Questions: Headlights and Seat Heights.

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73 Duster 360

73 Duster 360

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So as I've mentioned in previous posts I've just purchased a 1973 Plymouth Duster just like the one I had in my 20s. It's at the body shop getting a fresh paint job right now so I've been reading everything I can (bought the service manuals for it) and have been buying parts for things I want to fix or replace. Since I don't have my car right now I can't check certain things and was wondering if you guys could maybe answer a few small questions. I have tried searching Google and the forum but didn't see anything.

My first one is about head light bezels. With my new paint job in the works I decided I should polish my bumpers when I get the car back so I did some research and bought some products and then I started thinking about polishing the head light bezels because they're that oxidized matte gray color. Does anyone know what metal type those are made of? Is it aluminum or sheet metal? Tin? Will they shine up at all with the right tools and product?

The second question I have is about seat height. If I remember correctly the seat is raised by basically adding spacers between the floor and the seat mount and lowered by removing them. I haven't looked under my seats to see if there are spacers but I'm 5' 10" and even with the seat all the way back my head hits the ceiling on every bump in the road. I don't remember that being the case with my old duster and the guy I bought this one from replaced the seats himself and was pretty short (not trying to shame just adding context) so my question is do any of you hit your head on the ceiling, if so how tall are you and what are the odds he raised the seat to better accommodate his height? Or used the wrong seats?

Do I have any options if there are no spacers to remove?
 
I'm 5-11 and have always leaned towards adding spacers. I had my 70 RR raised with some "junk" bearings about?3/4? The Dart had aftermarket buckets but they were for sure raised. Maybe it's a simple as someone used thicker/ firmer foam in the seats I don't know.

I raised the seat in my 01 Dodge 2500 "a bunch" and the 04 GMC 1500 I think I used 1 1/4" square tube I like to sit high and see. It also helps the "sun angle" as it "lowers" the roof line

"It might be" my legs are a bit longer and my trunk a bit shorter than some others my height??
 
Headlight bezels- these are anodized aluminum. These may or may not polish out due to the anodizing. You can try to polish off the anodizing and polish the base aluminum. Seat height-you're correct. Factory height is set by the seat base and shape of the floor. Height can be adjusted with spacers between the two.
 
The dealers would install wood seat spacers if the customer complained about the seat height. I have a set for a 1967 Barracuda bucket (driver side only).

The anodizing on the aluminum becomes dull with age. The problem is it is literally as hard as sapphire (aluminum oxide — same stuff). I believe you can get it off with oven cleaner in an oven, but I've never tried that. If you do manage to polish it, it will go dull again unless you keep it waxed.
 
I can add that the oven cleaner works to remove anodizing, I've used "Easy Off," to do it. Though, i never tried it with the parts in an oven. Be prepared for noxious fumes either way. If I remember correctly, I had to use an abrasive pad with the oven cleaner to get the anodizing off (this was to remove colored anodizing from some BMX bike parts, decades ago), leaving just the raw aluminum color to polish.
 
Thanks for all the helpful replied guys. Sounds like the headlight bezels are doomed to be dull.

Unless... Would a rattle can of chrome Rust-Oleum with a waxed clear coat look okay? I've never tried chrome paint before. Anyone have any experience with that? My gut says bad idea to go anywhere near a car with spray paint.
 
73 Duster 360 said:
Thanks for all the helpful replied guys. Sounds like the headlight bezels are doomed to be dull.

Unless... Would a rattle can of chrome Rust-Oleum with a waxed clear coat look okay? I've never tried chrome paint before. Anyone have any experience with that? My gut says bad idea to go anywhere near a car with spray paint.
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Please don't. The "Chrome " rattle can stuff is hideous. In my humble opinion... never used it before, but I've seen the results! Argent might look cool but you'd have to do the whole Grill too and it would be nowhere near correct
 
73 Duster 360 said:
Yeah that is what I was concerned about.
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I've polished a lot of metal, restoring antique Harleys. A Dremel tool with a cloth buffing wheel, Jeweler's Rouge, turtle wax, finished with Motbers works Great! I even have a big clotb wheel for my bench grinder. The amount of stretching coming off the radius in the center of the boat hole in the cloth is how you can tell the coarseness of the cloth believe it or not... once you start polishing metal especially aluminum you're not going to stop. It won't be a weekly thing but you'll find you have to keep up on it
 
Most of the time, the chrome paint in a rattle can is not going to give a good finish; but I've seen a demo with some newer product, that really did look good. I'm sure you can get a decent finish from polishing as Ironracer says. I wonder if after polishing, if you couldn't seal it, with some type of coating? Something comes to mind about a product like that, used for wheels.
 
When trim is restored, my personal choice is not to re-anodize but leave the aluminum raw/polished. No more anodizing to yellow but now maintenance will be cleaning and waxing just like the paint.
 
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