what to do with grille shell
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New User
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 15
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From: oregon
what to do with grille shell
My grille shell is sure showing the signs of age. it is very dull and cloudy. I cannot afford to have it polished and anodized. So I think it would be best for me to strip the anodizing off and just keep it polished as need be. I have read so many different posts on what do that I don't know what to do. So I am looking for more advice on stripping and polishing please. Wish I could just find a grille shell that looked good, but I have had no luck with that.
Junior User
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 82
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EZ off oven cleaner in the yellow top can contains sodium hydroxide(not the no smell stuff).I used it to de-anodize ALL the aluminum trim on my truck. Just spray it on let it set a while, rinse it off, rub down with red scotch brite to remove **** and any shiny spots need more ez off. Once you can scotch brite it and have it look like dull bare aluminum then its ready for polish. I used a 6" cotton buff on a pedestal mounted buffer and red jewelers rouge. I then followed that with a hand polishing with mothers aluminum polish on a shop rag. I ended with with a near mirror finish. I figure I'll hit it with the mothers on a rag if it ever starts looking dull and shine it right up again.
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 125
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I have used oven cleaner as well, but I found that Draino crystals work better and faster. Mix it with warm water. It will strip the anodizing off in a matter of minutes. Wear gloves, DO NOT get it on your skin, and be careful around the fumes. The stronger the mixture, the quicker it works.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
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From: NorCal
Also blacked out the recesses of F-O-R-D. Subtle. Works.
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,722
Likes: 7
From: Shelton, Wa
I taped off the "negative" areas of the headlight bezels and shot those black. With it on the truck it was too much blue and looked like a high school kids Honda project.
Will get the bezels back on tomorrow and throw a picture up.
Hio Silver: looks good.
Will get the bezels back on tomorrow and throw a picture up.
Hio Silver: looks good.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,534
Likes: 85
From: penn twp.
Hio I have to say man that look completely changes the whole attitude of the grille assembly. That thing looks pi****.
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
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From: NorCal
Thanks guys.
Looks pi**ed? Ha! The ol' girl also SOUNDS pi55ed! She can set off car alarms and awake the dead!
Looks pi**ed? Ha! The ol' girl also SOUNDS pi55ed! She can set off car alarms and awake the dead!
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,404
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From: Bloomington, IN
As always, awesome job HIO!! Looks like a bad attitude FORD to me!!
Moderator & parts slinger
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 50,189
Likes: 5,792
From: S/W Missouri, Polk county
Strip it and keep it polished or paint it to match or go good with the rest of the truck color? And you could opposite color out the inserts?
Paint the radiator core support black or red if truck is black on the outside? Or some other interesting color scheme, like the blue/black 73.
Paint the radiator core support black or red if truck is black on the outside? Or some other interesting color scheme, like the blue/black 73.
Moderator & parts slinger
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 50,189
Likes: 5,792
From: S/W Missouri, Polk county
And for a old truck and new truck look....I am posting so you can see the difference in the grill color and how it makes the overall truck appear very different.
Not me, but a fellow FTE member from way back, I do believe?
Not me, but a fellow FTE member from way back, I do believe?
Moderator & parts slinger
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 50,189
Likes: 5,792
From: S/W Missouri, Polk county
No, for real, it's NOT me. But it is someone off of here, I swear!
I like the black red paint scheme, very unique, but the rails and roll bar together are a NO GO.
I like the black red paint scheme, very unique, but the rails and roll bar together are a NO GO.
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