on the outside, around the windshield, it is slowly turning black could i take a steel wool pad and get that off? or what are other suggestions?

 

Wait, isn't it supposed to be black? I wouldn't polish it if it were me. I don't think it would look right. I would just paint it black.

 

What color is your car ? In any case, I would suggest either painting it the same color as your car (for the monochromatic look) or spraying it with trim black, since that goes with anything.

Metal polishing to a true shine will require much more than steel wool and elbow grease. Then afterwards will require protection from rust, etc.

 

Yes, steel wool should work well. I've also done that before. You can also get that metal shiner to bring it out after the paint is off.

 

Paint it trim black. It does not look good polished.

 

Msst of the black paint has come off mine, and I plan to take the rest off. It looks like chrome or nickle underneath. Anyway, it's not rusting...

- David

 

It looks better black unless you like the **bling**

 

Chrome is old shool. Depending on the color of your car it may look cool. Use 4 Zero "0000" steel wool.

 

It's stainless. You could shine it up. BTW it was painted black from the factory. And I would use something like #0000 steel wool or you'll scratch it bad.

 

Its is a 1979 SA, Silver

Edit: added pics

 

The metal is stainless steel. You can shine it pretty good, but it looks better painted semi-gloss black, as original.

 

If you polish them. I am going to find your car and paint them fluorescent pink,lol.

 

here's how they look

Perosnally i like it especially on that blue car ... another option that i've been consider myself which few have done also is paint them same color as car

 

That doesn't look bad at all, but the chrome on the wheels and the door handles on the blue one help set off the window trim. Polished trim by itself is not that attractive, imho.

 

Can those be powder coated?

 

Yep.

 

Just take them off, rattlecan it if you don't really care. Or you can take them off and tell the paint guy to spray them when they do a black car. Do the wiper arms also while you're at it!

 

This trim is stainless steel, and if polished to a good shine, will never dull or tarnish. I would avoid the steel wool or other abrasive means of paint removal. If you use paint stripper like I did, it is already pretty shiny, just needs some polishing on a good buffing wheel. Don't try to do it on the car.

If you want matching door handles, the handles on the early (78-80) GLC are the same part, but chrome plated. I think the photos of that blue car show that the polished trim can look really good with the right color scheme. My car was bright red. I also had silver wiper arms and chrome bumpers, because I was going for the "old school" look as someone called it.

 

I saw that pic a while ago and was wondering what the bumpers came off of. My guess is British and the big rubber pieces must be 74 or later. Bumpers don't look bad and do add a British touch to a Japanese car.

 

i think that it looks best in black like the factory painted it....then again im going to be using ford blue on mine and see how it looks against a black body ( the wiper arms, plug wires, air cleaner are all ford blue and even my engine bay is blue )

if i don't like it then i will strip it down to the stainless finish and paint it black

 

BTW stillettoman i really like the front end on that one

 

Blue, sorry, I would have to say no on that one. If that's the way you want to go, do one piece, like the vertical one that divides the windshield and door window. That way, if it looks as bad as I think it will, you will only have 1 piece to redo. A very dark blue/black might be more appealing.

 

i deffinately planned on doing just one piece first to test it, and i agree if it looks the way im thinking it might then its deffinately going to be a no go, but i MUST try it so that i at least know...and honestly i was going to test in photoshop before i did anything

 

Photoshop will give a general idea, but you won't really know for sure until you do it for real. Sounds like you have a plan, execute it, and post pics, whether it turns out good or bad.

 

will do