polishing a '69 grill
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,297
Likes: 34
From: S/W Virginia
polishing a '69 grill
I have a '69 aluminium grill and it has a dull finish on it. ive tried all kinds of polishes but nothing will make it shine. does anyone have any suggestions? thanks
Freshman User
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 49
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From: Lynden USA
polishing a '69 grill
I was just doing the same thing to my 67 aluminum grill today.
If your grill is just dull, and NOT scratched....use Mother's metal polish with a cotton rag. It works great and leaves a invisible residue to protect from dulling again...you need to touch up every few weeks to keep it nice.
If you have some tiny scratches, use black aluminum oxide wet/dry grit #400 sandpaper that is wet with water. This will remove light scratches and make it Very shinny. BE CArefull tno sand too much or you might reveal a dull gray layer underneath. This works great. You can follow up with Mother's.
Mother's is available in most auto parts stores.
If your grill is just dull, and NOT scratched....use Mother's metal polish with a cotton rag. It works great and leaves a invisible residue to protect from dulling again...you need to touch up every few weeks to keep it nice.
If you have some tiny scratches, use black aluminum oxide wet/dry grit #400 sandpaper that is wet with water. This will remove light scratches and make it Very shinny. BE CArefull tno sand too much or you might reveal a dull gray layer underneath. This works great. You can follow up with Mother's.
Mother's is available in most auto parts stores.
Freshman User
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 49
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From: Lynden USA
polishing a '69 grill
>so your saying use the mothers polish after i have used the
>oven cleaner or use it alone with no oven cleaner?
I do not remember mentioning anything about oven cleaner....
I would do Mother's first, then if not satisfied and still seeing scratches, I would use the #400 grit Aluminum Oxide sandpaper with water as a lubricant. If you sand too much, you will reveal a dull layer of the aluminum that Does Not take a polish and remains dull. This dull gray layer is formed during the casting and cooling of the grill when it was made. It most likely is softer and can never be polished. AVOID getting to this layer!
>oven cleaner or use it alone with no oven cleaner?
I do not remember mentioning anything about oven cleaner....
I would do Mother's first, then if not satisfied and still seeing scratches, I would use the #400 grit Aluminum Oxide sandpaper with water as a lubricant. If you sand too much, you will reveal a dull layer of the aluminum that Does Not take a polish and remains dull. This dull gray layer is formed during the casting and cooling of the grill when it was made. It most likely is softer and can never be polished. AVOID getting to this layer!
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,297
Likes: 34
From: S/W Virginia
polishing a '69 grill
I was thinking about something else when i said the oven cleaner. Is what i did, i took some easy-off oven cleaner and sprayed it on a small portion of an old grill i had. I let it sit for about 10 minuties and washed it off and then i took some aluminum polish and it made the aluminum shine like a new piece of chrome. Ive heard though that using the oven cleaner would make the grill tarnish a lot faster and you had to polish it very often. What do you think i should do?
Freshman User
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 49
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From: Lynden USA
polishing a '69 grill
I meant to say Silicon Carbide #400 grit Wet/Dry sandpaper and water, not Aluminum Oxide.
About the oven cleaner...I do not know. I would always suggest trying a small area on the back of the grill first.
Try the Silicon Carbide with Water...it works great. Just start on a non-visible area so you get a feel for how hard to sand and for how long.
About the oven cleaner...I do not know. I would always suggest trying a small area on the back of the grill first.
Try the Silicon Carbide with Water...it works great. Just start on a non-visible area so you get a feel for how hard to sand and for how long.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 132
Likes: 8
polishing a '69 grill
The grills had a clear anodized finish. In order to polish the aluminum you must first strip the anodize and get to the raw aluminum. Polish the aluminum and seal the aluminum with with a raw metal sealer. It will be prettier than the original anodized grill.
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 195
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From: Tennessee
polishing a '69 grill
Hey Moose, what kind of raw metal sealer are you talking about and where can I get some? Are you sure it won't flake off? I didn't think anything like paint would stick to aluminum.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 132
Likes: 8
polishing a '69 grill
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 21-Jul-02 AT 06:58 PM (EST)]When I mentioned some kind of metal sealer, I was referring to something like Whenol (sp?). It is a brand of metal polish and sealer. You periodically have to repolish and seal the metal. It isn't a coating or paint. It is kind of like waxing your car. You can buy the stuff out of Summit Racing or any reputable speed shop. It looks great and is the best for chrome and raw aluminum.
Good luck,
Greg
Here you go:
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=8925
Good luck,
Greg
Here you go:
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=8925
More Turbo
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 507
Likes: 2
From: Pasadena US
polishing a '69 grill
this grilles have a plating from the factory. Not paint, but an anodized plating. It keeps them looking good for a long time. If you want to polish the aluminum, you must sand off the coating. Bare aluminum will polish easily, but you must do it every several months to keep it looking good. Mothers or similar and some 00 steel wool will do wonders, but nothing matches a pedestal buffer for a chrome like shine.
5th Wheeling
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
polishing a '69 grill
i bought all kinds of polishes and found that rubbing compound cleans best, then wipe down with a rag coated with the "wire grease" used to connect aluminum wire (available at electrical supply houses)
-swampy
-swampy