1950 Chrysler grill?

I'm a new owner of a '50 Windsor Club Coupe. I'm trying to find out if the grill is chrome or stainless steel?

Appreciate any information. Thank you.

Paul R.

I believe it is stainless.

It's easy to tell the difference, the stainless will be slightly dull, the chrome will be as rotten as a hillbilly's teeth.

Chryslers used a lot of chrome plated white metal. Due to the Korean war chrome nickel and copper were in short supply about this time. All car makers cheaped out here and there, Chrysler's chrome was particularly bad.

The cheaper cars (Plymouth, Dodge) used more stainless and did not suffer the corrosion and pitting the Chryslers did. So the cheaper cars stood up better over the years.

If you can find NOS parts have them chromed at once. If you leave them on the car for a year or 2 they start to fade and pit.

Thank you. I hope it's stainless. Before I bought the car there was a brief engine fire. Part of the grill is slightly discolored from the heat. If it's stainless, I understand it can be buffed out. If it's chrome...well, that's expensive!

Paul R.

The grille on a 50 Chrysler is chrome and they usually pit real bad where the water runs off of the gap between the hood and the fender. We polished our grille with chrome polish and old jeans and cut our fingers on the pits. It shines real nice but is pitted, I tell people it has the optional gold metal-flake chrome. I was asked by a young fellow if I put glitter in the chrome. There are pictures of our 50 New Yorker Newport in an album I posted.

Merry Christmas,

Jay

I should have added I think the korean war chrome came after 50. The owners manual for our 51 Plymouth and 52 Imperial both warn against using any abrasive cleaner on the chrome. As pitted as the grille is on the 50 Chrysler it still shines brightly, while the chrome on the back bumper on the 52 Imperial is down to the copper in places. The Korean war chrome didn't have Nickle included in the process I believe it was copper then chrome instead of copper, nickle, chrome.

Jay

You should be able to figure it out with a magnet.

The grilles are not stainless. The only exterior stainless on both 50 Chryslers we have are the rocker moldings and the rear fender spears the remainder is all chrome plated.

Jay

Ooops. Sorry.

The grill on the 50 Windsor I Had (still have the grill and other parts) is white metal. Most all the bright work is white metal. It's all in bad condition.

Magnet was a good idea. The grill is chrome plate, unfortunately. However, there is no pitting. Except for the discoloration from the heat it looks very good. I'll bet it's been re-chromed, probably 7 or 8 years ago.

Thank you. I appreciate all the information.

Here is a picture of the all Diecast grille in my 1950 NewYoker NewPort 8 cyl. Newport. Chrome is like new. These grilles are near impossible to find in excellent mint chrome!