[irgoatmike]

What is the best way to polish up the anodized aluminum trim at the top of doors the holds the outside window sweeps? irgoatmike

[arbys]

I think that it's close to the same thing but I polished trim that my top boot attaches to on my convertible with Mother's mag and aluminum polish. It took 2 or 3 applications but it looks good.

[MUSLCAH]

Well it's not like polishing stainless. I tried sanding out a scratch with 1000 grit paper and buffing it with the red rouge compound....not good. So just use some Mothers alu. Cleaner / Polish and skip the sanding.

[irgoatmike]

Thanks for the responses!
I have 3000 grit Trizact on a DA, has anybody tried that? irgoatmike

[Jerry H.]

You first have to get the old anodizing off. The easiest way I have found is to use Easy Off oven cleaner. Or build a trough and add some Red Devil Lye to water and let them soak. Either way you must take them off the car. Then you can sand and polish them just as you do stainless. However unlike stainless they either must be reanodized, painted with clear, or repolish them regularly.

[irgoatmike]

Thanks Jerry!
I actually have an extra set to try the easy off then sand and polish idea. I can clear them with this 2k rattle can clear I got from a rep to try out. Irgoatmike

[gtorich]

Bought my trim stuff about 15 years ago, didn"t have them anodized, never tried the clear deal, but I clean mine up with regular metal polish after someone always fingered them up after a show, takes 5 minutes and always looks good.

Rich

[Rugratman]

Well....
I had the anodizing polished off, then the pieces polished to a mirror. Very happy.
For a year.
They cloud up now just looking at them. I tried polishing them up then clearcoating them...Diamond clear. Worked for a bit.
Maybe a pro can put a better protector on them, or even clear powdercoat?
I think I am just going to get the repops now. Prices have really dropped on them.
Arm sweat does not help.
Convertibles are stainless, Hardtops are anondized. Big difference.

[arbys]

Originally Posted by Rugratman

Well....

Convertibles are stainless, Hardtops are anodized. Big difference.

I didn't realize that.

[charles bledsoe]

So how would one go about polishing up stainless for a convertiable then? Mothers mag and aluminum polish? I have a few light scratches, how hard is it to sand and polish? What grit paper and which type of compound? Just bought a new buffer I want to try out, my old one left black marks on my trim. Not sure if the motor was shot, it was about 15 years old and I had used the other side with a wire wheel. Figured I had put a lot of stress on the motor with the wire wheel work over the years. I had been using both white and red sticks of compound but both just put black marks on the trim. Any suggestions on reference materials to learn how to sand and buff trim?

[Jerry H.]

Convertibles are stainless to match the piece(s) that goes around the back.

Charles, Google and youtube are your friend.

[arbys]

Originally Posted by charles bledsoe

So how would one go about polishing up stainless for a convertiable then? Mothers mag and aluminum polish? I have a few light scratches, how hard is it to sand and polish? What grit paper and which type of compound? Just bought a new buffer I want to try out, my old one left black marks on my trim. Not sure if the motor was shot, it was about 15 years old and I had used the other side with a wire wheel. Figured I had put a lot of stress on the motor with the wire wheel work over the years. I had been using both white and red sticks of compound but both just put black marks on the trim. Any suggestions on reference materials to learn how to sand and buff trim?

I used Wet or Dry sandpaper, unsure of grit, then used polishing compound and the Mother's Mag and Alum. polish. I don't think that someone could screw it up.

[A-body]

There are only 2 or 3 places left in the US that anodize aluminum for the hobbiest. Many commercial places, but they won't do small jobs. I had my door trim on my 67 pollished along with all the stainless, and it had to be touched up weekly. I finally had it re-anodized. It's not cheap, but in my mind worth the cost.

[540goat]

You have to remove the anodizing. I used to do that with the yellow canned Easy Off over cleaner. Then knock the dings out and sand. Use finer paper each time then polish. I must have polished a hundred sets and sold them on e bay. Then they made the repos and that stopped.

[MUSLCAH]

Originally Posted by charles bledsoe

So how would one go about polishing up stainless for a convertiable then? Mothers mag and aluminum polish? I have a few light scratches, how hard is it to sand and polish? What grit paper and which type of compound? Just bought a new buffer I want to try out, my old one left black marks on my trim. Not sure if the motor was shot, it was about 15 years old and I had used the other side with a wire wheel. Figured I had put a lot of stress on the motor with the wire wheel work over the years. I had been using both white and red sticks of compound but both just put black marks on the trim. Any suggestions on reference materials to learn how to sand and buff trim?

For light scratches sand stainless with 600 then 1000.... Buff with mothers mag wheel compound ...3-4 applications and buffing ought to get you there. I have removed dented up stainless mouldings and straightened them the best to my ability.....then ran a fine file to smooth down the high spots and kept tapping and tapping ..front and back..filed until smooth....out file marks with 180 on a DA...and then 220,320,600,1000 then buff with red rouse ,until scratches were gone...the used mother mag compound on a clean buffing pad ....shinny as chrome ! Plan on spending 3-4 hours on a bad piece or more.....about 10 beers.

[charles bledsoe]

When I apply the compound stick to my buffer wheel, the pad flakes off and small strings fly all over the place. When I put the piece of trim to the pad I get black streaks on the trim, no matter if I press lightly or hard. Is this the pad I am using? I bought them at Harbor Freight, same with the compound sticks. I am using white and red compound. Should I purchase the compound and pads somewhere else, or am I using a wrong technique to polishing? To get the black streaks off the trim I am having to wipe them down with simple green. What causes the black streaks?

Is it possible the trim piece I have been trying to polish anodized? Am I getting the black streaks because all the anodizing material has not been removed? I would guess the rocker trim on a 66 GTO would be anodized is this correct?
Thanks.

[Jerry H.]

I'm not the one to give you advice on this as it has been 30 years since I tried any polishing. However I do remember that I had a problem similar to yours and it was because the buffing wheel was spinning too fast. That MAY be your problem, or may not.

And 66 rocker molding is NOT anodized. IIRC the only anodized pieced where the drip rail moldings and the belt line moldings (the ones on the tops of the doors) on 65's and 66 hardtops. Post cars are different.

[gtospieg]

rocker trim is stainless as are the front windshield trim and rear glass trim...the trim around the side windows and vinyl top trim is anodized

[400 4spd.]

McNichols Polishing and Anodizing does aluminum trim parts for me. They have done 2 full sets of '67 aluminum trim and both turned out really nice. They do stainless polishing, but not as well as they do aluminum IMO.

http://www.mcnicholsanodizing.com/

[MUSLCAH]

For buffing the stainless rocker trim.....I buff them on the car,using a wool pad on a rotary buffer that just spins ,it does not oscillate like a DA. I use the red rouge stick and apply it to the wool pad..after 3 passes ...I change wool pad and then use Mothers Mag Wheel cleaner for 2 more passes.....should look like chrome !