HELP: How to clean tarnished exhaust tips

[FZP]

I've got a pair in very good condition that are occupying space in a shelf

http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=151959

 

[Schwaben]

Interesting mix of those that say nothing will happen whilst others say continue. Well, I'll keep trying until it becomes absolutely clear that I'm flogging a dead horse.

It was a surprise to me also that they are chromed plated, always thought they were stainless steel.

I'll report back in due course.

 

[GMG]

...your horse is not just dead but glue

 

[Frenchmeister]

Albanian or other drive in car wash place has been visited where they use truck wash chemicals and the likes TFR etc
Horrible stuff which strips the dirt and crud from your car and makes them look uber clean but does untold damage.
Avoid !! :frustrated:

 

[MR997]

Looks like the chrome has been lost in places and exposed the steel below.

Apologies for the slight hijack but if you decide to remove them you may need these - did someone make some of the bevelled rings used in the clamps that secures these in place?

 

[DucatiRob]

Are the Gen 2 tips not stainless steel like the Gen 1?

If they are, no reason why you can't restore the finish (with a lot of elbow grease, use coarse wet and dry first)! From the pic, it almost looks like they have been coated with something, maybe a clear high temp lacquer, which would need to be removed for autosol to have any effect!

If they are chrome plated, then yes they are toast!!

 

[TonyC911]

Spotted this info on Design911 which suggests they are chrome plated.

 

[monster]

Mine - off a 2005 car are definitely stainless- no plating on them at all.


But I have seen some which are chromed - and the OP's certainly appear to be - so it looks like both are in existence.

Maybe they switched to chrome plated at a later date...

Edit - Just reading the D911 advert above - its actually says the tips they are offering supersede previous part numbers - so maybe the previous ones were stainless and have been replaced with a later chromed version!

 

[Schwaben]

Mine - off a 2005 car are definitely stainless- no plating on them at all.


But I have seen some which are chromed - and the OP's certainly appear to be - so it looks like both are in existence.

Maybe they switched to chrome plated at a later date...

Edit - Just reading the D911 advert above - its actually says the tips they are offering supersede previous part numbers - so maybe the previous ones were stainless and have been replaced with a later chromed version!

Mine are OEM from '10 on.2 car. No idea if they are plated or not.

 

[Threadbear]

My 997.2 tips are in the same condition. I have tried polishing them off the car but with no effect at all. There does appear to be some type of coating or plating, but they are totally non magnetic, so not made from steel I don't think. Has anyone had any result in trying to polish them? Maybe they could be chrome plated to restore their original look.

 

[Threadbear]

Tarnishing

I can now add an update on this topic. I took up FZPs offer on this thread and bought his tips. They are definitely stainless steel, uncoated. Mine appear to be stainless also but are coated with something which is coming off and shows as tarnish, as in the pic at the start of this thread. The coated are more shiney than the stainless ones, but the glamour is of course lost when they tarnish. The "new" ones are also slightly shorter, about 10mm, and have a plain radiused return at the end of the tips, whereas my original ones have a thicker and dimpled return, again same as the ones pictured earlier. They have different 997 part numbers, none of them the same as quoted above in this thread. Also they have the manufacturer name and date, all are dated 2008, the plated ones made by Eisenmann in Germany and the Stainless ones by Sebring in Austria. Bottom line - don't waste your time trying to polish away the tarnish, you'll probably make it worse!

 

[JonnieD]

The tips are definitely stainless steel on my gen 2 C4S, so I wonder if some of the earlier cars were chrome.

On mine I used small abrasive buffing wheels on my Dremel as below. Came up a treat, but I did have them off the car, having replaced the exhaust system. Much easier to do like that!

Ceramic coating would be an option on chrome, as they would strip it all off first anyway. :thumbs:

 

[JSP330]

Mine is a very early Gen2 and definitely Stainless on mine, had a lot of caked on sooting when I got the car, but came up lovely with some gentle and persistent buffing, and now very simple to keep shiny.