I am restoring my '76 F-100 and I need some help on polishing the aluminum trim that has the black rubber strip running down the middle. The trim runs the entire length of the truck....I have it off of the truck, and have begun to polish it. I have used some Never Dull, and some of the blue colored paste-like chrome polish. The trim is getting much brighter and shiny, but there is still a slight hazy appearance that looks like the aluminum has been stained the way that acid rain stains paint.....Is there anything that can cut this ? Would it work to spray the trim with hydrofloric acid for a few seconds then polish it?

 

I've never owned a '76, so I'm only asking and not being sarcastic...............are you sure it's aluminum?

It sounds exactly like the problem my son had with the chromed factory steel wheels on his '94 F150. The chrome finish had worn to the point that the nickel undercoating was showing through, and no amount of polishing will correct this problem.

A simple magnet will tell you if it's chromed steel or aluminum.

Just my .02 worth.

Rick

 

I'll check and see, but it is the same material that the grill is made of.....it is very light and is definitely not steel.....I'm almost 100 percent sure that it is aluminum....no rust or anything like that....

 

Hi,
Your trim is aluminum, but it is anodized. Your trim sounds like it is polishing up okay, except for where the anodizing still exists. You will need to remove the anodizing in order to get rid of the haze. Anodizing is a clear, hard plating process done to aluminum to protect it from becoming dull.

I restored mine on my '79. I removed my anodize by using a very fine sandpaper, then polishing with a buffing compound (jewlers rouge), on a buffing wheel. once they were polished, I had them re-anodized. You have to be extra careful with the buffing wheel when you get near the ends. It will want to grab the trim and throw it, and could wind up twisting up your trim.

I hope this helps.