I really don't think there is a "miracle cure." There are several good products out there including Evaporust. Turtle Wax Chrome Polish and Rust Remover and good ol' fashioned Dawn for removing rust. NO STEEL WOOL though! Simichrome is an excellent polish. As far as pitting, nothing is going to fill in chrome which no longer exists. Sometimes, some VERY carefully applied clear or silver nail polish will help to thwart the pitting but, it still looks like nail polish up close. Same with chrome paint. Re-chroming is the only answer for that problem. I think that your kit will look outstanding after a bit of work! Best of luck on your restoration!

Brian

Here's a pic of a kit that 6topher restored. It looked like it came off the Titanic. I think he changed the hoops but look at the lugs, the're the same ones before and after using Simichrome! I think it's only available online. I hope he doesn't mind my swiping his pic.

Hopefully 6topher will see this, but others will likely be able to answer this anyway I hope.

Does Simichrome do anything that the Dawn/then Turtle Wax RR CP can not?

I use the Dawn / Turtle Wax treatment to great effect, but if this Simichrome is something special.......

(I actually have some lugs soaking in Dawn/H2O right now!)

BTW - Surfcollector - those are beauties! I have a kit like that (also MIJ, Star made, with the Slinger type lugs) - a bit more red though.

Thanks,

John

As soon as I saw that in ebay, I knew one of the guys here would go for it :) Judging from the photos, the damage seems to be mostly superficial, so the foil treatment should take care of it - especially if you use a Cola drink instead of water. I've tried it on hoops and it works really well - for screws and stuff, you'll probably need something else. For polishing, I normally use a cymbal-hardware product, e.g. Trick. So far I can't say I'm totally happy with it, but I know my stuff is safe this way until I get more experience with different materials (this is Greece - the products available here aren't the same as e.g. in the US, so I don't dare use brands that can't be found everywhere).

Enjoy the restoration man :)

Alex

i saw a old timer well older than me take his chrome to a bench wheel one side has a soft brass brush and the other side a polish cloth and it made them look brand new ///

As Alex says, aluminium foil on the hoops with white vinegar or cola or even water. It works really well on hoops especially and doesn't scratch. I've even started soaking the lugs in white vinegar if they are really bad. Same with mounting screws and lug nuts. If the hoops are too bad then just get some new ones but they look saveable in the photos

I take it this is the Simichrome stuff you mentioned

http://www.simichrome-polish.com/

Which one of all the products in the photos is the Dawn you use?? Is it just dish soap, bleach, power cleaner, power dissolver?? I'd like to see whether there's anything similar here

https://www.google.gr/search?q=dawn+cleaning+product&espv=210&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=uYzJUpKFFabqywPJ54GYAw&ved=0CFcQsAQ

Alex

Please, would someone explain to me how aluminum foil rubbed on chrome will not leave minute scratches and a dulled surface? I've heard of this "solution" many times but, still I am leery. Sure, I've heard how Coke or vinegar is supposed to remove rust and maybe the acidity is a factor but, essentially one is rubbing metal on metal. I'm no physicist but...Thanks.

Brian

I'm no expert, but I've been given to understand that the combination of friction by a very soft metal (like aluminium) with the acidity of the vinegar or cola works as a very mild abrasive: it removes anything on the surface but leaves the metal unscathed. Perhaps it's to do with the fact that the foil is softer than the chromed item, so it kinda 'melts' away with rubbing, removing grime in the process. So far, it seems to work - there doesn't seem to be any mark on my hoops, no matter how hard I look (even with a magnifying glass).

Alex