When your car is old enough to legally buy alcohol it has earned the right to wear its battle scars proudly. Then again, it has also earned the right to avoid new scars wherever possible.

In this installment we will be covering a different covering: chrome.

For whatever reason the chrome on the roof rack is suffering more than the rest of her chrome, either...

...bubbling away from the metal in large chunks; or



...coming off in tiny flakes.




I've also noticed that the chrome on the tailgate's handle and 3rd brake light housing is also suffering, though in a different way.

Either tiny pinpricks...



...or larger ones.




Basically I'm trying to stop--or slow--the progression of this deterioration wherever possible and would at this point be happy with "no worse". This will be my first winter with her and as snow's right around the corner I figure I'll wait until spring to begin cosmetic work unless it will all go to hell in a handbasket before then.

Thanks again...

Drew

 

I guess the best way to slow the deterioration is to prevent water from getting in between the base metal and the chrome plating. Additional corrosion will continue to lift the chrome, where it is subject to getting knocked off.
Some sort of sealer maybe?
Not sure what would work best, but avoid stuff with silicone, as it may affect any rechrome attempts in a bad way.