Mopar performance air cleaner lid

[muscle72]

Has anyone polished out there mopar performance air cleaner before like lid&base?

 

[CudaChick1968]

I haven't but it would be a lot of work. They're usually a bit wavy, and you might lose lettering detail if you buff it to a mirror finish.

 

[muscle72]

I was goin to polish around mopar perfermorance

 

[CudaChick1968]

I was goin to polish around mopar perfermorance

I can understand polishing just the ribs and lettering which would be fairly easy.

Most of them have a "box" of casting flash around the entire logo though, some more pronounced than others.


I've been customizing these things for many years now and am having trouble "seeing" your vision re just polishing around it. Help me see what you see, and then tell me the tools that will get in there without hurting the rib ends or taking chunks out of the high parts. Keeping your fingerprints intact is optional LOL!!!

 

[muscle72]

I can understand polishing just the ribs and lettering which would be fairly easy.

Most of them have a "box" of casting flash around the entire logo though, some more pronounced than others.
View attachment 1440559

I've been customizing these things for many years now and am having trouble "seeing" your vision re just polishing around it. Help me see what you see, and then tell me the tools that will get in there without hurting the rib ends or taking chunks out of the high parts. Keeping your fingerprints intact is opti poonal LOL!!!

I wouldnt polish the letterin or fins or flash box.l polish between them.what grit of sand paper would you start with? 320 or 400 grit?

 

[CudaChick1968]

I wouldnt polish the letterin or fins or flash box.l polish between them.what grit of sand paper would you start with? 320 or 400 grit?

I probably wouldn't, even if a customer requested it.
The surface is too wavy overall, and polishing accents remaining defects more than it masks them.

I don't polish for a living per se but do it occasionally as a pro metal finisher. In my opinion:
No amount of hand polishing in such small areas can be accomplished without also polishing at least some of the raised areas and/or their sides too.

Inconsistency will not be your friend since the piece is viewed more from an angle than from straight above when it's installed.

The casting flash-boxed area is also often a hair "taller" than the rest of the lid, so feathering of the top edge is also likely rather than being able to adhere to a strict taped-off polishing line. Simply put, from a customer estimate point of view, trying it is not time well spent and I doubt if the end results would be up to my standards. I would never ask a guy to accept anything less than I would if our roles were reversed.

Post up some pics when you get it done though!