I am not sure if this was asked on here before, but I've spent a few hours searching the posts and found no resolution to this question.

The question is this...
Are the emblems on the hood, and the ford letters on the grill nickel plated or chrome plated? I need to re-plate these and want to do it correctly. Thank you in advance for any answers and again, I am sorry if this is a repeated question.

 

Chrome plated. The last time automakers used nickel plating was during the Korean War, when copper and chrome were in short supply.

"Korean War Chrome" ~ Automakers plated nickel onto bare steel, then sprayed it with clear nitrocellulose lacquer to protect it.

The lacquer soon turned brown, began to chip off. Unknowing owners unaware of the lacquer used chrome polish, which stripped the lacquer off.

Once the lacquer went bye bye, it wasn't too long after...that the nickel began to pit. Used emblems, grilles, mouldings and etc. for 1951/52's very hard to find without pitting.

 

Thank you for your knowledge.