Polished aluminum bodies

[Dangerous Doug]

Occassionally I see a Cobra with a polished aluminum body and I think they look pretty spectacular. Now that I'm thinking Kirkham 289FIA hybrid, I'm also thinking about going the polished body route. Anyone with experience on this? Curious on how much work or extra expense one must go to, to get it looking right. How much work is it to maintain? Do you have to order the body prepared in any special way in order to polish it out?

I'm thinking polished body with flat black Cobra stripes, and black roll hoop, pipes and quick jacks.

I don't personally like the look of the unpolished bare aluminum cars (they look like somebody didn't finish their car --- to me). So, I'd like to focus on the polishing process, cost, and maintenance.


BTW: I've also already heard the ***** and moan about not liking these polished aluminum cars at the track, so if you don't have a polished aluminum car but have something negative to say about 'em, I've already heard it ad nauseum.

Dangerous Doug

[Brent Mills]

Ok, I can speak to this. You have no idea how much work it is!!!! I decided to polish just the stripes on my car thinking I could whip them out in no time and see how I liked it. My plan was to start there and then finish the whole body, and you know what? You have to be seriously insane (see Pat Buckley for reference ) or you have waaaaay too much time on your hands. It's a whole hell of a lot of work.

I have spent approximately 50 hours on the stripes and I am not done. I have probably 8 more hours, plus a few more cuz it always takes longer than I think.

Also, if you like to be clean, this is NOT the job for you. You'll be covered from head to toe in charcoal colored dust and grime. Even if you do all wet sanding you'll find you get dirty, and then when you start hitting the thing with your polisher, forget about staying clean period. My whole face outside the goggles and resperator was darg grey. Nice.

I guess what I am saying is that no matter what you THINK you are capable of, you need lots of time and strong mental state to make it work. I think Pat said it took him 200 or more hours to do his whole body, and I have no doubt it's that long or longer for someone with good skills/sense.

I've been broken, and the stripes are it for me.

[Brent Mills]

Oh, and Pat warned me it was a lot of work, but Turk said I was better than Pat at most everything, so I just went for it thinking I could do it in 100 hrs or less. Turk lied.... Just be realistic about what you can do, what time you have, and how important it is to be on the road vs. waiting until you have the project done.

[Turk]

Brent,
You are absolutely right about Pat's skills and me lying.

About good "sense" he has none. 200 hours? I would be willing to bet he has nothing short of 1000 hours on that body alone, I have seen the progress he was making at different intervals.
Lots of work.

I also hate going places with him. One polished the other not. I think he takes me along to show me off as the BEFORE and AFTER show and tell props.

He is also talking about sanding it back to satin..!! Only Pat would do that.

TURK

[Excaliber]

I can barely find enough energy to wash the car, let alone put a coat of wax on it.

Polish the whole car? HA! Aint gonna happen.

[PatBuckley]

Douglas -

The body does not come prepared in any special way - it just takes a lot of time sanding. I did learn a few things that would save time on the next one though.

It doesn't take a lot of maintenance - just keep it waxed or use some of that stuff that keeps aluminum shiny...Zoopseal(?)

The only expense is for the sandpaper and polish...and a good buffer.

Pat

Thanks for the kind (?) words Turk and Brent....

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Doug;

Not to put a dampner on your idea,but,get a peice of aluminum say about a foot square,then polish it out to the way you would want your car to look and then decide........Very labor intensive.......Polished cars look awesome and are a work of art.... I have great respect for anyone that polishes his/her car,but I could never find the time to do that................

David

[Dangerous Doug]

I guess that explains why I don't see more of the polished cars around.

I spent some time as a kid helping a relative polish part of his aluminum B-25 (I think that's what it was. Is a B-25 a WWII long range bomber with top, bottom, front and rear gunners?). Anyhow, that's the limit of my experience on polishing aluminum, clouded by the 23 years since. Very dirty, but I've always been a do it yourself kind of guy.

