Don't throw in the towel quite yet John, they may still have been Stainless.
I don't have one of the reproduction moldings here but I do believe they may be SS since
it requires less operations.
I have an original '54 rim here that is magnetic but I don't believe they would have used
magnetic or martensitic stainless because it's quite hard and would not be the best choice
for forming a headlight molding.
This lead me to believe that the rim is steel and chrome plated. But I see no blush spots
where it was hung from a hook in the plating bath on this rim. Also I see no rust or pitting
anywhere either which seems odd for a 57 year old part that has sat out in the elements.
Also the color is different than the typical bluish tint that chrome typically has.
Sooooo, it is possible that it’s an annealed series 400 SS.
DG
Here is a compairison of the two moldings:
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/138446049
