Lacquer on chrome removal

[58 Hawk]

I have some chrome parts that have the factory lacquer on it and want to remove to have the bright chrome

Do you have a good product or method for removing the lacquer finish off chrome parts ?

thanks ,Joe

[unclemiltie]

Denatured acholol is what I use

[TWChamp]

I have some chrome parts that have the factory lacquer on it and want to remove to have the bright chrome

Do you have a good product or method for removing the lacquer finish off chrome parts ?

thanks ,Joe

Did the Studebaker factory actually spray a clear lacquer on any chrome parts?

My 1950 Champion was restored in the early 90's and it appears the guy that did it went to SI and bought every new part he could find. I noticed that one hood chrome bar was duller than the other, and that was due to a clear lacquer finish spray on. I removed it with lacquer thinner, so now both bars match.

[rkapteyn]

During the Korean war , chrome was in short supply and car manufacturers were told to reduce the amount of chrome they used.
Studebaker suppliers flashed on a very thin layer of chrome and then coated with lacquer. We old timer refer to it as Korean chrome.

Robert Kapteyn

[jclary]

Could be that I am perpetuating an "urban legend." I recall many conversations about early 1950's quality of chrome. Because of Korean war requirements, chrome, and certain other metals was, rationed due to the military having first priority. Therefore, metals such as nickle, and copper, that is used in the plating process caused the chrome finish to suffer in appearance and durability. I'm told that it affected all manufacturers of that era.

Back in the 1980's I purchased a truck load of Studebaker parts. In that stash, I had a complete NOS set of 1952 front chrome. Much of it had a yellow tint. No amount of polishing would make it look like bright chrome. However, at the very first swap meet I attended as a vendor, I sold that chrome to a person who paid me enough to cover the cost of the entire truck load of parts. Although yellowed, the trim was perfect and without blemish.

I am posting this because I have seen some yellowed chrome parts further damaged, because of someone trying to polish the yellow away and, abrading the thin chrome exposing the pot metal substrate. I believe there was some protective coating applied to some, but make sure it is a coating and not the plating itself.

[jclary]

Well Bob, saying it in fewer words, got you posted before me. Thanks, guess it is not an "urban legend."

[StudeRich]

The Good News is 1952 was the worst year for the Korean Chrome on Studebakers, the quality may have been a bit bad only on some Late 1951 Models but for the most part that should be it.

So I did not know Joe had a '52.
I don't see how that would happen on later years unless someone in the Snow Belt tried to protect it from the Salt.
There was protective clear Sprays for that very purpose, probably Lacquer.

Of course, overspray from the Factory Body Paint and probably not Color areas on Chrome would not be Lacquer.

[Jeff_H]

I bought a NOS "Automatic Drive" script set to put on my '53 K. It had that clear lacquer. After a couple of years of being on the car and seeing some sun and "wear" from washing, etc. it turned yellow, started to chip and peel, and looked like c***.

Emblems were on the car and not easy to remove w/o risking paint damage to the trunk lid so I laboriously used a dental pick and Q tips with thinner to clean off the clear w/o damaging the nearby paint. If I could have gotten those off easily I would have dunked them in a jar of thinner.

[rockne10]

My '53 was born on April 30, 1953 and it also had a clear coat over the chrome when I bought it in 1976. At the time I assumed it was residual atmospheric deposits and polished it off with compound (very laborious). The chrome immediately began to deteriorate.

[TWChamp]

Wish I had known the factory applied the lacquer, then I'd have left it alone, and could have put lacquer on the other hood bar to match. I try to keep the car clean and polished, and wipe over the chrome with an oily rag just before winter storage. BTW, yesterday was like a cool summer day, and today is like winter with a lot of snow, so the roads are now polluted with salt.

[Dwain G.]

"Korean Chrome"

[Daytona]

I found double 00 steelwool spray with wd40 works fast and does a great job.

[58 Hawk]

I bought the Klean Strip aircraft paint stripper and it worked perfectly on removal of the lacquer paint ...the above WD 40 sounds interesting too.
Joe

[57pack]

Wonder if any of those factory "care of chrome" cards survived ?
I also remember the early 1950's cars suffering from the effects of "Korean chrome" syndrome.
Seem to remember mostly Chevrolets with rusty silver spray or brushed on painted bumpers.
I guess the other car companies products suffered equally . Just that our local Chevy dealer (Budd Motors) sold a lot of cars out of that little dealership. Much to the chagrin of Adams Motors our Studebaker dealer just down the street.

[rkapteyn]

"Korean Chrome"
[ATTACH=CONFIG]60036[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]60037[/ATTACH]

July 9 1951 service letter.
This was the start of 1952 production.
I have seen 1952 parts that were fully chromed
but that may have been parts that were made before July1951 for 1952 model year.
Also replacement parts for previous models may have the Korean chrome if made after this date
I forgot about that
Thanks for posting this
Robert Kapteyn