The verticals on the grille were chromium plated steel. I've had a couple of sets of them replated, and they turned out fine, but they're a stinker to keep polished and preserved. Sure, that was about 40 years ago, but just the same, you just can't keep them looking perfect.
My recommendation is to get a set of them in Stainless steel from Mc Vey. I have a total of four '41 Cadillacs, and they will all have Mc Vey's verticals eventually. I think a set is less than 300 bucks.
One other thing, on the subject of Mc Vey. I bought a set of the fender spears from them (all except 60S), and I was overwhelmed at how perfect they are. The original ones could never have been better!
Finding a NOS grille? That's the stuff that dreams are made of. If your grille base (the die cast part) is anything near nice, keep it polished, and let well enough alone. Otherwise, prepare to throw a few thousand smackers at it, and there is no guarantee that it'll be perfect.
