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Polished trim pieces, clear coat or not?


cbesing

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Presume you're referring to the aluminum trim...If the polishing removed all the anodizing from the trim pieces, you're gonna have to polish 'em on a pretty regular basis to keep 'em shiny, even if you don't drive in the rain (You'll get caught out eventually, though) and garage the car.  I have unanodized aluminum hubcaps on my '48 Fiat, and they seem to always need polishing even though the car's garaged.

 

Were it mine, I'd clearcoat with a good quality clear that won't yellow, and then be VERY careful reinstalling so you don't chip the clear coat.  

 

mike

'69 Nevada sunroof-Wolfgang-bought new
'73 Sahara sunroof-Ludwig-since '78
'91 Brillantrot 318is sunroof-Georg Friederich 
Fiat Topolini (Benito & Luigi), Renault 4CVs (Anatole, Lucky Pierre, Brigette) & Kermit, the Bugeye Sprite

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why don't you reanodize them? Find someone who do this and first try with some other aluminium detail, because sometimes the aftermarket anodizing look different from the stock. A friend of mine anodized lips of 3-piece Alpina wheels and it looked more matte than the original 2002 trim pieces. But you should give it a try, this is the right way to do it!

07/73 BMW 2002tii Golf, powered Sunroof

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Can send it out for ceramic coating. Not sure which company VSR1.com and La Jolla Independent use, may be worth a call.

Andrew Wilson
Vern- 1973 2002tii, https://www.bmw2002faq.com/blogs/blog/304-andrew-wilsons-vern-restoration/ 
Veronika- 1968 1600 Cabriolet, Athena- 1973 3.0 CSi,  Rodney- 1988 M5, The M3- 1997 M3,

The Unicorn- 2007 X3, Julia- 2007 Z4 Coupe, Ophelia- 2014 X3, Herman- 1914 KisselKar 4-40

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Little known is that uncoated aluminum oxidizes faster than steel.  Wrap them with Xpel rockguard film.  It's on my new frontal area piece that takes the hits.

A radiator shop is a good place to take a leak.

 

I have no idea what I'm doing but I know I'm really good at it.

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The King of Trim strips and re-anodizes bright-dipped aluminum trim, such as our '02s have. Further, it has the near-chrome shine of the original finish. Downside? Very expensive. It is often more expensive than a new OEM replacement part. You decide!

I've tried other VERY high end re-anodizers and received back fuzzy, kind-of-shiny finishes. Total waste of time and money! I'm confident there must be others that can deliver the quality of the King of Trim, but I haven't found them.

Good luck,

Steve

1976 2002 Polaris, 2742541 (original owner)

1973 2002tii Inka, 2762757 (not-the-original owner)

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Little known is that uncoated aluminum oxidizes faster than steel.

The metal form of aluminum is never found in nature.  It's absurdly reactive.  And when you

start trying to work it, you discover how fast it wants to return to being aluminum oxides...

 

Pesky periodic table of the elements and what it means...

 

hee

 

well said, Jim.

 

t

"I learn best through painful, expensive experience, so I feel like I've gotten my money's worth." MattL

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I've got a shop near me who does bright dip, have refinished pieces of belt line trim and others with a decent level of success. Most important, I've found, is the condition of the original and the skill of the polisher (the bright dip process 'magnifies' any flaws in the surface).

Lots of hustle and a learning curve, though I can turn out sets for customers for about 65% of new with good cores. -KB

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Shark hide looks perfect. Have you or anyone used this with success? Eurotrash? Pictures? Thanks everyone for the comments. I have already polished all aluminum bright work to a perfect shine and is being stored in hermetically sealed envelopes! Clear coat or protectant seems the best way to go.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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i've tried it all as far as preserving aluminum...paint or automotive quality clear coats will peel very quickly...there's nothing to grip and the properties of aluminum aren't conducive to adhesion

 

this is the only product i've ever tried that does work but it's a tricky mess to apply

 

http://www.por15.com/GLISTEN-PC_p_45.html

 

41Ne9O0XJKL.jpg

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I can't reply to the belt-line trim directly, but regarding aluminum alloy on our cars (I have both a '75 and a '76, w/ big bumpers) I've never experienced any oxidation of any extent.  I've had all the anodization professionally buffed out on all four of our bumpers and, about once a year, I clean off the wax and re-polish them with either Flitz or Semichrome, re-apply a coat of OneGrand Blitz Wax and they're good for another year, or more. 

 

And, to repeat, I do not get any oxidation.

 

Bob Napier

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