Were the '56 Cadillac "ram air" air cleaners stainless?

[mechmitch]

I was refinishing my oil bath air cleaner top piece, the big twin scoop Cad/Olds type. After removing the paint on it, it looks almost like it's made of stainless steel. I even took a polishing wheel and some compound to part of it and it polished up fairly nice and left a heavy black residue on the pad. If this isn't stainless, is this some kind of galvanized finish?

[Walter Youshock]

Pretty sure it's aluminum like the '57.

[Quentin Hall]

It's mild steel. Or at least every one I have ever seen has been. Sometimes people chrome plated them to dress up the engine bay, but the chrome would never last long around the edges so subsequently they repainted them . Perhaps your finding chrome under the newer paint.

[mechmitch]

No, it was original paint and markings. I'd thought chrome too but it wouldn't have left residue on the polishing pad. Might be aluminum, I hadn't considered that. I'll hit it with a magnet when I get home