Irish350

iTrader: (14)

I have some cast aluminum mecham tips, that are pretty scraped up on the bottom edge (mostly towtruck interactions). I loved having them, and i much prefer them to the magnaflow slash cuts that are on there now, but theres a good 1/4" scraped off. If its fixable, how do you restore the natural finish(not brushed/polished/painted)?

2000_SS

iTrader: (24)

not really anyway to restore a cast finish. if the scrapes are BAD, you could to a weld build-up on the bottom side then blend it smooth with a flap disc (or a grinder with a light touch), but even still it wouldn't be the original finish. you could smooth out the scratches and have them ceramic coated with a wrinkle finish or something i suppose.

Irish350

iTrader: (14)

Id imagine that after repairs polishing would be iffy at best too.. i think ill post some pics up tonight, see if that helps at all

my second choice would be paint/powdercoat with a polished lip

2000_SS

iTrader: (24)

a chrome-ceramic would probably look good if you sanded them smooth, like on my headers:

Irish350

iTrader: (14)

holy ****, why didnt i think of that.

matte/satin black engine enamel and ceramic spray.

anyone know of a metal based epoxy that wouldnt crack after paint/etc?

6LITEREATER

iTrader: (56)

^^I was just about to tell you to do something similar...

Get a high temp JB Weld/Etc... to fill in the scratch. BEFORE it hardens use a stone or something else with the natural finish/texture you want to lightly roll into it (like you're sponge painting a wall).

Let it harden and then for a factory aluminum cast look spray it with a high temp "bumper chrome" paint. It does NOT look chrome but it does look aluminum...

Irish350

iTrader: (14)

Alright, so i dug up the tips from deep in my garage, and realized before i even think about fixing/painting, i have to clean. dear GOD i bet these things havent been cleaned ever.

here you can see what im looking at repair wise. i think there were 3 times the car was towed that these got scraped to ****. will be sanded and jb welded. (gloved thumb, nothing sinister)


I started with some brake parts cleaner, but there was no way i was gonna sit there and scrub forever, so theyre soaking in simplegreen now

PERFECT Z28

iTrader: (7)

I'm anxious to see how this turns out.

2000_SS

iTrader: (24)

if that's the worst of the scrapes...put them in a band saw and cut ~1/4" off or whatever and scuff the new edge up to match the rest of the tip.

Irish350

iTrader: (14)

Thats another decent idea..

the main reason why i wouldnt do that (with these tips) is theyre cast with a beveled edge on the inside (too shitty to see it in the pics ) but it looks killer with it, and i know regrinding it wouldnt look right.

also; no bandsaw, so id be goin at it with a die grinder and a sawzall, and no one wants that

scrubbing commences shortly - pics to follow

Irish350

iTrader: (14)

well... I pulled out one side, and check it out


As i stood there scraping away with a toofbrush (and a similarly bristled scrubber thing) i couldnt help but notice how the finish of these didnt seem very 'metal'. Started noticing things like discoloration where the buildup/brake cleaner had been, seemed too bright, then i noticed orange peel. So now im thinking, woudlnt it be easier to strip these than scrub them??

theyre percolating right now in the simplegreen. I cant decide if i want to do satin black, with a polished lip (similar to the black powdercoat transamjam just did, but with a ceramic lip/inside; or if id like to do the same with a silver color (try my best to match the wheels)

99345hp

You can get a cast finish look with a sandblaster. If you weld the material back then grind smooth to about 120 grit. Then use a DA with 80 to 150 grit. Then sand blast the area it will have a cast look to it.

Irish350

iTrader: (14)

hey does anyone have tips (teehee) for how to get all this built up exhaust/oil/etc off these?

theyve been soaking in simple green for a week and my brush does nothing. Brake cleaner? Laquer thinner? Degreaser?

YOFAB

iTrader: (7)

Use a wire brush and brake cleaner.

Irish350

iTrader: (14)

should i soak it steve? just spray and scrub?

YOFAB

iTrader: (7)

No, brake cleaner evaporates pretty quickly. Spray, scrub, then spray again and you should see the dirt rinse off.

Irish350

iTrader: (14)

thought id update.

let them sit for the last week or whatever, hit them with the wire brush again. done dealing with that. haha.

so here they sit sanded and filed down, the first coat of jb weld is drying now, ill post pics when the second layer is on and shaped.

Irish350

iTrader: (14)

no ones watching anymore, but heres another update, sean!

so heres after shaping the jb weld...


and the main reason driving me to paint the tips, it looks like they oxidized differently or one has a different finish or something. Tossed the header down there to show how different each of the 3 pieces look. Ones like grey primer and the other looks like metallic silver paint. Theyll both get stripped, primed and then painted..

but do i do silver to match the wheels or black to match the taillights? the inside and that lip will be ceramic coated. let me know what you guys think.. probably will get painted this weekend or sometime soon.

ill post pics for myself to look at when im done