Bright Dip vs. Anodize

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1969cuda

1969cuda

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looking for a shop to bright dip some aluminum trim. It has been stripped of the anodized coating, straightened and polished. As I under stand it, if I were to simply reanodize it, it would not appear as original. They say the way to do it is the bright dip process.
 
A polishing shop also told me it harder to find someone that does Bright Dip with long tanks to do side moldings and other larger pieces.

Outside of automotive, most new products with Bright Dip are small. And most automotive bright trim is plastic nowadays, not aluminum. Not many objects are decorative aluminum as they used to be. Stainless seems like the current rage.
 
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MMMMMmm! Me love Stainless!

I am dealing with that for the side rocker moldings on the 66 we are redoing in the shop right now
Instrument specialties in RI. They said they can handle the moldings for us. They have a very long wait time BUT I can say all the stuff they have redone and plastic re chromed has been awesome.
Tell them Joe Sylvia sent you if you go that route. Tom I believe is the guy I've delt with. Good guy.
Joe
 
Custom Metal Refinishing did my anodizing. They are in Gardena, CA.
Home

They stripped it for me first. Then I straightened and polished it myself. Then they did the anodizing.
 
PocketAces said:
Custom Metal Refinishing did my anodizing. They are in Gardena, CA.
Home

They stripped it for me first. Then I straightened and polished it myself. Then they did the anodizing.
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Can they handle long pieces like fender trim?

Do you have any pictures. Like bare polished and then after their Bright Dip.

Excited to find a local place.
 
They did all the aluminum on my 65 Dart GT. Not sure what their length limit is, but long pieces included the finder trim, grill, candy canes, hood trim, and the trunk trim between the tail lights. I didn't take any closeups of the trim, but I can tell you that the quality of the polish is very important. I had it looking like chrome before it was dipped. After anodizing, it was not nearly as bright.
Rock-n-Roll Car Show 2016.jpg

Ruby's 2016-09-30.jpg

A friend of mine has the same car. He chose to leave his bare. It shines brighter that way, but there is some effort to keep it looking good. He just hits it with a product from Chemical Guys and it brightens right back up. Less work than I would have thought, but his car doesn't get out much. I also understand that the anodizing is very hard and protects the soft aluminum from fine scratches. I guess my advice would be if you want it to look original, have it anodized. If you plan to drive your car a lot, have it anodized. If you want it to look as bright as possible and your car is never going to see weather, then leave it bare.

Ruby's 2016-09-30.jpg
 
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PocketAces said:
They did all the aluminum on my 65 Dart GT. Not sure what their length limit is, but long pieces included the finder trim, grill, candy canes, hood trim, and the trunk trim between the tail lights. I didn't take any closeups of the trim, but I can tell you that the quality of the polish is very important. I had it looking like chrome before it was dipped. After anodizing, it was not nearly as bright.
View attachment 1715241820
View attachment 1715241821
A friend of mine has the same car. He chose to leave his bare. It shines brighter that way, but there is some effort to keep it looking good. He just hits it with a product from Chemical Guys and it brightens right back up. Less work than I would have thought, but his car doesn't get out much. I also understand that the anodizing is very hard and protects the soft aluminum from fine scratches. I guess my advice would be if you want it to look original, have it anodized. If you plan to drive your car a lot, have it anodized. If you want it to look as bright as possible and your car is never going to see weather, then leave it bare.

View attachment 1715241822
Click to expand...

I was at the Rock Ola show. Wish I would have known what to look for then. Do you come to Spring Fling?

I also was told from a guy that restores mostly motorcycle trim that the condition you deliver the Bright Dip shop is REALLY important. That guy would not tell me what shop he used but said in was down in LA (he was in Canoga Park). Maybe same place...

Sounds like they do large pieces. I have a bunch of 68 Barracuda, 68 Dart, and some 71 Challenger trunk, grille and rocker trim I'd like stripped. Any rough idea what they charge to strip?

I hit my bare stuff up with Wenol. Seems to hold up ok in a So Cal garage. If outside under a good car cover, your right about every 6-12 months. For other this is in So Cal mind you where we don't' have weather.
 
Just got back from Sacramento, I picked up an A108,and swung by Alta Plating and Anodizing. I had them strip the lower rocker molding for a ‘69 Barracuda, took them 20 minutes and cost me $85.00
They do not bright dip, just anodizing. They assumed the closest bright dip shop would be in Oregon. We will see how well the piece turns out after straightening and polishing, which will determine whether I bright dip or simply maintain it via polish.
 
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King of trim straighten and bright dipped my, (19) dissembled pieces of grill/headlight surround parts, and chromed head light surrounds...(left ******** gone now), but they did a good job. $1300 sounds way too much though! I wasn't happy with the polished aluminum look(first attempt), but that's me. Youtube has some good how to straighten & polish videos. But Do what makes you happy, that's the main thing! Go for It!
 
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Looks like this is a good thread to ask if the belt moulding on a 69 Barracuda convertible is stainless or aluminum.
 
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