Stainless or Aluminum

[fredetl]

I have a place on my car that the lift-off top rests and wears the paint. I want to put a piece of 14 gage flat plate there for it to rest on but it needs to be shiny like chrome. Should I use stainless or aluminum? I intend to polish it but I don't know which will look the best for the longest time.

Please recommend specific alloys/numbers.

Thanks,
Fred

[danman]

stainless

[hrothgar]

Stainless is much tougher than Aluminum (ie will not ding as easily) as well as more corrosion resistant, especially when electropolished. Use either 304 or 303 Stainless. Mostly likely if you are buying sheet metal you will not be able to find 303. It is more time consuming to polish stainless (non commercialy anyway) but when polished will look closer to chrome (ie shiny bluish tint) because 300 series stainless is made of anywhere from 16 to 18% chrome content.