Buffing trim question

[blown motor]

I trying to get a little more shine out of the grille trim and tail trim which I believe is anodized aluminum. I hand polished it with Autosol and then I'm going to buff it with an DA orbital polisher using the pads pictured below. Any problem with this or am I on the wrong track here?

[1 Wild R/T]

As long as the anodized coating is on the trim all you can really do is get it as clean as possible, the anodizing acts like a shell or barrier to seal the trim....  If you strip the anodizing you can polish it but then it will require repolishing every year....

[brads70]

On my SE tail panel trim I had to repair some damage. When I had it all peened back into shape I used fine sandpaper 600 grit then Brasso and it polished up pretty good. We used to use it to polish aluminum blow molds when I worked as a mold maker. Cheap enough to buy too. Most grocery stores have it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brasso

[plumcrazzy]

The aluminum trim, as mentioned previously, is anodized. If you decide to get aggressive with the polishing you might polish through the anodized coating and that will result in a different sheen between the anodizing and the bare aluminum. Aluminum can be polished to a mirror like finish but it oxidizes very quickly resulting in a dull finish. The anodizing is applied to prevent oxidation (like chrome over a polished nickel finish). I polished all my hood trim, etc. and then coated those parts with a product called "Everclear". Worked good for me. Google "anodize removal" and you will find much better ways to remove anodizing from aluminum than a ton of elbow grease and running the risk of bending/kinking your trim. 

[blown motor]

Thanks for your input guys. I did the tail trim today as described in the first post. I guess we'll know at some point if I polished through the anodizing. If repops didn't cost so much I'd just replace it and that would solve the dents and scratches too.

[walkAbout]

Hi,

cool, did a search for "anodized" and this was the first topic.

I have the same problem and want to ask if it is really "only" anodized aluminum. I got an ori SE front valance trim, which I really like. It is really used hard. So I wanted to de-anodize (put in strong acid like used for toilet cleaning / watched a german video of a guy who does self anodizing), then polish it like a mirror and let it re anodize.

So I was at a factory who does only anodizing. The guy/owner looked a the parts and said "It doesn't look like anodized, it looks more blueish, it must be chromed, they did it in this area. Get Nevr Dull and you will be fine. It will look different like your other trims, when anodized."

I can't believe that, got Nevr Dull anyway... And want to de-anodize and polish now, then let anodize. Have some other trims which are damaged. But I think I first try with the stand-alone front valance trim.

Question again here: Are the trims really only anodized aluminum?

TIA
walkAbout

[plumcrazzy]

Some of the trim on "E"  bodies is anodized aluminum---some is stainless. If my memory serves me correctly, windshield, back glass and drip rail molding is stainless. Hood, trunk and side molding is aluminum. You can polish aluminum to a mirror finish but it will begin to oxidize almost immediately so the anodizing will have to be done quickly. Also, anodizing will somewhat dull the look of highly polished aluminum. Anodizing is meant to prevent oxidation of the bright aluminum finish. It should not be difficult to determine the difference between what is anodized and what is chrome. Chrome is a "flash" coat over a nickel plate to prevent the nickel from tarnishing. A common phrase years ago was "Triple Chrome Plating" and all that was was three coats of plating--copper (similar to a high build primer coat that is used to fill imperfections and can be sanded down to level the surface), nickel plate which provides the "bling" and can be buffed to a mirror finish and finally chrome which is really just a flash coat to protect the nickel from tarnishing. Hope this helps.

[Beekeeper]

I had to restore an anodized aluminum grille last year that had lots of wear and dings. I started spending a lot of time on it and finally gave up since it was clear that it would never look perfect again. Since I was ready to buy a new one anyway, I decided to paint it instead of polishing or refinishing. I filed and sanded all the bad spots till I was happy and sprayed it with Plasticote Aluminum color paint. It came out unbelievably nice. Their aluminum color is just right and super bright. It really does look like new and people often comment on how nice it looks. I have used this on several pieces of trim that are otherwise shabby and need replacing.

I know, I know...it's only rattle can paint and not durable as the original anodizing. That's okay with me. It's garaged and will probably look great for years. I can always respray it years from now in an afternoon. I don't mind doing stainless on a buffing wheel but polishing aluminum is about as much fun as digging ditches.

Just another idea to consider.

[walkAbout]

Thanks plumcrazzy,

I know for sure it is aluminum and I can't imagine that you can apply chrome on aluminum. I'm more an electronic guy, so I cannot say for sure. Anyway, everybody only talks about anodized aluminum, so as it is aluminum it is anodized!

I know anodizing gives a dull. It is the same like on the original moldings. That's OK, I want it like this. But they can play, how much it is anodized, and this will give probably a different look. For now, I leave it like it is, the wounds of life can be seen on a 70 made car. Maybe better then to clean.

walkAbout

[plumcrazzy]

Aluminum can be chrome plated---more of a specialized process than chroming steel.

[METAL BEE 68]

Eastwood has a spray for polished aluminum. If you want a mirror like finish. You will have to strip the anodize. 

[YellowThumper]

FWIW I recently spray bombed my rear trim with chrome paint and it turned out real nice looking. First, chrome paint doesn't look like real chrome. The finish is smooth, uniform and ended up looking like you think new aluminum should. Obviously not OEM and will not stand up like anodizing. But for a budget it looks good on small items.

[blown motor]

Test drove some chrome paint, it had no shine at all. I think it was Dupli-colour. Left it in the store.

[anlauto]

   Are you the guy that sprays the shelf at Canadian Tire ?

[roadman5312]

              Down here they tape the lids on the cans.