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1981 appearance change

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Old Dec 14, 2013 | 10:26 PM
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Default 1981 appearance change

81's are dressed out with black trim. thought I would try something different. bought chrome vents and stripped paint off bottom rock guards and they were stainless so I polished them and they come out pretty good. thinking about trying to strip all trim and polishing it up. I know most will say to leave it stock but this might look good. what do you all think!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Old Dec 15, 2013 | 12:08 AM
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I think it looks good! BTW that's a really clean 81 you have!

Will
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Old Dec 15, 2013 | 12:31 AM
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I like it.
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Old Dec 15, 2013 | 01:39 AM
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I think it's matter of personal taste. It does look good but.......I also think only a real Corvette person would notice the difference.
That's a very clean car you have there. Nice!
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Old Dec 15, 2013 | 01:47 AM
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Originally Posted by 3JsVette
I think it's matter of personal taste. It does look good but.......I also think only a real Corvette person would notice the difference.
That's a very clean car you have there. Nice!
Those are the best mods, ones that 99% of people walking by think that GM did it that way.
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Old Dec 15, 2013 | 02:50 AM
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i like it as well... for me..the 1 direction is the best... either all accents chrome...or... satin silver, or matte black... but all done 1 direction...

nice, very clean vette !! my favorite body style !
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Old Dec 15, 2013 | 11:02 AM
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Thanks for the replies. Going to try strip it next spring when things warm up. Will post new pics then.
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Old Dec 17, 2013 | 12:05 AM
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I like what you've done, it looks great. I emphasizes how low the car is. I would leave the window trim black, though, especially with the black interior and glass tops. To me, polished window trim would look out of place. Just my $.02.
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Old Dec 17, 2013 | 09:27 PM
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Looks good but the rocker needs the black stripe to break it up.
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Old Dec 17, 2013 | 09:49 PM
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All my black trim paint was falling off....took ultra fine steel wool and cleaned it all off, was really easy! I was going to take pics of it that way, but forgot. Repainted it all black.

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Old Dec 18, 2013 | 06:30 AM
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Nice work. Thought about doing something similar to my 80. Thanks for the ideas.
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Old Dec 19, 2013 | 12:17 AM
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Originally Posted by RedRedRed
I like what you've done, it looks great. I emphasizes how low the car is. I would leave the window trim black, though, especially with the black interior and glass tops. To me, polished window trim would look out of place. Just my $.02.

What he said!

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Old Dec 19, 2013 | 05:53 PM
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I never figured out how to post pics but I stripped and polished all of the trim on my 81 last winter and I would never paint it again. Every place I took it this summer people commented on how good it looks. Go for it. You wont regret it.
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Old Dec 19, 2013 | 08:22 PM
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Glad I found this thread; I will be getting my car back from the paint shop tomorrow (12/20) and it is now a gloss black and I was thinking the black trim was not going to work.

I began to wire brush off what was left of the black paint and now I too am thinking about going all polished...perhaps put a coat of clear on the shiny metal trim.

Have to find-out how to get the powder coating off the rockers though...anyone happen to know what to do?
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Old Dec 19, 2013 | 09:16 PM
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Use airplane stripper it falls right off with no effort at all aside from a paint brush.
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Old Dec 19, 2013 | 11:49 PM
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Don't use a wire brush. I used paint stripper and 00 grade steel wool. Then good chrome and wheel polish and buff.
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Old Dec 20, 2013 | 09:01 AM
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I have aircraft paint stripper left over from removing the paint off of the body, so I will try it on the trim.
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