Best way to remove road plaque on wheel lip moldings & restore

[70pumpkin]

Wheel lip moldings have years and years of built-up road plaque.  What's the best way to remove it?  Some of the moldings have some minor dings and have lost some of their shine -- can they be easily restored?

[1 Wild R/T]

WD-40 & a toothbrush will get the tar off... Dents are another matter.. trim hammer, dollies, punches... A task that requires skill, often best left to professionals...

[70pumpkin]

Thanks.  I tried 3M adhesive remover and it sort of worked but couldn't get everything off.  Will try the WD40.

[7E-Bodies]

I just had some very good luck removing some really tough stuff with Loctite gasket remover. Super impressed.

[76orangewagon]

Send them to Chuck W in Michigan. We will strip them of their anodized coating, straighten your damage and have them re-anodized all for a reasonable price. If your interested I can pm you his phone number phone number. I'm not sure he would want me to post it.

[Racer57]

I use PrepSol with really good results.

[Rbob]

We used to spray diesel from a pump spray bottle on the sides of cars and watch the road tar run down the sides on a warm day.  Soaking them in lacquer thinner for a couple hours / overnight and a plastic brush will get it all.

[70 Top Banana]

I have used WD-40 and a short hair detail brush and it worked pretty well and  that included tar. Spray it on and let it set for a couple minutes. That said, I might have to try the gasket remover.  L

[7E-Bodies]

@70 Top Banana DO NOT get that gasket remover on paint or bare skin!

[70pumpkin]

Between 3M adhesive remover and WD40, I was able to get most of the tar off and they look much better now.  They might be good enough for now.  Dental teeth cleaning tools worked great for removing the really hard plaque -- I just asked my dentist if there were any old tools I could have. 

[R/T's 4 R/P]

I would be interested in Chuck W's information if you don't mind passing it along.
I have always been reluctant to attempt the whole anodizing restoration piece. Maybe I am afraid of nothing.
There is a place in town , nearby, that does reanodizing so i was thinking of trying it out on a rough piece first.
It seems the process is...
1. Strip off old anodizing.  Did someone say oven cleaner works for this?
2. Straighten and sand. What degree of sandpaper finish is needed? Or does it need polishing?
3. Anodize..bright dip

[JH27N0B]

I was talking to my friend today who does trim restoration.  He made it sound tricky.  He said you get it stripped in a caustic solution.  Then you carefully fix dings.  Then you polish it, but that is the worst part as if you don't do it right, you end up tiny white specs in the finish after it is anodized, in which case you have to get it stripped and start over again.
He's been doing trim resto for a while, but said he gets trim stripped, and takes it to Bill at Special Ts, who he helps out sometimes, and lets Bill do the prep as Bill really knows what he is doing.
I had them restore the trim and grille on my T/A, and recently the hood trim on my '71, and everything looked incredible.  It's an art!