What's new
By:
Filters
Old Chevelles

Welcome to OldChevelles.com, built by Auto Enthusiasts for Auto Enthusiasts. Cars are not our only interests so please feel free to post about any subject the community might enjoy or you just feel you need to air.

We respect free speech and constructive dialogue however we don't allow threatening talk against members, nudity, or pornography. Threads are monitored and trolls are not tolerated.

This site is completely free and there are no costs. Please enjoy and provide feedback.

  • We've enabled the website app for anyone who wants to use it on a mobile or desktop device.

  • We've changed the header logo to display our Member's Cars.

    If you'd like your car to show up there, go to the forum Site Bugs & Feature Requests and post your image in the "Member's Car Pictures for the Header Logo" and we'll add your car into the lineup.

What’s your experience with trim polishing?

J

JohnC

Veteran Member
Senior Member
Looking for projects I can do in the winter. Getting to the point where I gotta think about trim.
My goal is for car to look really good but not like a trailer Queen and above all, I want low maintenance. My 67s trim is all original other than getting new taillight bezels.

The stainless (windshield trim and trim around the convertible top opening), I assume can just be wet sanded up to 2000 grit and polished.

The aluminum I supposed is anodized which has to be stripped. Is it worth it? Does it polish up to near “chrome” or stainless level of shine? Does using a catalyzed clear coat afterwards protect as well as anodizing?

I’m a little afraid of the grill which has delicate fins and I can just see a buffing wheel catching one of those and making a mess of it.

So, anyone take decent trim and go through the effort of stripping the anodizing and polishing? Was it worth the effort?
 
I've dome some small parts on a buffing wheel. Then I tried to do a roof drip molding for a 71 I'm doing for a customer. It flew cross the room when I was just about finished.

My Charger hs anodized aluminum for the grille moldings. When I restored the car the first time, I stripped the anodizing off and polished it. It requires constant cleaning if you do it that way. When the car got wrecked and I redid it, I sent all the trim for the car to Dennis Barnett to restore for for me.
 
Did you clear coat the trim after stripping and anodizing? Because i definitely don’t want to do something that is going to require a lot of upkeep.
 
no, I just polished it and put it back on the grille. It has since been restored correctly and anodized.
 
Mine is pretty dull. I’m not looking for show quality but better than it is. I’ll take a flyer at a few pieces and see how much better o can get them and then clear coat.
 
JohnC said:
Mine is pretty dull. I’m not looking for show quality but better than it is. I’ll take a flyer at a few pieces and see how much better o can get them and then clear coat.
Click to expand...
I'm going to use these wool discs and metal polish from O'Riellys or Autozone. Then clear coat


1699011116121.png
 
BlueSS454 said:
I've dome some small parts on a buffing wheel. Then I tried to do a roof drip molding for a 71 I'm doing for a customer. It flew cross the room when I was just about finished.

My Charger hs anodized aluminum for the grille moldings. When I restored the car the first time, I stripped the anodizing off and polished it. It requires constant cleaning if you do it that way. When the car got wrecked and I redid it, I sent all the trim for the car to Dennis Barnett to restore for for me.
Click to expand...
HAHA !!!! RIGHT ! Never seemed to work out for me. Ive tried the polishing but sometimes that old stuff just gets beat-up and never comes out the same. Went down the past the anodizing and yes got tired of polishing. Also tried new repops. Never as good and flimsy. In the end, I found good used pieces. Polished them up by hand with some light cutting compound then polish.
 
Last edited:
cage2592 said:
HAHA !!!! RIGHT ! Never seemed to work out for me. Ive tried the polishing but sometimes that old stuff just gets beat-up and never comes out the same. Went down the past the anodizing and yes got tired of polishing. Also tried new repops. Never as good and flimsy. In the end, I found good used pieces. Polished them up by hand with some light cutting compound then polish.
Click to expand...
After you polish are you clear coating again? I’m lazy, I don’t want to have to polish frequently.

Nashville, those wheels look good. I was going to try this type of set up on a die grinder.
IMG_2621.jpeg

For items that I want to launch across the room I was going to use a buffing wheel on the bench grinder. Anyone who’s tried polish head light bezels on a bench grinder know I’m not kidding. Those things turn into projectiles in the blink of an eye.
 
No I didn't clear over it. I don't know how that would look or hold up. Great question. Maybe someone has.
 
Chrome shop asked if I wanted my aluminum chrome plated, so that's an option if you want sema results. I didn't do it, since I'm just a oem plus type of guy.
 
I've been able to successfully polish Chevelle windshield and back glass trim using the kit that Jogn showed. Anything else became a projectile very quickly...
I second Dennis Barnett, worth the $ if you are building a car to that level.
 
I gave up on trying to remove water looking spots on this eyebrow trim and bought a NOS piece from eBay, it’s not here yet though
 

Attachments

  • 85CCAC83-8F06-4225-A87C-D2ACD0157ED8.jpeg
    85CCAC83-8F06-4225-A87C-D2ACD0157ED8.jpeg
    113 KB · Views: 2
  • CB48B412-D1F9-4D49-866C-258A8BA8B28B.jpeg
    CB48B412-D1F9-4D49-866C-258A8BA8B28B.jpeg
    143.1 KB · Views: 2
  • 0E129048-F4C8-4E1F-8796-43EE6DA582CC.jpeg
    0E129048-F4C8-4E1F-8796-43EE6DA582CC.jpeg
    209.2 KB · Views: 3
The two outermost pieces of grill trim had significant dings in them. I was able to pound out 85% of the dings and flatten with a file, then 80 grit sandpaper. I’ll work my way up for 2500 before polishing. There are a couple to sharp “cuts” or creases into the aluminum that I won’t be able to pound out. Thinking of filling with 2 part epoxy or JB Weld and dabbing on some “silver” model paint to make them less obvious.

I remember polishing these many years ago and I don’t think I realized they were anodized at the time so maybe I just polished the anodize. I clear coated them with some spray bomb clear.
What do you guys recommend to strip rattle can clear? Lacquer thinner? Acetone? Can’t get the good aircraft stripper here.

Thanks

After:
IMG_2677.jpeg

Before

IMG_2654.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Depends if the clear was lacquer or enamel. One go to that seems to work well in lots of things is brake cleaner. Dries fast but strips and cleans damn near everything I've tried it on, and it's also one hell of a bug killer.
 
Last edited:
This is the drivers side outer grill trim. It’s the piece posted above that has a big dent in the upper corner. I banged out the dent as best I could with a hammer and punch, then used a file and course sand block to flatten it out. Not perfect, there are some deep cuts into the metal. But quite a bit better. I sanded with 400 dry, then 1000 and 2000 wet. I can see areas that needed more work with 400. I probably also want to get some 3000 and really just spend a little more time on it.
Put it on the buffer (bench grinder) with white rouge for a few minutes. It’s not completely done, just wanted to do part of it and see how it turned out. Pretty good compared to the other side that has only had the anodizing stripped. IMG_2851.jpeg
Anodizing is some tough stuff. I thought I had it stripped after 1 application of oven cleaner. I was wrong. It’s been 3-4 applications to get most of it off.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom