Grumman Olson aluminum body truck, oppinions please

I recieved a call from a regular client today who said, "Tuscarora Dave do I have a job for you!!" He then told me what he had and I went over to have a look.

I did a test section using Poorboy's World Pro Polish and purple foamed wool pad on the Flex DA. The sheet aluminum test section came out pretty nice and he was very happy with those results.

Where I need the oppinions here is on the cast aluminum corners and other various cast parts. I want a clean look on them and NOT polished. What my vision for the cast is, the cast aluminum clean with the pours as clean as I can get them. Beside the polished up sheet aluminum I believe that will look pretty neat. Also what do you all think could be used to protect this thing from rapid oxidation?

The cast parts are on the front, the front fenders and hood are riveted to the cast corners and just below and foreward of the side view mirrors and on the top front and rear corners of the box.

The test section is the last photo.

http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/d...dave/005-9.jpg
http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/d...dave/004-8.jpg
http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/d...dave/007-7.jpg
http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/d...ave/011-11.jpg
http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/d...dave/013-6.jpg
http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/d...dave/027-6.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tuscarora dave

I r
Where I need the opinions here is on the cast aluminum corners and other various cast parts. I want a clean look on them and NOT polished.

What my vision for the cast is, the cast aluminum clean with the pours as clean as I can get them.

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I've recently used this product from Flits and it clean really well without dulling the aluminum, it actually almost seems to make the aluminum better looking.

I used it to clean off years of oxidation off an aluminum slotted mag and was completely impressed with the product. Afterwards of course I polished the mag wheel but you could try this and I think it will clean the aluminum down to the pores and restore and original bright look without giving it a machine polished look.

Flitz Industrial Strength Aluminum PreClean

It uses some kind of salt to clean with instead of acid.

Be careful of any acid sprays near aluminum as my experience is that it will stain, gray and darken the aluminum deeper than just topical.


Cool truck, kind of reminds me of my 1966 Chevy Milk Truck except my Milk Truck was bright yellow and the back half was all fiberglass insulated to keep the milk cold.


http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/ga...2MilkTruck.jpg


:)

Wow that's a cool truck Mike, Thanks for the advice. I will consider getting some of that stuff.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tuscarora dave

Wow that's a cool truck Mike, Thanks for the advice. I will consider getting some of that stuff.

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Didn't mean to take your thread off-topic... but it's the same type of truck, that is a commercial delivery.

My Milk Truck had a 396 Big Block Chevy with a mild cam and a Turbo 400 with a Lokar Shifter and was a blast to drive!

Again... sorry for taking your thread off-topic... for anyone interested in the Milk Truck, here's some pictures here,


1966 Milk Truck


:)

That's ok Mike, I was glad to see your truck. It Seems this thread isn't a very hot topic anyway. I pretty much got the same answer over at DC too. I am gonna try straight APC and a stiff bristled nylon brush first and then get the Flitz if that don't work. Thanks

What about a strong wheel cleaner?

Here are a few updated pics of the progress on "Big Al". Between the rain, my other scheduled duties and the client using the truck for running his mold mitigation business, it has been tough to get on this project and stay on it. I am thinking maybe 10 more hours to get "Big Al" finished up.

http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/d...ave/007-11.jpg
http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/d...dave/008-7.jpg
http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/d...dave/012-9.jpg

Amazing how you can get some shine out of that, most would have given up on an old truck like that.

WOW.... That looks great. It's gonna take allot to maintain that shine, my buddy did the same thing to a old DHL truck. Needless to say he ended up getting it painted.