How do you spot aluminum from stainless trim?

[Fast Eddie B]

I'm polishing the trim on my 77 wagon. Some is responding nice to wet sand and buff like I expect ss to do - windshield trim, a piece of beltline. Then I have some pieces that are just scratching on the wet sand and not buffing out, like aluminum. It's pretty thin metal. I'm pretty sure it is stainless, but it I'm not sure. The luggage rack strakes are clearly stainless. The raises are clearly aluminum but the rest has me a lttle stumped.

Any ideas? Maybe I'm just doing it wrong?

 

[tracktor]

use a magnet it wont stick to the aluminum all stainless after about 1950 is mixed and will attract a magnet

 

[Fast Eddie B]

use a magnet it wont stick to the aluminum all stainless after about 1950 is mixed and will attract a magnet

I didn't know that. I thought only cheap or special stainless was magnetic.

 

[tracktor]

well I should have said stainless trim on cars not all stainless

 

[Mr C]

All Formal trim is either anodized aluminum or pot metal. Zero stainless.

 

[commando1]

All Formal trim is either anodized aluminum or pot metal. Zero stainless.

Imp/NYB grills are going to sell for thousands in the future. I see it in my Crystal Ball.

 

[Fast Eddie B]

I found the pot metal. Are you sure the windshield trim isn't stainless?

 

[Fast Eddie B]

The magnet trick worked. The beltline is clearly aluminum. Windshield aluminum. Rack rails aluminum, rack strakes stainless, door edges stainless, window molding stainless.

Case closed. Cost a piece of trim, but I now how two cars worth of spares.

Case closed.

 

[fury fan]

Trim around glass was typically stainless until sometime in the mid-late 70s. Dad's 77 Aspen was alum around glass.

 

[bluefury361]

Aluminum trim, as a rule, is anodized.