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Hey ya all Merry Christmas,,,I'm at the polishing up my original anodized Ford Grill stage ;thats in pretty good shape.I have heard threw the years oven spray /,Dont use oven spray. So Im reaching out for direction to sand and polish this original......all suggestions appreciated
LaferMed,
Always hate to talk about polish or cleaning ideas because I am not a detailer.
But I have used WD-40 and a Scotch Brite pad to clean up my grill.
Try a small area on the bottom to see how it works for you.
Also there is a product here in ALA called WAY 2 Easy. used it on my door thresholds.
Lots of products and ideas out there.
Picture is the scotch brite and WD 40.....
Alex
Easy Off oven cleaner is caustic to aluminum. "Will Easy-Off damage aluminum? That reaction gives off heat and results in a simple form of soap. Incidentally, don't use Easy-Off on aluminum — the metal serves as a room-temperature catalyst, breaking down the NaOH and releasing flammable hydrogen gas."
Vinegar is an effective resource to clean aluminum. Mix one part white vinegar with one part water to create an acidic solution. The solution can then be used in different ways depending on the object being cleaned. To clean and shine an exterior, dip a cloth into the mixture and scrub the object clean.
I have heard that Coke and foil works, but once you take the anodizing off you will probably have to clean/polish it all the time. No matter what ever you want to use, try it on the back side before you use it on the front.
Your problem is your grille has been bright dipped from the factory and it's got to come off once it's aged and worn so you can polish the raw aluminum. if your bright dip is shot you can polish it until you're blue in the face and it'll still look like crap.
The pros have chemical dips to remove most of it but for us it's a real job. I've tried oven cleaner with no luck, and if you did make it work it's very tough to get just the right do on it.
The best results I've has are with scotch pads on a 3" orbital buffer and A LOT of work. once it's stripped you can work the metal and buff it to a high polish.
All that said if your time is worth anything to you just buy a new shell. I found a good deal on an NOS one but the better repops are pretty nice. by the way that shell fits 73-77 and your amber lights are late 76-77.
Painting the grille shell to match or contrast the body color is always an option. For some that would be a last resort, for others ...
So if you polish the one you have to a bright finish would spraying it with a high gloss clear enamel not preserve your work for a good long while?
IMO the painted grill shell works with the correct color scheme on the rest of the truck. I have heard that the spray clear coat is an option to help preserve the hard work. If you want some painted grill shell pics just ask.
You can clear aluminum but they use a different material. just like on wheels it will change the look a little and if you have a high polish it tends to peel over time since there's no tooth to it. I leave it raw and polish it a few times a year. if you drive a lot or in the winter a coating might be better though.
The grill like all the aluminum trim is very light weight and easily damaged. If you have not painted your truck, do the polishing ahead of time while it's still attached to the body. If you plan on painting the grill, well it's your truck. A little bright trim here or there was expected in the day. Even a lowly Custom devoid of all trim had the same pretty face.. JMO
Thanks everybody,,,,,Yea Im not a into painting ,,,,,,,Was wondering about emory cloth,,,,,,or the series of stageing with diffrent grit papers and moving into polishing,,,,,,,,,my fender and bed moldings are pretty fair,,,,need to find decent door moldings,,,,,Carpenter is serious Back Order,,,,,on all moldings .... Thanks for all the replies
I purchased a front clip of a 77 years ago ,,,to get fenders and this grill 2x4,,,,the hood was shot all to go on my 75 4x4 also rad cor with light buckets one peice at a time,basically I started with a chassie
After painting the truck, I taped off the paint and used Happich Semi Chrome with my hands and a polish wheel in my cordless drill. It polished up the aluminum where it was exposed due to years of wear, and it didn't hurt the anodizing. I thought about buying a new grille shell, maybe even a chromed one .... but then I'd have had to replace the bumper, then bumper guards to look right. I've been using Semichrome since the early '70s on my Norton and Triumph motorcycles aluminum. I've used it also after hours stripping and polishing alloy wheels for Thunderbirds too, if polished well the first time, they don't need a lot of work later. I never attempt to clear coat polished aluminum ... just makes a mess for next time. Better to use a wax type stuff.
All the snake oil chrome coatings I've tried have been an absolute joke. someone needs to try this one who knows maybe it's different, I swore they'd never screw me again so I can't try it first.
I would agree, but this product in particular has several (allegedly) non-sponsored YouTube project videos and most of them turned out pretty nice if the proper prep work was done. Like you, I won't fully believe it until I see it with my own eyes.
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