Repairing Trim 1965 Valiant

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Jack Curran

Jack Curran

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Hi all,

I recently got my valiant back from paint and have started putting the trim back on. Noticing some of the trim is pitted and I am just wondering what my options are for fixing what I have. It looks like the bumper and the rear tail lights bezels are chrome, as far as the rest of the trim I am not sure if it is anodized aluminum or stainless steel. Is there an easy way to tell? Thank you for your time.
 
Yeah, pitted pot metal is tough to get right again. It will depend on how bad it is as to whether replating will look good enough or replacing is a better choice. Usually aluminum will pit and stainless won't. There's also a weight difference. If you still can't tell, use a magnet.
 
Jack Curran said:
Hi all,

I recently got my valiant back from paint and have started putting the trim back on. Noticing some of the trim is pitted and I am just wondering what my options are for fixing what I have. It looks like the bumper and the rear tail lights bezels are chrome, as far as the rest of the trim I am not sure if it is anodized aluminum or stainless steel. Is there an easy way to tell? Thank you for your time.
Click to expand...
Most likely the side trim on a 65 is aluminum. A magnet will not stick to aluminum or stainless. If it's a 2 door ht., the belt moldings would be stainless, as would be the moldings on the front
of the sail panel. Much easier, ( but very time consuming) to repair stainless trim. Emblems, tail light housings, etc., chrome pot metal. Moldings on top of the 1/4's that tie in the tail lights
are stainless.
 
Lee Robinson said:
Most likely the side trim on a 65 is aluminum. A magnet will not stick to aluminum or stainless. If it's a 2 door ht., the belt moldings would be stainless, as would be the moldings on the front
of the sail panel. Much easier, ( but very time consuming) to repair stainless trim. Emblems, tail light housings, etc., chrome pot metal. Moldings on top of the 1/4's that tie in the tail lights
are stainless.
Click to expand...

Just checked now. You're correct the side trim is all aluminum. Car is a convertible so the interior trim around the window on the inside is also aluminum. window trim on the outside is stainless I'm familiar with polishing stainless steel trim but I'm guessing there is not much I can do to improve the aluminum trim since it is anodized correct? There are a few small dents I would like to get out but if it will have to be re-anodized I might have to wait. Thank you for your reply
 
Lee Robinson said:
Most likely the side trim on a 65 is aluminum. A magnet will not stick to aluminum or stainless. If it's a 2 door ht., the belt moldings would be stainless, as would be the moldings on the front
of the sail panel. Much easier, ( but very time consuming) to repair stainless trim. Emblems, tail light housings, etc., chrome pot metal. Moldings on top of the 1/4's that tie in the tail lights
are stainless.
Click to expand...
You need to test some trim with a magnet. I think you'll find a lot of stainless is magnetic. Not all, there are different versions of stainless, but, many of them are attracted by a magnet. I believe the top quarter and belt moldings are, as well as some of the later windshield and back glass trim. So is the divider stainless between the door glass and quarter glass as well as the vent frame stainless. IIRC, the drip rail stainless is also magnetic. What I'm getting at is, if it's attracted to a magnet, it's not aluminum. That doesn't mean that all metals not attracted by a magnet are aluminum.
 
Put some metal polish on a rag and rub a section of the trim. If the spot on the rag is black it's stainless. Be cautious with what you suspect to be aluminum, you don't want to go through the anodizing.
 
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