<VV> Refurbishing the aluminum trim on my 64 Spyder; the solution

[Tony Underwood]

At 07:05 hours 01/14/2005 -0700, Joe West wrote:
>
>So I gathered up all of my factory trim... Dinged, battered and dents
>everywhere (I'm talking about EVERY aluminum piece on the entire car from
>the rear engine grill to the front grill and everything in-between) and I
>went to Southwest polishing here in Mesa Arizona.
>
>I walked in and spoke with the owner and asked him to come out to my truck
>and look at all the trim that I needed polished.  He came out, looked at the
>trim, and said; "I charge $8.00 per foot" and he started measuring.  When he
>got done measuring he said... The $8.00 per foot includes removal of every
>dent and ding in every piece as well as polishing.  Trying to keep my mouth
>from falling agape, I asked him if I understood him correctly, no extra
>charges for straightening the parts and removing the dents and dings (there
>must be HUNDREDS of dings and dents combined in these trim parts) and he
>replied that when I get these parts back.. They will be EXACTLY as they were
>when they were new.  Absolutely NO flaws.
>
>He will also anodize the parts when he finishes polishing them.
>
>Total cost?
>
>$380





>Now... Some of you may think that this is pretty expensive, but just try to

Not when you consider that this is ALL  the trim off a '64 Vair.    That's
a bunch of anodized trim.   


>find PERFECT trim, NOS or not, for that price... I think you'll find that
>this is an amazingly low price.

Now:   If this shop anodizes the trim and if it's done right (ask him if he
boils the trim or likewise heat treats it after anodizing to seal it) you
shouldn't need to powdercoat it... although doing so certainly won't hurt
it.   


>I have some "before" pictures of the trim, and will post the "after"
>pictures to the group.

I'm gonna want to see the photos... :)   


>If it turns out that the returned trim is absolutely perfect... I'd be more
>than happy to hook anyone who is interested up with contact information for
>this shop. 


There's likely a bunch of people with dinged up scratched '60-'63 rear air
grills who will crack and break fingernails in the rush for their wallet so
as to pay 8  bucks a foot to repair these air grills.   I know I will...  I
have two '63 air grills that are dinged and scratched and dulled all to
Hell that I'd sure pay that rate to have *stripped* just so I could
straighten/polish them and clear coat them... so if this fellow does the
work he says he can do I'll be sending him a grill.   



tony..