Gibbs is one of those magical things in a bottle.
Been around for a while and many old car and motorcycle guys know and talk about it.
It can penetrate metal deeper than water does and if you re-apply it every few years, rust has little chance to develop.
Can be used on bare metal and left as is or top coated with primer and paint.
It's great on carb bases, intakes and other bare metal parts anywhere on the car.
The ones who used it, swear by it.
It also helps removing old rusted bolts and nuts and there a million other uses.
Here are some great tips on removing rust on chrome parts, that I saved from a pro-polisher who specializes on old cars:
NEVER, EVER, no steel wool on chrome !!
It's the kiss of death.
It pushes iron into the pores of the chrome that unites with the iron underneath and leads to splitting, flaking, you name it.
NEVER, EVER use a polish on chrome that contains ammonia.
Ammonia dissolves chrome.
Crumpled up aluminum foil and cola works well if the chrome is broken.
If it is unbroken, use a QUALITY chrome polish.
That doesn't include mothers or turtlewax.
They are rubbish.
Manufactured to generate resales.
Find a polish that doesn't contain ammonia, ammonia bi fluoride or sodium hydroxide and you have a chance of getting something that will protect your chrome, not dissolve it.
I don't like Wenol, Flitz, Mothers, Simichrome, Nev'r Dull.
I do like products that are pH neutral.
I also like Busch, white Diamond is not so bad, Zephyr pro 40, and a couple of others, but you might want to remove waxes with alcohol to stop hazing.
Basically if chrome is pitted (especially with aluminum or pot metal underneath) it's on the way out.
Cola and aluminum foil is the best savior I know for making it look 1/2 way decent, if it's over steel.
On pot metal and aluminum those little green edged pits just keep returning.
If you can get the corrosion off a good waxed polish will help.
If chrome is unbroken it should be washed with soapy water and toweled dry.
You should only use an abrasive polish on chrome (mine included) to remove light surface scratches from road grit.
Heavy scratching where you can see a little gold or yellow is a sign that scratch is through the chrome to the nickel.
Then it's ok to use a pH neutral waxed polish to slow down the nickel yellowing.
I just did the bumpers and grill on my 48 coupe last week (see link). They haven't had a cleaning or polishing in decades and had a dull grey patina that took a while to remove.
Where the chrome was already flaked off or pitted, the aluminum foil covered the rusted areas until it was all shiny, looking like stainless now.
Perfect for a driver, that doesn't have to be show car quality and were the cost of rechroming is not an option.
Apply Gibbs with a brush before the aluminum and rust will stay away for years, especially in the dryer states.
