65SBRoadster

I am trying to get some scratches off the stainless piece that tops the windshield of my 65 Vert and also the aluminum trim below the door at the sidepipe cover. I"ve tried polishing the stainless with a buffer and rubbing compound but that was not successful. Anyone got a cure?

62fuelie

Like any other buffing, the scratches will have to be removed with a more agressive media, like sandpaper, and then the sandscratches removed with progressively finer abrasives. (ie, finer sandpaper, perhaps fine steel wool, and finished with buffing compiund and a wheel.)

DansYellow66

I would not waste time trying to polish scratches out of the trim above your sidepipe covers. They are anodized and anything that removes the scratches will first remove the anodizing and will change it's appearance. They are not that expensive to replace.

Stainless should polish out. You just need to start with aggressive enough sandpaper to get the scratches out and then progressively polish it with finer sandpaper and compounds. If you can't get down through the scratches with a little work with 400 wet/dry, it may be too deep without filing and using machine buffers. Typically going through 400, 600, 1000, and 1500 sandpapers and then metal polish should make it look pretty good. Might try polishing buff in an electric drill when you get to the metal polish stage.

project63

I've restored alot of aluminum and stainless. There really isn't a quick and dirty way to correct the problems you describe.

The aluminum is bright dip anodized. This first needs to be chemically stripped, the scratches sanded and buffed out and then again bright dipped to restore the OEM finish.

The stainless trim has a thin layer of chrome called "flash chrome". This needs to first be stripped, the scratches sanded and buffed out and then again chromed to the OEM finish.

If you try to sand and buff the stainless on the car, you will remove the flash chrome layer and you will wish you hadn't messed with it.

This pic shows a side by side comparison of what flash chrome does for stainless. This affect is especially evident on an overcast day.

tc

Plasticman

What years did Vettes use the flash chrome over the Stainless?

Thanks,
Plasticman

Snohomish Vette

Project63,
How would you polish 66 hubcaps to get scratches out. I bought some used ones that were supposed to be "concourse" but they had used very fine steel wool to clean them and they still have fine scratches on them. My original caps are better than the ones I bought. Hard to buy anything on Ebay and thust them. Thanks, Bill.

JohnZ

All C1 and C2 stainless trim (including wheel covers) was flash-chromed after polishing to protect it from oxidation.

Plasticman

JohnZ,

Thanks!

DansYellow66

I haven't heard about flash chrome on all stainless steel trim - what about the window moldings? I didn't notice anything like that when I polished and buffed all of mine.

John McGraw

John Is correct, all stainless trim is flash chromed. A lot of people just buff throught the plating and never put it back on. It takes a pretty practiced eye to spot the difference, but polished stainless trim will oxidize over time and flash chromed trim will not. The polished trim will look slightly yellow when comapred to the chrome plated trim which has a icy blue cast to it.

Regards, John McGraw

project63

Bill,

Sounds like the Original Flash chrome likely has micro scratches and will need to be stripped first. Chrome platers use a "reverse plating" method to lift the chrome. Chrome is very hard and this type of scratching does not buff out well.

Once the chrome is off, the stainless will buff easy and new flash chrome over it will yield the results shown in the picture.

The flash chrome piece in the picture is one of a full set I did for another forum member.

tc

project63

You probably didn't buff through the flash chrome.

On a "bluebird day" it is hard to pick up any difference. On an overcast day like the day I took the picture, it is very evident.

tc

65SBRoadster

Thanks for all your input. Looks like it may not be as simple as I originally thought. It's good to get more facts before starting.
Thanks,
Joe

John McGraw

To strip the chrome, you can just use a 50/50 mix of Muriatic acid and water. About 5 minutes in the solution will remove all the chrome. Then you can buff the stainless.

Regards, John McGraw

DansYellow66

I'm pretty sure if it ever had any plating I went through it. I had several little dings that I tapped out, filed flat, sanded and then machine buffed the entire pieces. Never saw a halo, a ring, a change in color or any sign of plating (except when I leaned a little too hard on the buffer wheel and turned it a little blue But, back over it with precious grade polish and buffer wheel again and that came out). Looks great 10 years later - no oxidation. I've tried sanding scratches out of anodized aluminum - you definately know when you go through the anodized coating on it. A mystery to me - maybe someone buffed the flash chrome off of my car trim sometime back in the 70s.

Plasticman

Is the aftermarket SS trim (typically) flash chromed? Any manf./vendors who always flash chrome and others who never do?

Plasticman

stillthere

i am in the process of buffing the stainless on my 57. i never noticed the flash chrome, thats good to know. i used 500 on a da sander first. 2000 grit paper by hand. black rouge on a yellow wheel then green rouge on a blue wheel. it looks like chrome when its finished. this is not a quick fix. this can take weeks to complete