OnTheRoadAgain, I would tend to agree wit all that you posted. Chrome plating is only a few millions of an inch thick and any abrasive, like cleaners and especially steel wool of any grade, is just gonna strip it right down to the nickle. That is if there is any nickle under it at all!
The aluminum thing is something that we were using 50years ago when I worked at a Chevy dealership. The porters used it to fill in the pits when thay cleaned up the used cars.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL