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Post by mongoose on Dec 24, 2009 21:56:21 GMT -5
Sounds like polishing them is the right approach then!
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Post by mongoose on Jan 20, 2010 6:44:18 GMT -5
ok... just got a call yesterday from the body shop that the polisher was done with the stainless trim. Interesting thing is that the guy at the shop told me that the wheel opening moldings were not stainless and he couldn't polish them, but were in fantastic shape so there are no worries.
Could these be a set of the "highly mystical" anodized aluminum trim pieces that have been suggested to exist??? ;D
BTW... I had shared nothing about the "open debate" about the material of the moldings with the polisher or body shop guy... so this is totally independent information.
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Post by Big Mike on Jan 20, 2010 11:07:53 GMT -5
ok... just got a call yesterday from the body shop that the polisher was done with the stainless trim. Interesting thing is that the guy at the shop told me that the wheel opening moldings were not stainless and he couldn't polish them, but were in fantastic shape so there are no worries.
Could these be a set of the "highly mystical" anodized aluminum trim pieces that have been suggested to exist??? ;D
BTW... I had shared nothing about the "open debate" about the material of the moldings with the polisher or body shop guy... so this is totally independent information. See when you say; "body trim", that means to me all the trim on the entire car. There are several different types of trim on our beloved 65's (the main reason I love them so much and causes us to spend a small fortune to get everything redone). Wheel well trim, definitely stainless pieces. If you have ever seen a broken, dented, scratched piece you would know what I'm talking about. If you are talking the large pieces that run the length of the body just above the body line that drops off at the bottom of the car with the black painted stripes, they are cast potmetal pieces. Again, if you've seen a busted, broken, and pitted piece, very clear. The tail panel, tail light housings, eyebrow moldings, hood spear and hood lip molding, also cast pot metal pieces. Then you have the convertible well molding, the front and rear windshield molding, the headlight rings that hold the light to the bucket, the small piece on some cars at the base of the windows with the option of the chrome and felt sweep — all stainless pieces. Then you have the headlight surrounds (bezels), drip rail molding and on post cars with the option, the pieces around the posts, anodized aluminum — and possibly the rare trim on Club cars that runs along the rockers (Bro would know). The only piece I'm not 100% sure about is the grill which may be a highbred of cast and noncast metal pieces, but may just be one big a$$ piece of cast potmetal. Did I miss anything? So if the body shop said they could not polish all the body trim, they are correct because only certain pieces get polished.
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Post by mongoose on Jan 20, 2010 22:05:57 GMT -5
Big Mike, somehow you interpreted what I said as indicating that the polisher was attempting to polish all of my trim. All the pot metal has been to the chrome shop. The convertible top well trim, windshield trim and wheel opening moldings went to a retired gentleman that has done stainless polishing on restoration work for years. Upon completing his work, he let us know that the wheel well trim is in fact not stainless, but actually appears to be chrome plated aluminum trim. Perhaps he has mistaken an anodized aluminum finish for chrome, or these pieces are in fact chromed.
That being said, the fact that this continues to be a subject of debate could indicate that there were actually at least two versions of the wheel well trim moldings... stainless and aluminium. Another potential is that one of the metal types (likely the aluminum version in this estimation) were a dealer installed "aftermarket" set, while the other was a factory installed option. Although this seems to be a stretch since I doubt that the car would have come with the cast side moldings but have a dealer installed wheel well molding.
I could also be that the wheel well trim was replaced at some point, the replacement set using aluminum.
Maybe there are even some other explanations. But considering each of these, my vote goes to there being two versions of the trim being installed at the factory.
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Post by RAM Z on Jan 20, 2010 22:21:00 GMT -5
Whatever it is, they do have an anodize or some other coating on them because you cannot polish them without removing that coating.
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Post by Dave on Jan 29, 2010 1:28:57 GMT -5
Hi Guys, I just got hooked up with this forum through Rods442. According to Rod (I agree with him), the wheel well trim is chrome plated stainless steel. Believe it or not. Here is why. Rod has polished some trim and gone through the chrome plating to the stainless. The chrome has a blue tint to it, and the stainless has a gold tint. You can see this if you buff/polish thru the chrome. The reason GM did this was to match the chromed diecast trim on each side of it. So...hand polish only or very very light buffing so as to not remove the chrome plating. Dave.
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Post by bubbasz1 on Jan 29, 2010 8:37:00 GMT -5
Well there's another point of view, Rod, speak up, we won't cut your head off, maybe a toe, but nothing important. Good to have you aboard Dave, sign up and be heard!!!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2010 9:47:07 GMT -5
I have been polishing alot of the trim pieces lately and all of the wheel opening mouldings, windshield trim, vert. boot trim, etc seems to be of the stainless nature. You can usually tell the stainless because of the "springy" action of the piece when you twist it a little; aluminum won't just spring back into shape when you twist it.
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Post by RAM Z on Jan 29, 2010 11:13:15 GMT -5
Well there's another point of view, Rod, speak up, we won't cut your head off, maybe a toe, but nothing important. Good to have you aboard Dave, sign up and be heard!!! Great point Jeff. I started the board so we didnt have to email one another to solve problems. This way when someone needs help or has a question everyone can see it. We have guys out there that know a lot, visit the site, but dont post.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2010 17:57:26 GMT -5
I agree with Big Mike and Dave. All my wheel well trim is stainless steel. Probably 300 series witch is a high nickel content SST, thus the slightly yellow color. I bought a full set from Randy's Hot Rods on Ebay. They were all professionally polished and need to be re-chrome plated to match the die-cast trim. The grill is also Die Cast (pot metal) which is a Zinc/Aluminum/Tin material as are the side trim pcs, back panel and a number of other parts. Rod
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