Unique's footbox aluminum

[robbinsshkr]

No one can ever accuse me of not using this forum, as I've been burn'n it up lately with questions. The aluminum panels from unique are welded at the seams and then ground flush on the exposed side. How do I go about resurfacing these areas to have a finish like the unground portions?
Do I need to sand with a fine grade sand paper, wet sand, use a buffer with some type of rubbing compound or ???? I could experiment, but i don't wanna take a chance of making the surface rougher than it already is. I would appreciate any help on the subject I can get.
Thanks,
Eddie

I hope i am not reintroducing a question that has no grounds, as there has been quite a few veiwers, but no replies. I added a photo of what i am referring to on the edges. I experimented a bit last night with 400 grit paper in a small area. i found out that is NOT the way to remove the rougher edges. I did get better results using a metal polish / cleaner called Brasso with a 0000-super fine steel wool. i'm still looking to make these area's of the foot-box appear as the rest.
Thanks,
Eddie

[robbinsshkr]

added photo.

[Brent]

Spray the area with some WD40 and use a Scotchbrite pad. They come in red, green, and white. Course, medium, and fine. You should be ok with green and white. Red may make some scratches you can't get out. The area and the pad will turn black. Wipe clean with thinner and wala!!

[diegokid]

Same as above except I use wet sand paper with wd-40 or the WM knockoff. The paper comes as fine as 2000 grit I think, I usually start with 600 grit depending on how the surface already is. 2000 grit will provide a mirror finish if thats what you desire.

[weaver]

Scotchbright works best.

Alan

[Bill D]

Can one Scothbright all the aluminum to get a nice satin effect?

[JeepSnake]

Bill,

Yes, you can Scotchbrite all the aluminum for a satin look. This is what I have done with the engine bay on our 289 car. To me it gives more of a utilitarian look than the fine polish. It's also really easy to keep touched up!

Within the satin realm, there are some creative effects you can go for.

Going in small circles (like waxing your paint) will yield a plain satin finish. This also is a finish that's easily touched up.

Going in straight lines will yield a more factory mill-finish on the metal. It is much tougher to hold a truly straight line than you would think, and it's tough to get into corners, etc. It is aggravating to touch up as well.

Get all wild and crazy with masking, and you can create most any pattern you can think of. Checkerboards, stripes, etc.

If you drive a lot, the touch-up factor will quickly become important. There are a lot of things in an engine bay and coming off the road that can mar the aluminum. When we bought it (used, obviously), the aluminum in our car appeared to have been etched by water & cement dust thrown up by the front wheels. The smell of the metal & WD-40 when Scotchbrite-ing that first time nearly gagged me!

[robbinsshkr]

Thank you all very much! I was beginning to think nobody loved me anymore :( twenty something lookers and no replies. I knew someone would have already figured out a way to do what i needed to know.

I honestly think my thread got bumped into the old threads somehow, because usualy clicking the "new post" button, you can pull up anything posted within the past 24 hours. mine could not be found on the opening page after the first few hours. i had to go in the older threads to open it back up to be viewed again. almost instantly, i had the help i needed from multiple people. thankyou again,
Eddie

[JeepSnake]

Bill & Eddie,

Here's a pic showing the satin finish in my engine compartment. I used generic Scotchbrite, so I don't know what brand-name color it equates to. I cut it into pieces about about 2" wide and about as long as the distance across the four fingers on my hand, making it very easy to manipulate.

Another note for you that I thought about when looking at this photo: it's a little hard to see, but I put clear silicone sealer under the washers on the bolts going through the top of the footbox to hold the pedal assembly. Before I did that, water would pour in around them when I got caught in a rain or when I rinsed the engine compartment off.

3M also makes a good non-hardening black, rope-type caulk that works well for sealing around the windshield posts and where the rear quick-jack brackets stick up into the trunk. I'm 99% sure I got it out of the Eastwood catalog.

Hope this helps.

[Bill D]

Thanks guys. I like the satin look. It makes the car appear more original with a certain amount of patina

[sllib]

Zach;
You're right. I bought mine from Eastwood. If you wait a while it will go on sale.