What Plating
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,160
Likes: 4,236
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi 71,
I think H is right.
It appears to be extruded aluminum that has been clear anodized.
So it's similar to the the rocker trim panels.
Regards,
Alan
I think H is right.
It appears to be extruded aluminum that has been clear anodized.
So it's similar to the the rocker trim panels.
Regards,
Alan
Last edited by Alan 71; Mar 24, 2016 at 07:49 AM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 228
Likes: 2
now, how to remove the ugly stuff and get it recoated. maybe sand it off then polish and then reanodize???
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,693
Likes: 144
From: on Barnegat Bay Joisey
A forum member on another thread suggested stripping anodize by immersing the part in a container of water and adding Draino crystals (not liquid). Don't leave it in too long as it will attack the aluminum.
Trying to remove anodize with sandpaper is difficult at best as the coating is very hard.
If you locate a plater willing to take in a small anodize job it would be better to let them do the stripping and bright dip.
Trying to remove anodize with sandpaper is difficult at best as the coating is very hard.
If you locate a plater willing to take in a small anodize job it would be better to let them do the stripping and bright dip.
Last edited by mickey5; Mar 27, 2016 at 12:10 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 11,183
Likes: 3,334
From: North of Toronto - Ontario
I'm the drano guy 
If you do take them to a plater for strip / anodize, make sure they are used to (old) automotive parts.
I once took some parts to a plating house we used (aerospace) for years, older guy that owned the place has been plating (anodize, cad, zinc, black-oxide etc) forever.
Melted the crap out of both parts during the reverse etching.
Our parts are amazingly soft compared to what a commercial shop does day to day.
Since then I strip my own parts. Small parts I anodize here, larger parts go out
M
If you do take them to a plater for strip / anodize, make sure they are used to (old) automotive parts.
I once took some parts to a plating house we used (aerospace) for years, older guy that owned the place has been plating (anodize, cad, zinc, black-oxide etc) forever.
Melted the crap out of both parts during the reverse etching.
Our parts are amazingly soft compared to what a commercial shop does day to day.
Since then I strip my own parts. Small parts I anodize here, larger parts go out
M
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Drifting
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 258
From: Dublin Ohio
I got a spare rear window off of ebay and it had a decent gouge in the frame from im guessing the screw that holds the latch in the window tray. I wanted to smooth out the frame around the gouge and realized after I took a few swipes that the place I sand would look ok but the periphery of the area looked white - as if there was a layer of white paint under a silver layer - the plating I'm assuming. Only solution was to go ahead and sand the entire lower frame section. I used 400 and yes it took awhile to get through all the layers of plating, but once I did I was able to polish it and put some fine lines that kind of mimicked the original look with some steel wool. It's much more susceptible to light scratches that show but I can always take some steel wool and clean it back up - kind of how I do with my sill plates. I do not notice a difference between the sanded lower section and the unsanded upper section when the window is in the car
Last edited by BarryB72; Mar 27, 2016 at 08:02 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 258
From: Dublin Ohio
That's a big fat no.
I almost broke google i was on it so much looking for one. i found one on chicago corvette supply's website so I (thought I) bought one from them. Weeks went by and it never showed up. They said it was coming from a vendor in California and they were busy getting ready for Carlisle, then they were at Carlisle, then they weren't back from Carlisle, then they hadn't finished unpacking from Carlisle. Then one day there's a big box on the porch. Open it up...rear window chrome from a I don't know what year. Called Chicago Corvette for the fifth time and the guy says "that 's what you ordered". I said "no, I ordered the removable window frame". He said, "oh, we're out of stock".
Just checked. It's still on their website for $295. Maybe they've found one since then. If not, you will get your money back - eventually.
You'll get a hit on Willcox as well, but at least their site says out of stock.
I almost broke google i was on it so much looking for one. i found one on chicago corvette supply's website so I (thought I) bought one from them. Weeks went by and it never showed up. They said it was coming from a vendor in California and they were busy getting ready for Carlisle, then they were at Carlisle, then they weren't back from Carlisle, then they hadn't finished unpacking from Carlisle. Then one day there's a big box on the porch. Open it up...rear window chrome from a I don't know what year. Called Chicago Corvette for the fifth time and the guy says "that 's what you ordered". I said "no, I ordered the removable window frame". He said, "oh, we're out of stock".
Just checked. It's still on their website for $295. Maybe they've found one since then. If not, you will get your money back - eventually.
You'll get a hit on Willcox as well, but at least their site says out of stock.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 228
Likes: 2
I talked to a local plating shop. they said that the stripping process is very important because if not done properly is will cause dark spots when re-anodized. the anodizing darkens the alum so it has to be polished before anodizing. so around $150 to strip and anodize and $100 to properly polish. and hopefully they don't destroy the frame!! maybe just have it chromed, I know, hard to chrome alum 
