It's been a while since I posted an update.
I have been too busy driving! Since the SLO meet I've had nothing but smiles. I will say this, we had an odd moment with the tow bar on our trip home, but I'll save that story for another time.
I wanted to share my latest update!
My Black lady, the Shwarz Frauline, spent from 1996 until 2014 in Seal Beach, CA. That's like... two blocks from the ocean. As such, she spent some time breathing in the salt air. Her bright work may not have fared so well. Lots of corrosion. Last weekend I decided I was tired of looking at the sad state of her aluminum bits and went to work with some Neverdul, 400&600 grit wet dry, and some mothers. DO NOT TRY THIS WITH CHROME. This process worked ONLY on the aluminum bits. The chrome posts were pretty far gone. They will need to be replaced. As such, I cleaned them a bit with steel wool. They bounced back, but you can still tell that they are roached.
Basic steps are:
1) Tape off what you don't want to sand
2) Check that you really taped it well
3) By hand (no need for power tools here) Sand with 400 ( I hit the immediate area with a swipe of a wad of "Never dull") This lubricates the area. You could use water if you don't mind the mess. Using Never dull or some other product means you will use more sandpaper in the process.
4) After the 400, hit everything again with Never dull and 600. Sand with the grain. If you can't find the grain, sand the 'long direction' of the frame.
5) DO NOT get all crazy cranking on the windshield frame. Use only about as much pressure as if you were waxing the car by hand. Just sand the aluminum like you were sanding some soft pine. Nice and easy with the grain. Lots of lubrication.
6) Make sure your paper isn't all clogged up. After a little bit, you will no longer feel the roughness of the corrosion. Once you have a nice smooth and uniform surface, switch to the mothers.
7) Using mothers or another aluminum polish - polish the surface until it shines. the rag will quickly turn black. Keep using a clean part of the cloth. In no time you will have a black rag and a shiny chrome like surface!
8) Sit back and enjoy your refurbished apart~
Below are the before, during and after shots. This took me about an hour and a half from start to finish.