'85 Cutlass wheel molding trim - horrible white oxidation

[gofast123]

what is the best way to clean wheel opening trim that has horrible, white oxidation buildup on the inner side that goes against the car...

just got the car painted and i hate to put all that nasty buildup against the painted surface... polishes don't even touch it!

 

[beermonkey9417]

try a can of coke and an old sock. shines up chrome trim real good.

 

[Blake442]

That's the anodized coating deteriorating, the wheel opening moldings are aluminum.

You can strip the coating off yourself, but then you'll have to frequently re-polish the trim.

For the best results, you'll have to get them striped and re-anodized. Then they'll look like brand new.

 

[el_sonoma]

If, like you say, the problem is on the back side, you could use sandpaper (320/400?) to clean it up and spray some clear on the back. Just a thought.........

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

On my car, these are polished stainless steel, not anodized aluminum. Now, I know that some of the Chevys used aluminum trim in this area, but I have never seen an Olds with it. My solution was to clean them up with mild sandpaper first, and then polish them with a drill, a cotton buff attachment, and Mother's Mag Wheel Polish. They came out really good for me.

 

[Blake442]

I should've read the initial post more closely.

Just use some 00 grade steel wool to clean the moldings up before you put them on, and you'll be good to go.