Chrome Chipping off Exhaust Tips?

[laggster]

Hi Everyone,
Has anyone noticed the chrome chipping / bubbling off their exhaust tips?

I'm guilty of not cleaning my Golf's exhaust tips for months now, so I got myself a bottle of Purple Metal Polish and set to work.

As you can see it's quite grubby...


After a few minutes, the dirt / carbon nastiness is coming off nicely.


When I had a look underneath the exhaust, I noticed this:


Anyone seen this on theirs? or is this a result of my letting the carbon build up all nasty like?

I haven't been scrubbing it like crazy, eating through the chrome. I used a soft rag with the polish.
The last photo was taken only after a light polish had been done to the outside, I hadn't started work on the lip yet.

[brad]

It's from allowing the rubbish to stay on the chrome. The chemicals have eaten into it.

[laggster]

It's from allowing the rubbish to stay on the chrome. The chemicals have eaten into it.

I was thinking it would be something like that, thanks for the confirmation.

People clean your zorst pipes, otherwise they'll end up like mine!

[bull]

Are the tips stainless steel or are they steel that has been chromed. I thought they were generally stainless steel that would not be affected as shown. I know they are generally the cheaper type 304 stainless steel that maybe would pit and corrode with the heat .

[Mk3 AAA]

Take some advice from Mick Jagger...

[spellbound]

I was thinking it would be something like that, thanks for the confirmation.

People clean your zorst pipes, otherwise they'll end up like mine!

Always do mine at ever wash with the finest steel wool , used it in my 2002 resto days was the best way to bring chrome back to life and maintain it , must be super fine .

[1stVeeDub]

I have a MY2011 118TSI and the exhaust tips dont seem to be chromed. Any suggestions as to how I should I keep those tips clean?

[brad]

I have a MY2011 118TSI and the exhaust tips dont seem to be chromed. Any suggestions as to how I should I keep those tips clean?

I wash my car every 2-6 weeks & do about 500km/week.

If you mean your tips are black paint, then they are the last thing I wash using a different sponge than the rest of the car. I do them inside & out & the sponge comes out black.

[alebonau]

thanks for the heads up on the purple metal polish. the blackened chrome on the exhaust to be honest has been a bit of a bother for me for a while. as normal car wash hasnt budged whats on it for a long while. the polish suggested has been great though, apart from some blackish residue around the rim thats seems particularly hard to budge. might try that again next time. but its sitting there now with gleaming pipes again

[1stVeeDub]

I wash my car every 2-6 weeks & do about 500km/week.

If you mean your tips are black paint, then they are the last thing I wash using a different sponge than the rest of the car. I do them inside & out & the sponge comes out black.

Sorry no not black painted exhaust I meant that the exhaust tips are a dull silver metal (not chromed) perhaps just the normal metal surface of the exhaust pipes. Has anyone fitted aftermarket chrome exhaust tips? I'm in Sydney, where can I buy them from, what size are they and how much do they cost?

[brad]

Sorry no not black painted exhaust I meant that the exhaust tips are a dull silver metal (not chromed) perhaps just the normal metal surface of the exhaust pipes. Has anyone fitted aftermarket chrome exhaust tips? I'm in Sydney, where can I buy them from, what size are they and how much do they cost?

OIC
A few options:
paint them with heatproof paint in the colour of your choice.
Shine them up with fine wet'n'dry.
Go to an exhaust place & ask the guy for some suitable diameter stainless offcuts from his scrap bin & polish them up & have the exhaust guy tack-weld them on.
Go to exhaust place & buy from their selection of chrome tips
Go to car accessories place (SCA, Autobarn) and buy tips & fit.
Buy Genuine accessory tips from VW

[The_Hawk]

I'm in the same boat with the Golf Cabriolet 118... VW skimped out a little on the exhaust, it just looks like the pipes come out and are cut... it just needs some chrome tips to finish it off... or.. you know... a new cat back system...

[brad]

The Skoda is black tips. The dealer down in Wollongong was selling accessory tips cheap on ebay. I was tempted but then looked at the rest of the car & kept seeing a pig with lipstick on.......

[AdamD]

I'm in the same boat with the Golf Cabriolet 118... VW skimped out a little on the exhaust, it just looks like the pipes come out and are cut... it just needs some chrome tips to finish it off... or.. you know... a new cat back system...

Check out the carbon fibre and titanium tips on this exhaust:

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/forums/f112/akrapovic-exhaust-mk6-gti-50692.html

*Droooooooooooooools*

[1stVeeDub]

OIC
A few options:
paint them with heatproof paint in the colour of your choice.
Shine them up with fine wet'n'dry.
Go to an exhaust place & ask the guy for some suitable diameter stainless offcuts from his scrap bin & polish them up & have the exhaust guy tack-weld them on.
Go to exhaust place & buy from their selection of chrome tips
Go to car accessories place (SCA, Autobarn) and buy tips & fit.
Buy Genuine accessory tips from VW

Thanks for those ideas. I'll sort something out. Liked the look of the cf tips - would look great on my candy white car with the tinted windows