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Rocker panel moldings... stainless?

Hilljack68

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I'm going to be trying to clean up the rocker panel covers on my 68 Coronet. Does anyone know... are they aluminum of stainless? And what's the best way to clean up 50 years of scunge? Thanks much!
 
I'm going to be trying to clean up the rocker panel covers on my 68 Coronet. Does anyone know... are they aluminum of stainless? And what's the best way to clean up 50 years of scunge? Thanks much!
I don't know about the 68's, but the 67's are stainless. They are not hard to clean and straighten, but polishing that long a piece is a bitch.
 
Its been 4 years since i removed the ones on my 68. I thought they were aluminum, but could be wrong. Either one could be cleaned up using a drill with a small buffing disc. & compound. If they're really covered bad in gunk, try starting with a suitable grade of steel wool and paint thinner first. It would be best to remove them from the car to save your paint & make them easier to work on. Otherwise, run a double layer of 2"masking tape right next to their edge.
 
Stainless but seemed to have a coating that can broke through if wet sanded. Start with White Diamond polish first and go to the same polish with 0000 steel wool only if you have to
 
Don't know if there is more than one design but the ones on my R/T were aluminum... And they too have a coating, it's called brite anodizing.....

I've never seen a stainless trim piece with any coating other than details painted...
 
My 68 Roadrunner original ones are aluminum. my wife has owned the Roadrunner since new.
PT in Tennessee
 
They are aluminum and they should be dullish.. not BRIGHT like a lot of the reproductions.
My Bird's OE's top and a comparison of incorrect repros to almost correct repros bottom. Dull is correct..
superbirdcleanup2019part2 144.JPG
beerestoration2019part2 478.JPG
 
I don't think he's talking about the sill plates?
Are you talking about these, Hilljack?

1968-dodge-coronet-rt-numbers-matching-fully-restored-2.jpg
 
Was your R/T a 68?

It still is.... The car is still mine.. The rocker moldings were hammered but were definitely original... The original owner took it off the road around 76-77....
 
...but thanks for identifying the sills as aluminum too, Wayne.
 
Yep, that's them. Nice unit! :thumbsup: Is that yours?
No sir, just a pic I found online.
My '68 GTX came with similar (but no idea if identical) rocker moldings and I still have the originals,
be they beat up a little.
I keep them in storage and run the car sans any moldings:
73323094_2758268600852677_6103391846103252992_o.jpg
I'd pretty much have to fetch a set of wheel well moldings as well
if I ever wanted to run the rocker moldings again in my
opinion - which of course would lead to putting the stripes on, too.
I'm not big on "gingerbread". :)
 
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