Chrome Plastic

[Coyote]

Like the air box covers on the 550 and 380. Can you use conventional chrome polish on this stuff or is it best to stay away from it?

[yeadon_m]

Its plastic and soft. I would wipe it with alcohol based glass cleaner only. Anything abrasive will scratch. Its a pain that finish. Wish they'd been metal as on GT750!
Mike

[pearljam724]

Like the air box covers on the 550 and 380. Can you use conventional chrome polish on this stuff or is it best to stay away from it?

Not if you want the best shine. It's slightly abrasive for plastic. Buy a solid stick of polishing compound designed for plastic. Lowes, Ebay, etc sells it. Which is blue. A white solid polishing compound or a white liquid chrome polish is a final polishing step for metals. Including chromed metal. It will work to a degree. But, not the best choice for plastic. Especially, for the rare and hard to find 550/380 air box covers. If yours are in very good shape. I wouldn't use it. If they're a little rough looking. No big deal.

[Coyote]

Today I took my rear light apart The backing plate (what the lens hooks to) was in terrible condition. Lots of surface rust especially on the bottom and back. The part is plastic and I hesitated to get out the chrome polish. I did it anyway. Much elbow grease later and the plate came out looking brand new. So, you can use chrome polish on plastic chrome! Not a scratch one!

[ConnerVT]

Lots of surface rust especially on the bottom and back. The part is plastic and I hesitated to get out the chrome polish.

Uh... maybe I'm confused. But I believe that plastic doesn't rust.

If there is rust on plastic, that would be rust from another source, which is now adhered to the plastic (just as dirt, grease, etc. would).

Chrome polish isn't any different than any other abrasive cleaner, be it Comet, Scotch-Brite, steel wool, or sand paper. Just a *much* finer grit. A soak in a mild solvent (citric or Simple Green) followed by a little elbow grease attention, and a run through the dishwasher (note - also has an abrasive component) probably would of done the same.

[Coyote]

Now I wish I had taken a 'before' photo. Maybe this isn't plastic? It looks, feels and sounds like plastic when I tap it with a fingernail. The inside looks like unpolished chrome. Want an inside photo? I seriously doubt that it's am alloy. It's just too light, but I'm not lying. There was a lot of surface rust on it. The inside says Suzuki 35710-11. I see a few bumps like chrome does on the underside.

[Bloop2]

It's most likely pot metal, just like the turn signals. My 76 T500 has the same type of tail light.

[Coyote]

here's the inside. The yellowish hue is from an incandescent light above it. sure looks like solid plastic to me BUT. All across the bottom and a few places on the back had rust?!

[tz375]

It is plastic
It is chrome plated
It corrodes. Not sure if it's "rust" which is an iron oxide or some other metal, but it does oxidize.

[Sandman]

^^^Agree, it's what's known as flash plated plastic. Used to be common on 70's car grilles and badges- same stuff on plastic car model kits! It can fool you in to believing the part is metal, not plastic. The surface can corrode and peel away. Plastic model specialists can replate plastics, I had it done on some old Yamaha badges.

[sfront]

Its called Vacuum Metalized....If you want it redone contact Mr.G's in Texas.....
they can repair broken bosses and redo the 'chrome' finish.
Pretty cheap too.
I had them do a set of 1969 Road Runner arm rests.
Came out great.
http://mrgusa.com/rechrome/