Original aluminum grill

[pdxhall]

Hey guys, I went to pick up a new old hood for my 66 today and happened on to an aluminum grill for 20 bucks. It has a couple of dings and dents but looks like it could be brought back to life real easy by someone that does that sort of thing. Do any of you Portland area members restore these things or can you lead me to someone that does? I posted this over on the "what did you do to your truck today" page but thought I'd try a new post here. I know I got a good deal but what is the going price for these grills nowadays?

[chevyrestoguy]

You could most of that yourself. One thing to remember is that the aluminum is relatively soft, and is usually stretched wherever it gets dented. Work out the dents slowly and lightly with a nylon hammer if you can. Try to find anything to use as a dolly that replicates the shape you're trying to get it back into. Use a wood block instead of a steel body dolly. You want to try to eliminate "donkey tracks" that occur when you smack the part with the edge of the hammer/dolly.

Those grills were clear anodized (or a process called Brite Dip) from the factory. That coating will get cloudy and pitted over time. You can either find a company that does that process (it's expensive), or if you like it shiny, have a polish shop strip the part and then buff it out. Another process I have considered is having it Jet-Hot coated, wet-sanded with 2000, then cleared. I personally like the factory anodized look over the chrome grills that you see occasionally.

For $20, you did good. I've seen junky aluminum grilles out here starting at $45.

[198plus]

Great idea, I'm checking into that now.

Originally Posted by chevyrestoguy

Another process I have considered is having it Jet-Hot coated, wet-sanded with 2000, then cleared. I personally like the factory anodized look over the chrome grills that you see occasionally.

For $20, you did good. I've seen junky aluminum grilles out here starting at $45.

[pdxhall]

Thanks for the help. I just might give it a try. It really isn't that bad so I might be able to pull it off even with the very little experience I have. I'm not familiar with the hot-jet....looking into it now.

[Captainfab]

If you want to try polishing that grill yourself, you will need to strip the clear anodizing first. You can do that with common spray on oven cleaner. You may need 2 or 3 applications to get it all off. Just be careful with it, it will burn your skin.

[lakeroadster]

Here is an article I had saved in regards to striping anodized aluminum:

How to Clean and Polish Anodized Aluminum

A lot of trim pieces on older cars were made of aluminum that was anodized. Anodizing is an effective way to create a hard, weather resistant surface that will last a number of years without tarnishing. Eventually, however, the metal surface becomes stained and scratched and looking generally dull, so much so that it either needs to be replaced or cleaned.

Unfortunately, anodized surfaces don't clean well. In fact, if you scrub or polish such a surface all you will get is a shiny drab-looking finished product. In order to properly clean and polish aluminum you have to de-anodize it.

Sounds difficult, doesn't it? After all, the anodizing process requires acid baths, cleaning steps and electric current, not to mention timing equipment and dyes (for those colored surfaces like brackets, etc.) One would think, therefore, that de-anodizing would require the same materials, only in reverse order. That would be nice and effective, but it turns out that aluminum is one of those metals that can be chemically de-anodized. All you need is the right chemical, and you can find it in your grocery store. The "magic" chemical is sodium hydroxide, and it is the active ingredient in drain cleaners (Drano). It comes in liquid and crystal form and we find the dry crystals are the most effective (and least expensive.)

All you need to de-anodize your piece of aluminum is a shallow pan large enough in which to lay it. You'll need warm water, rubber gloves, eye protection and, of course the drain cleaner. Fill the pan with enough warm water to cover the piece and then add enough drain cleaner to do the job - we find that 1 tablespoon of cleaner to one gallon of water will de-anodize a couple pieces like headlight bezels.

Mix the cleaner thoroughly in the water and place the aluminum piece in it. Make sure there's air movement over the pan, since the vapors can be a bit caustic. Watch the bubbles form on the aluminum and lift it out every minute or so to remove the accumulated "smut." Smut is the chemical residue that forms during the de-anodizing process and you want to remove it periodically to expose the surface to the chemical. If the process is going too slowly you can add more cleaner.

After a few minutes you will see that the piece is a uniform, flat color. Stains and blemishes should have disappeared, leaving only scratches. Take the piece out and rinse thoroughly with fresh water. Dry it off and inspect for any residual anodized spots, which show up as darker surface finish. If there are any, immerse the piece in the chemical for a little longer and rub them out. Rinse and dry again.

Now you can sand your piece with 800 grit paper to remove scratches and then buff the surface to a bright shine. It will remain a soft surface unless you anodize it again, but that takes equipment and a little experience. We find that keeping a coat of wax on the piece prevents tarnishing and staining. Also, you can spray the piece with clear lacquer or enamel to protect it in harsher environments

Hope that helps!

Happy Trails.......

John

[Captainfab]

Oven cleaner also contains either Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide.

[padresag]

commonly called lye
ron

[pdxhall]

Good info, thanks again, guys. I worked for a chemical supply company years ago in a previous life so I am familiar with the proper handling. I've already been able to remove some of the dents and I'm looking forward to getting it stripped and playing around with it some more when I get the time. Once I make some progress I'll post some before-after pics.