it I would use a fine buffing rouge. These come in bar form that will be colored white and get applied to a running buffing wheel. If you use this technique be very careful not to catch an edge with the buffing wheel. It could destroy your shell in an instant.

[Fred K-OR]

You could also get a new crank hole plate from one of the vendors to cover the hole for your crank.