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Re: Chrome & Stainless Steel
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Forum Ambassador
 
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During Korean War production there were material shortages and Packard issued a general guide as to the composition of most exterior trim items and what had to be changed to meet war restrictions. The enamel coated or so called war chrome was prevalent in 52 models and is an issue to restorers of those cars today.
With 53 production many if not all of the restrictions had been lifted and parts production mostly went back to normal -- although I suspect there could have been some war chrome items still in the parts bin that wound up on a few 53 cars. I believe the first two columns in the list are accurate for 53 models and probably most of the war chrome column labeled as enamel covered had gone back to the normal fully plated chrome finish as well.
Posted on: 2023/10/6 9:40
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Howard
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Re: Chrome & Stainless Steel
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Home away from home
 
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Thanks Howard, this is EXACTLY what I needed!
Posted on: 2023/10/6 12:35
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Re: Chrome & Stainless Steel
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Home away from home
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Korean War Chrome turns up on all USA cars made in the'52 and'53 era. Some '51 production might be affected. It is of very poor quality and is usually easy to spot due to being badly deteriorated, even on otherwise clean cars. By 1954, it was gone, and most all cars had high quality chrome plating, better than what you typically see today.
Posted on: 2023/10/6 12:41
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Re: Chrome & Stainless Steel
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Home away from home
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Possibly very late ‘51 and very early ‘53s have had it but none of mine ever did including a very late 1951 Henney-Packard from September of that year but my early 1952 Henney-Packard, also from September of 1951, did have it. A 1951 300 I owned did not have it and neither did a 1953 Clipper or a 1953 Patrician so it appears that it was hit and miss for the years adjacent to 1952!
Posted on: 2023/10/6 13:18
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Re: Chrome & Stainless Steel
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Home away from home
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The door handles are chrome. An option to having yours rechromed is to find a good set from 54 or 55 as they are all the same.
Posted on: 2023/10/6 23:44
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Re: Chrome & Stainless Steel
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Home away from home
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One of the least liked tasks back in the day was removing the protective film from the chrome grille on the 51-53 Packards. The film would quickly turn color and start to peel. We used a strong paint remover, but it still took much effort and time to get the film off.
Posted on: 2023/10/7 13:17
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We move toward
And make happen What occupies our mind... (W. Scherer) |
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Re: Chrome & Stainless Steel
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Home away from home
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After the coating was removed was a new coating of enamel applied?
Posted on: 2023/10/7 13:32
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Re: Chrome & Stainless Steel
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Home away from home
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On my 1952 Henney-Packard which was all original and came from an Emeryville, CA museum when I bought it and had been there a number of years, the grille teeth and oval around them were yellowed. No problem stripping it off with a non-scratching Scotch pad, chrome cleaner, then some wax and it lasted as long as I owned it. This was all done in place without any disassembly.
However, one day at a PAC NorCal event on Treasure Island which is in the San Francisco Bay, the car was parked for only an hour or so and the saltwater mists gave all the potmetal pieces a flat white coating so right after the meet, ally the pieces has to be removed and replated. The only pieces that didn’t have the issue where the stone guards on the lower rear fenders and that’s because they were cast bronze but got a replating anyway.
Posted on: 2023/10/7 14:19
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Re: Chrome & Stainless Steel
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Forum Ambassador
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Curious if cleaning the film meant removing the protective enamel on the war chrome and was that replaced with a fresh coat.
Posted on: 2023/10/7 14:30
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Howard
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