I am a Quality Manager in the Wheel Business. We Polish & Buff the Viper, C6 Corvette and Ram SRT 10, to name a few.
The Quality standard is super high on most of these wheels.

Sometimes there are lot of Oxides, Porosity and even staining on the cast aluminum wheels. A lot of these "suspect" wheels go for paint or are scrapped!

The closest thing you can get to a chromed wheel is a Polished forged aluminum wheel, like the Dodge Viper. Castings are dull.

Staining in the metal casting of the C6 wheel has been a major problem from the start of that program. It comes and goes.
Some C6 Corvette owner was pissed and placed a picture of his stained polished wheel on a website. What he didn't know was that it wasn't a polishing issue, but a casting issue.
Right now, GM has more then enough wheels going for paint.
GM is also considering chroming the C6. But, I think it might be an option for 2006.

I like the 18 inch Mustang wheel. Polished or Painted. Its one of the main reasons why I am waiting for a 2006 Mustang.
I do not like the current Mustang GT wheel. Although I do like some of the wheels for the V6.

What company is Polishing & Buffing the 18 inch wheel anyway?

 

That is right, not chromed anymore. He said a lot of the companies are going away from chrome because of the negative effect they have on the environment. A lot of manufacturers are starting to go with more and more polished rims. [/b][/quote]
It is VERY hard to get plating to properly adhear to Aluminum, especially in the presence of moisture and salt. Living up in the great white north, I know several people who have chrome plated aluminum wheels (on luxo cars) and after a few years ALL of them are showing pitting in the chrome, some have cracks and flakes of chrome coming off.

The problems have to do with aluminum's much higher coefficient of expansion than chrome has and the difference in galvanic potentials.

 

It is VERY hard to get plating to properly adhear to Aluminum, especially in the presence of moisture and salt. Living up in the great white north, I know several people who have chrome plated aluminum wheels (on luxo cars) and after a few years ALL of them are showing pitting in the chrome, some have cracks and flakes of chrome coming off.

The problems have to do with aluminum's much higher coefficient of expansion than chrome has and the difference in galvanic potentials. [/b][/quote]
......In sum, the polished aluminum rims are the way to go to get that shiney polished look without many of the problems.

V10, you live in Canada?