quote:

How come?

Are they aluminum? If so, you probably need to wet sand for about a week first. They also may be anodized.

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Originally posted by noble97monarch:
My paint guru says no good way to paint polished aluminum. It would need to be scuffed up which would ruin the shine.

He's right.

The more highly polished the surface, the more help it needs for paint to stick.

In aircraft, we used a chemical etch instead of scuffing. Phosphoric acid based. Smelled like peaches. Can't remember the name. Vinegar works, too, if you would rather smell pickles than peaches.

There are self-etching zinc chromate primers out there that do it in one application. Boat shops often sell the Dupli Color brand.

I had a friend who painted a brand-new airplane part without etching. He was a super painter, but no aluminum experience. The paint literally fell off after a week or so.

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Originally posted by Bill N.Y.:
I tried to polish my bumpers... all I got was something akin to a Nickle Finish. How come?

Some Barth bumpers are not solid aluminum, but are plated.

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all I got was something akin to a Nickle Finish. How come?

Bill, if your bumpers are like mine, they're extruded. Because of the molecular grain of the aluminum in
the extrusion process, virtually no amount of reasonable surface prep is gonna give you the final finished surface of rolled aluminum stock that's been polished. Options: Be happy with clean, uniform, satin finish, or hit Lotto and have them triple-struck with copper/nickel/chrome plating