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Cleaning Aluminium Panels
GaryM - 15/2/21 at 05:01 PM

Can anyone suggest any products/techniques for cleaning slightly oxidized aluminium body panels?

I'm not looking to polish them to a shine or mirror finish, just restore them to closer to what they they looked like when they were new.

Thanks in advance.

Gary

JeffHs - 15/2/21 at 05:35 PM

California Custom Purple polish.

rusty nuts - 15/2/21 at 05:37 PM

quote:
Originally posted by JeffHs
California Custom Purple polish.


X2 , they also do a deoxidiser

BAS - 15/2/21 at 06:04 PM

Wire wool and WD40. Plus a lot of elbow grease! Do a small area at a time to relieve the boredom.

johnH20 - 15/2/21 at 06:43 PM

ACF 50. Adds corrosion protection film

BAS - 15/2/21 at 10:23 PM

Also work in one direction with the wire wool, not round in circles.
Haven't tried ACF 50.

coyoteboy - 16/2/21 at 10:42 AM

Brasso. I've had a true mirror finish from brasso on alu. Protecting them is another thing, I've never kept alu mirror finish for more than a day

number-1 - 16/2/21 at 05:54 PM

I used Autoglym metal polish, leave it to dry then wipe off with rag doused in paraffin.

Over winter i would cover it in Autoglym and leave it on the car until the spring, then wipe away with a rag and paraffin as my entire car was ali body

Angel Acevedo - 23/2/21 at 06:46 PM

quote:
Originally posted by BAS
Wire wool and WD40. Plus a lot of elbow grease! Do a small area at a time to relieve the boredom.


My sides were done with brushed finis alu, but were so badly scratched and spot corroded, that I went this route.

It looks patchy now, but I reckon I can get a pretty uniform looking finish with reasonable effort.
HTH.

GaryM - 23/2/21 at 08:00 PM

Thanks to all those that posted.

I've certainly got lots of options :-)

Gary

Mr Whippy - 24/2/21 at 02:55 AM

Tbh it's a losing battle that will become a complete chore. I had a bare metal bonnet on my JBA Falcon for several years but eventually got fed up trying to keep it looking nice and opted to paint it to match the rest of the car. Polishing or cleaning ali panels is also a right mucky job, wear gloves. I used either T cut or metal polish depending on how much it needed cleaning.