78 new yorker rear window molding

[imperialman]

A question about the anodized? molding that is around the back window of my 78 .
I assume this molding is to have a matte type finish?
My molding has what looks to be water spots or stains on it though I don't think that is what it is.
Not the best picture showing the stains, but has anyone had success with cleaning these molding to look better?

 

[commando1]

It's supposed to be shiny. The anodizing on your trim is shot to hell. VERY common.
Solution?
Strip the anodizing chemically and clear coat it (cheapest)
Strip, polish, and re-anodize it (expensive)

 

[C Body Bob]

Yes I've polished & wet sanded chrome just like this. Stainless I believe is what it is. I've just used chain store products. A few times I have bought some expensive stuff a vendor at a car show was selling. Only slightly better. I zip tie it to a thin board of wood & use a Harbor Freight buffing wheel kit for a drill & let her rip. You can sand some of the lighter scratches out

 

[commando1]

In the case of 78's, it's aluminum.

 

[imperialman]

It's supposed to be shiny. The anodizing on your trim is shot to hell. VERY common.
Solution?
Strip the anodizing chemically and clear coat it (cheapest)
Strip, polish, and re-anodize it (expensive)

View attachment 118796

Thanks. Wow! that trim is beautiful!

 

[Pete Kaczmarski]

You can try "Brasso" if it bothers you. Every year I polish my copper fire extinguisher and home cabinet door pulls. Its been around decades and is cheap compared to the miracle stuff they sell at the car shows.

 

[1978 NYB]

There was a video posted on FCBO a few years ago that explained how to polish the different types of trim.

I can't find it....maybe someone else here can find it.

 

[commando1]

I've been meaning to bring up the subject on how suckey the search engine is here...

 

[Mr C]

For the record there, is no stainless on Formals except for wheel covers; Shiny trim on Formals is a combo of:

Aluminum- Wheel well, rockers, sill plates, around glass, top of doors around vinyl top trim on hood.

Chromed pot metal- Mirrors, turn signal bezels, grille, emblems

Vacuum plated plastic- trim on interior accents and plastic signal lenses, grille insert on 75 and up (except Imperial/ 76-78 NYB).

Chromed steel- Bumpers

 

[1978 NYB]

For the record there, is no stainless on Formals except for wheel covers; Shiny trim on Formals is a combo of:

Aluminum- Wheel well, rockers, sill plates, around glass, top of doors around vinyl top trim on hood.

Chromed pot metal- Mirrors, turn signal bezels, grille, emblems

Vacuum plated plastic- trim on interior accents and plastic signal lenses, grille insert on 75 and up (except Imperial/ 76-78 NYB).

Chromed steel- Bumpers

1978 door panels have the chromed plastic instead of the pot metal as part of the 1978 reduced weight effort for 1978 Formal's.

 

[Mr C]

1978 door panels have the chromed plastic instead of the pot metal as part of the 1978 reduced weight effort for 1978 Formal's.

Yup, I consider that included under vacuum chromed plastic...many incremental changes were made over the Formal years to reduce weight...removal of 74/ 75 underhood braces, aluminum rivets to hold regulators on doors instead of bolts etc.

 

[Big_John]

If you can take the trim off, you can strip the anodizing with Easy-Off oven cleaner. From there, you can buff the trim up to where it looks really nice. If you don't do anything with it, it will oxidize again, but if you keep it polished and waxed, it will still look great. I've done the aluminum wheel well and rocker trim for my car this way.

I use a buffer from Harbor Freight and I started out with a kit from Eastwood. Buff Kit Stainless Aluminum Brass Steel 6 Inch

 

[commando1]

Total savings on a 4750 lb car? 4.3 lbs.
Of which 4.0 lbs. was with the thinner glass.
Other stuff: 0.3 lbs

 

[Big_John]

Some Eastwood videos.

Eastwood Company : Search Results for Buffing Kit

 

[1978 NYB]

Total savings on a 4750 lb car? 4.3 lbs.
Of which 4.0 lbs. was with the thinner glass.
Other stuff: 0.3 lbs

The official weight saving total was 7 lbs.

 

[commando1]

The official weight saving total was 7 lbs.

Well, that's much, much, better....

 

[1978 NYB]

Well, that's much, much, better....

Hard to believe they did that and all the other crazy stuff on the 1978's knowing it was the the end of the line for the mighty C-Body.

 

[commando1]

Hard to believe they did that and all the other crazy stuff on the 1978's knowing it was the the end of the line for the mighty C-Body.

In the deepest stretch of my imagination, I think it came down to this
The word came down to Engineering that the Formals were dead and there was $317.42 left in the budget line for "product improvement". Spend it or they will cut the budget for the next model.