Welp, here we go.....

[der affe]

Just have them soda blasted first. IIRC they have a clear anodize on them to prevent oxidation.


*SOMETIMES* you can remove the anodizing with oven cleaner. I use this when i need to weld AN fittings.

[SkorcherX]

Finished pics? Lets see these shiners!

[E30ruben]

finished pics? Lets see these shiners!

+1

[mcruz121]

props to you for your patience... wish I had the time and patience to do this

[gearheadE30]

Just have them soda blasted first. IIRC they have a clear anodize on them to prevent oxidation.

yup, they do. All the brightwork used on cars even up through today use clear anodization to protect the aluminum. It's really not that expensive I don't think, so you might want to look into getting them re-anodized when you're done.

[Stanley Rockafella]

+3

[AndrewBird]

yup, they do. All the brightwork used on cars even up through today use clear anodization to protect the aluminum. It's really not that expensive I don't think, so you might want to look into getting them re-anodized when you're done.

Anodizing will dull the polished finish. Clear coat is really the best bet.

[Greilly]

I had to replace a bumper after an accident the replacement had crappy clear, so I sanded off all the clear, then refinished. It is a ton of work to get that old clear coat off, not for the faint hearted. I used a variety of means, DA, air driven long board, with 80, 100 and 240 grit, I even tried a die grinder with a wire cup. In the end I think the best was the DA with 100 grit paper. You have to be ruthless, but you also have to be careful. Once you cut through the clear you will find the actual aluminium is softer than the paint, andi got some serious gouges from raspy 80 grit paper that required a lot more effort to smooth out befor I could take a buffing wheel to the bumper. Doing it again I'd go through a stepped sanding process once the clear was off, finishing with at least 600 wet dry. Red rouge will take you most of the way there, and provide a grat shine, finishe it off with white rouge. Tips. Use a buffing wheel designed for the tool. I burnt up my favorite electric grinder using a buffing wheel that was too large and put too much strain on the motor. Also change out the buffing wheels for different compounds. This is a luxury, but it makes for a nice finish.