Looking to shine
03-14-2015, 07:22 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Looking to shine
A friend loaned me an aluminum polishing/buffing motor for a while. I took 18 years of grime off of my exhaust tips with it today and they look WAY better. Now I've got the itch to keep on polishing aluminum bits while I have the motor to take away the elbow grease. Anyone have any suggestions for aluminum bits to polish up to give my 993 an extra shine? Thanks in advance for the suggestions--
In case anyone is interested, this is the procedure I used to shine my exhaust tips:
0) Remove tips from 993 with 1x 13mm socket wrench and 1x 13mm wrench
1) automotive soap and water to get grime off
2) green scrub pads + WD40 to get the next layer off
3) 000 Steel Wool + WD40 to get the next layer off
4) Polishing motor with hard polishing compound (don't know type, came with the motor)
5) Polishing motor with Mother's Metal Polish (apply on the metal before polishing or else you get covered in goop, ask me how I know)
6) Buff it out on the machine and then with a rag. It's not perfect, the metal has some serious pitting from years of the previous owner not maintaining it, but definitely better than it was.
I probably would have skipped one or more of the initial steps if the motor had arrived sooner.
Before and after pictures:
In case anyone is interested, this is the procedure I used to shine my exhaust tips:
0) Remove tips from 993 with 1x 13mm socket wrench and 1x 13mm wrench
1) automotive soap and water to get grime off
2) green scrub pads + WD40 to get the next layer off
3) 000 Steel Wool + WD40 to get the next layer off
4) Polishing motor with hard polishing compound (don't know type, came with the motor)
5) Polishing motor with Mother's Metal Polish (apply on the metal before polishing or else you get covered in goop, ask me how I know)
6) Buff it out on the machine and then with a rag. It's not perfect, the metal has some serious pitting from years of the previous owner not maintaining it, but definitely better than it was.
I probably would have skipped one or more of the initial steps if the motor had arrived sooner.
Before and after pictures:
03-15-2015, 03:05 PM
#4
Pro
I don't think you'll be able to let them shine more. They look like OEM 
~ The Eagle ~
---------------------
'96 Polar Silver/Black C4S, manual, litronics, LED's in the positioning lights, alu/leather shifter & handbrake,
silver face gauges with alu rings, hardback sport seats, full leather interior, motor sound airbox, stainless door sills,
valve caps Porsche crested brushed alloy, front protection bar, with split rear grill and layered with Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax
__________________
'92 Carrera 2 (Sold)
'89 Carrera 3.2 (Sold)
~ The Eagle ~
---------------------
'96 Polar Silver/Black C4S, manual, litronics, LED's in the positioning lights, alu/leather shifter & handbrake,
silver face gauges with alu rings, hardback sport seats, full leather interior, motor sound airbox, stainless door sills,
valve caps Porsche crested brushed alloy, front protection bar, with split rear grill and layered with Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax
__________________
'92 Carrera 2 (Sold)
'89 Carrera 3.2 (Sold)
03-16-2015, 01:04 PM
#7
Rennlist Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
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If you plan on buffing any aluminium parts, you will find that it is a lot easier to polish. By the results you got on steel, you should be doing ok on alloy. Just watch it, it does react differently when putting pressure on the pad.