Front End Aluminum restoration...

[19Fury63]

I finally got done (mostly) restoring the aluminum headlight bezels on my Fury. The process was interesting as this was my first time attempting a resto like this, but below are the before and after pics...

Before (pitted and oxidized):

After:

Process was dry sand with 320 grit, wet sand with 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, then 2000. I then used 3M rubbing compound and finished it off with Mothers Mag/Aluminum Polish.

Only question I have for those of you who have done this before...how do you flatten out the dents from rocks, etc...? I don't have any small bodywork hammers so any advice is appreciated.

 

[5.7 hemi]

You gotta tap them from the backside using whatever will fit, and be gentle, that aluminum will dent if you look at it wrong. Then start the WHOLE sanding/polishing process again. It took me a month to do my grille anfter I converted it over to a superstock (single headlight), and it wasnt too hard, just time consuming.

 

[19Fury63]

Cool, thanks for the info...I'll have to see if I can find some sheetmetal/body-work hammers and get to work. Time consuming may be the understatement of the year haha...it took me about 10 hours to get that housing to look the way it does.

The pictures are actually of the left and right side, I forgot to take a picture of the RH side housing before I started the process, but it was just as bad....just not as many dents as the LH side.

 

[Propwash]

Wow! good work!

 

[19Fury63]

Much appreciated, this was my first attempt at refinishing aluminum so I was hoping for the best..I must say, I was VERY nervous about sanding aluminum with such a coarse grit initially. I was astonished at the results, minus the dents but those will be fixed eventually.

On a side note, does it look ok with the ring around the bezel being polished or should I paint them black like they were OEM? My car is flat black but I have removed ALL black accents from the front and rear aluminum so far.

 

[Propwash]

Wow, heck of a first run at it. I would paint it back in, but hey, that's just my personal preference......

Either way, look's great after all your hard work

 

[19Fury63]

Thanks for the comments guys, positive feedback is always nice to know you're on the right track. Now I just need to get the other light done, and the whole front grille (painting the black back into the grille is going to be a serious PITA :headbang

 

[Stumper]

I did some resto work on the SS trim for my 62' last year for the first time. It's easier on the SS than on aluminum I think because of the lack of anodized coating. Same process though, tap out the dents and sand, sand, sand (be careful not to go to thin) - and then polish. I was going to attempt it on my headlight bezels when I realized they are aluminum. Getting the anodizing off flat aluminum isn't too bad but getting it out of nooks and crannies without chemical stripping is hard. Then what do you do to keep the shine after it's all done? Clear works if done right but I've heard that it doesn't hold up well on aluminum.

 

[19Fury63]

I have contemplated the idea of using clear, but don't feel as though it will hold up well, just as you said. The other idea is SharkHide coating...I know it's supposed to last, but have read nightmare stories about how it gets applied...if it's even slightly uneven it looks like garbage and you have to start all over again.

The best bet I've had in the past protecting bare aluminum, is to just use a very high quality canauba wax. So I am going to apply 2-3 coats of Meguiars #26 wax and hope it does the trick. This car is driven in nothing but sunshine and mild to warm weather so hopefully the weather won't play as much of a factor as in the past....from what I can tell, this front end has NEVER been touched.

 

[MRHWS]

Great job for 1st time out. If you have a Harbor Freight nearby, they have body kits cheap. Like said above, you have to go slow and easy like you are taping on glass, not driving nails.

 

[19Fury63]

I will have to make a trip to Harbor Freight, I see they sell those body work kits for about $20...thanks for the tip.

 

[welder47]

I do some aluminum reworking here. Hardly use sandpaper at all. The best thing I found is those drill mounted round scruffing pads from Home depot or Menards. Basically they look like the ones you would use in the kitchen but are round shaped. Work fast and dont remove much metal at all. Sure beats all that sanding by hand. Just dont use the ones with sandpaper bettween the pads.

 

[19Fury63]

On some of the hard to reach areas I did use the scuff wheels that you can buy for the Dremel tools. Worked pretty well but I was a bit nervous about using a rotary tool with such thin aluminum...didn't want to burn through it.

Off to Harbor Freight to get some hammers/dollys to bang out the dents.

 

[rustymetal]

Hello, I also do stainless, alluminun, metal restoration. I always just take 2 wooden dows and sand one end so it has a crown to it to match the contour of your piece and cut it to lenth so you can hold it in your hand. Cut it about two inches longer than the width of your hand. Put one of the dows on the front of the trim and the other on the back of it. very gently push from the back to the front but be careful the metal it very soft and will bend easily. I never use high speed on anything plated for it is very easy to cut through it, but I am very old school and do alot of my work by hand. I fugire the reward is greater when done manually. Keep up the good work, take your time and relax, its therapuetic. I know it tough to put the black back after all your work, because it looks so good but thats what it was as new. But hey its your car whatever way you like it make it so, these cars are for fun. If I can ever help again just ask. rustymetal