[Hemikiller]

stainless steel

Not on a 71-73....




All of the trim on a 71-3 Mustang is aluminum, with the exception of the corral on the grille.

The aluminum went through a process call "brite dip anodizing" whenit was new. This gav it that nice luster and a protective anodized layer. There are companies that re-do the brite dip. Do a Google search, you may find one in your area.

If you want to buff the parts, you'll need to strip the anodizing from the aluminum. You can use common oven cleaner (Easy-off) or lye (drain cleaner) to accomplish this. Experiment on a junk piece to get the process.

You can buy buffing wheels and compound at Home Depot, Sears, etc. Again, work on a junk part before you try it on the stuff you need. If you can't get the technique down, look in your yellow pages for a welding shop, many do buffing work as well.

After you buff, you have naked aluminum, that will require much maintenance. You can either polish it several times a year or have it re-anodized. Again, yellow pages are you friend. The 71-3 trim is large and could be rather costly to ship around the country, so try to find someone local.

Another option I'm going to experiment with is a clear coat. You'd have to do a conversion coating on the aluminum to make it stick, but it might be good enough for the beltline trims and weatherstrip channels. I'll post results on my experiences.

Some of the Mustang shops now have the repop front and rear window trims in stock. I haven't seen them yet, but I'm contemplating purchasing them for my 71 Mach, just for expediency, as it is nering that stage. They run $125 ~$150 depending on where you get them from.