1000 hours? Holy cow!

David Gagnard: Good idea on the practice piece. Nothing wrong with a little realism.

Pat Buckley: Could you elaborate on what you've learned to make the process a little easier? Could you describe the process that you would use now, given your experience?

[Ron61]

Doug,

Easiest way is to hire Pat. He already has all the tricks worked out. Also buy a good set of sunglasses if you want to look at his in the sun. That 1,000 hours is Pat hours. To most of us it would most likely be closer to 1,500 hours and then hire Pat.

Ron

[PatBuckley]

At the hours quoted and the rate that I would charge it would take about $40,000 to get me to do it.....LOL.

Actually it probably took more than a couple of hundred hours but nowhere near a thousand!

Doug - the two big things I learned was to wet sand almost exclusively and to spend more time with the 220 grit making sure all the deep scratches are eliminated.

Pat

[Larry M]

Doug, do like Dave sugested about the peice of aluminum BUT take some 50 grit sandpaper to it first to get some deep gouges in it, Then take some 80 and 100 grit to the rest of it. Once thats done your're ready to start the process. Oh, I almost forgot, ya also might as well pick up a few electric sanders and a case or two of various grits(100- 800 wet/drygrit) sandpaper while your at it.

Pat, I admire your intestinal fortitude in polishing the body, it looks great! On Brents, it seems when you think ya got all the deeper scratches out and your down to sanding with the 600-800 grit it looks great til ya go to the high speed buffer, then ya see all the scratches ya missed! Then your back to the 220 grit again to do it all over, it seems never ending.

Larry M.

[PatBuckley]

That's why I made the comment on the 220.....

[RallySnake]

Pat,

The pictures of your car are beautiful. But isn't it difficult to drive toward a low sun?

With my lexan windshield it gets pretty bad. Even though it's polished perfectly clear. When I drive toward the sun the tiny little scratches are magnified and sometimes it's impossible to see through the plastic. There have been times when I have to look around the windshield to see where we're going. I would think that a highly polished car would be more difficult to drive?

Paul

[PatBuckley]

Paul-

The body is polished to the same level as if it were painted - as you state, it is only when it has lots of scratches on the surface would it be an issue.

I use a product called Plexus on the Lexan - it is made for all plastics - and it works great for the windshield.

[ToyCollector]

For Lexan I use Plexus cleaner as well and I also have some Aviation windshield cleaner as Lexan is almost exclusively what is used in general aviation aircraft. They have scratch removers, etc at any good aviation supply place.

[RallySnake]

Pat and ToyCollector,

I've used the Novus polish and it works pretty well. When it ran out I got some Turtle Wax plastic scratch remover. It's lousey and leaves the windshield cloudy looking. I'll look for the Plexus polish, thanks!

ToyCollector,

Didn't you have a 3/4" Wilwood master cylinder for sale? Do you still have it? My old MG clutch MS is getting pretty bad.

Paul

[Jamo]

I feel like Turk. When we drive with Pat, it's like he's Diana Ross and we're the Supremes.

[Dangerous Doug]

In terms of the overall process, I suppose it would go something like this?

First, lay on a layer of dark primer, and then sand it off (with 220 grit? Wet? Dry?) to reveal the deeper scratches where the paint is left behind.

Second, continue with the sanding (220? Wet? Dry?) to smooth out the deeper scratches.

Third, continue with the sanding, but wet sanding in 400, then 800 grit.

Fourth, polish with an electric buffer and polishing compound. (Mother's? DuPont? Suggestions?)

Fifth, kneel and be Knighted Sir Endursalot by the Queen of England.

Sixth, enjoy the accolades and adoration of the high and mighty Cobraphiles, as well as the common man.

Seventh, notice a missed scratch and start all over again...

[Dangerous Doug]

By the way, I'm back to talking about "polished aluminum bodies", rather than the tangential Lexan windshield polishing...

[RallySnake]

Jamo,

At least Pat's not like Gladys Knight....

Paul