Anyone ever try buffing the trim railing

[FROSTBITE]

Im thinking about buffing the trim railing that runs basically along the top of the fender all the way to the back of the car. The previous owner had the very back two pieces re chromed, but never buffed the long pieces that connect to them so it looks kinda funny with the back piece shiny then the rest of the way its dull.

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Here

 

[67 coronet]

you can buff out(polish)any of the thin stuff.either aluminum or stainless.do not try to buff anything with weight.pot metal will not buff out,normally makes it worse.it will not be flexable when removed from the car,you can polish anything that is flexable.

 

[hammond472]

If it is chrome, just clean it with 00000 steel wool and wax it or you can rechrome it. If it is anodized aluminum you can clean it with mothers polish but do not buff it too much or you will ruin the anodized finish. If it is stainless steel you buff it out with a buffing wheel and tripoli buffing compound to remove the scratches and finish buff it with jewlers rouge and it will look new! Just don't buff it out on the car or you will kill your paint job! Hope this helps.

 

[gibber]

The ridge trim that runs along the top of the car was originally anodized aluminum. Most people have the anodizing stripped off and just have the aluminum polished. Chrysler put the anodizing on it since the cars would be subject to the weather. I just had mine stripped and polished for my 67 restoration project and it ends up looking like chrome. As long as you keep a coat of wax on it from time to time and don't keep the car outside and subject to lots of rain/snow/ice storms, it will last for a long time. I paid 9.00 a foot to have mine done in NY two years ago, The guy also took out minor dents and scratches....the two pieces you pointed to as shiny are the "J" chromes (on the horizontal rear section of each fender) and are supossed to be chrome plated.

Mark

 

[Seax440Dodge]

how hard is it to get the pieces off? Is there a certain tool I should use or just grab and pull?

 

[Gpuller]

The fender mldgs are bolted in the front and rear and have plastic clips in the middle. Once the nuts are removed the trim can be carefully pried off.

The clips for the fenders look like this.



The center pin gets pushed in and that locks the clip to the fender.



Qtrs are a combination of bolts and metal clips that clip on to the qtr seam. Maybe someone will have some pics.

 

[HT413]

I know some people will disagree some pieces you can polish on the car if you're careful, depending on the shape and location or the piece, especially if you're having a tough time removing the piece. Try this - put some masking tape down to protect the paint, then put HVAC-type aluminum foil tape over the masking tape. The foil tape will hold up against the cloth polishing wheel very well but it has really strong adhesive, so i use masking tape to make it all easy to remove.

Try the polishing wheel and rouge against the foil tape OFF the car to convince yourself it'll work.

I use this type of polishing wheel rather than the flat type because I can control it better and keep it off the foil tape better for fear of it wearing through.

 

[Dako]

I know some people will disagree some pieces you can polish on the car if you're careful, depending on the shape and location or the piece, especially if you're having a tough time removing the piece. Try this - put some masking tape down to protect the paint, then put HVAC-type aluminum foil tape over the masking tape. The foil tape will hold up against the cloth polishing wheel very well but it has really strong adhesive, so i use masking tape to make it all easy to remove.

Try the polishing wheel and rouge against the foil tape OFF the car to convince yourself it'll work.

I use this type of polishing wheel rather than the flat type because I can control it better and keep it off the foil tape better for fear of it wearing through.

View attachment 101364

That's good gouge! Thanks!

 

[67 coronet]

I know some people will disagree some pieces you can polish on the car if you're careful, depending on the shape and location or the piece, especially if you're having a tough time removing the piece. Try this - put some masking tape down to protect the paint, then put HVAC-type aluminum foil tape over the masking tape. The foil tape will hold up against the cloth polishing wheel very well but it has really strong adhesive, so i use masking tape to make it all easy to remove.

Try the polishing wheel and rouge against the foil tape OFF the car to convince yourself it'll work.

I use this type of polishing wheel rather than the flat type because I can control it better and keep it off the foil tape better for fear of it wearing through.

View attachment 101364

thats a great tip ht,thanx a bunch.

 

[Malicious]

Apparently oven cleaner melts off the anodized coating in minute. I haven't tried it, but a mate of mine got some parts redone. The guy doing it cleaned it right off with oven cleaner and re-anodized them

 

[HorryMorry]

If you decide to take it off the car be carful running a buffing wheel. If you get to much wheel on the piece it will grab and either bend the piece or throw it across the room and bend it.

Key point here is to practice polishing things of similar size and shape, within reason, before graduating up to irreplaceable trim. Trust me on that one. I have a piece of trim with a nice ding in it and the hole in the wall to prove it! :icon_redface:

 

[HT413]

Apparently oven cleaner melts off the anodized coating in minute. I haven't tried it, but a mate of mine got some parts redone. The guy doing it cleaned it right off with oven cleaner and re-anodized them

that's true - generally, the anodizing just wipes right off with a towel or sponge. pretty cool when you're taking colored anodizing off. might take a couple of shots or maybe a few minutes to soak. before you do it on a long piece, just double check there is someone near you who can handle long, delicate trim parts. some only can do small pieces.

if you're not sure if it is anodized, try polishing it. anodizing (aluminum oxide) is hard as hell and wont polish at all. aluminum polishes pretty easily even by hand some times.

 

[Jasoncoronet]

For some reason oven cleaner will take off most anodize. But what ever Chrysler used is hard to get of off. You will have to sand it off or polish it off. Just careful becasue once you commit theres no turning back and it is a bitch to get the anodize off any way you try.

Good Luck Just patience and time.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

We never verifed what that rail is made out of,My old memory says it's chromed potmetal:icon_hang:

 

[no462of12K]

polish all my metal on my 67 gtx with surf city killer chrome--and a $3 harbor freight bonnet in an electric 1/2 drill with micro fiber for hand polish --this stuff makes everything look like chrome(my op) as to new vs old trim--what can u live with on your car--

 

[Gpuller]

We never verifed what that rail is made out of,My old memory says it's chromed potmetal:icon_hang:

Anodized aluminum.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

Anodized aluminum.

Memory ain't what it used to be:violent1:
Polish that chit right up!!!!It's hard to get it down to aluminum,but once it gets polished it will look real good.

 

[jbearden]

Does anyone make the clips that hold this trim on?I need at least 1 so far.

 

[Gpuller]

Does anyone make the clips that hold this trim on?I need at least 1 so far.

Fender, and qtr clips are different. Fender ones are plastic and qtr clips are metal.

 

[jbearden]

I need at least one plastic so far.I didn't know if anyone repo's these or not.