E-Bodies.org Cuda Challenger Forum

Technical Shop => Body Shop => Topic started by: Mrbill426 on May 03, 2022, 05:13:46 PM

Title: Belt line (door top moldings)
Post by: Mrbill426 on May 03, 2022, 05:13:46 PM
About to clean up a ultimately polish belt line moldings which appear to be aluminum.  My question is are they anodized or simply polished aluminum?
Or am I wrong and they are stainless?
Title: Re: Belt line (door top moldings)
Post by: 6bblgt on May 03, 2022, 05:48:22 PM
Challenger are stainless steel
&
Barracuda are brite-dip anodized aluminum
Title: Re: Belt line (door top moldings)
Post by: Mrbill426 on May 03, 2022, 06:07:22 PM
Ok so for my Cuda moldings I have to strip off the lightly scratched and "cloudy" anodize before I can polish them back up.
Thanks!


Quote from: 6bblgt on May 03, 2022, 05:48:22 PM
Challenger are stainless steel
&
Barracuda are brite-dip anodized aluminum
Title: Re: Belt line (door top moldings)
Post by: Cuda_mark on May 04, 2022, 06:07:37 AM
Quote from: 6bblgt on May 03, 2022, 05:48:22 PM
Challenger are stainless steel
&
Barracuda are brite-dip anodized aluminum

Which is odd because they don't actually match the polished moldings around the Cuda convertible well..
Title: Re: Belt line (door top moldings)
Post by: Mrbill426 on May 06, 2022, 09:13:46 AM
I wish they were the same material and "finish" as the glass reveal molding too.  I saw somewhere that oven cleaner can be used to remove the old anodize, then you have to sand and polish them back shiny.
Title: Re: Belt line (door top moldings)
Post by: moparroy on May 10, 2022, 06:26:52 PM
Yes I used oven cleaner to remove the anodize - but I found I had to score the anodizing layer with fine emery cloth or steel wool to get the oven cleaner to really bite into the anodizing. After that 600 - 800 - 1500 - 2000 all wet before polish. Have not got into the SS pieces yet