A-Pillar question for Superbirds and Daytonas

[wingedone]

4 questions please. 

1)  What material are the A-pillar covers made of?

2)  What do you use to clean it?

3)  What do you use to protect it (polish?)

4)  Is there anything that we should not use (solvent wise) to clean or protect?

Thank you much.

[nascarxx29]

1)  What material are the A-pillar covers made of?.   They are stainless steel

2)  What do you use to clean it?. Non Abrasives cleaners would be my suggestion.Check with a car care poilsh supplier .For auto stainless cleaners

3)  What do you use to protect it (polish?).I used past car wax .But that was then

4)  Is there anything that we should not use (solvent wise) to clean or protect?

.

[Wildman]

Thomas is that you?

[hemi68charger]

2)  What do you use to clean it?. Non Abrasives cleaners would be my suggestion.Check with a car care poilsh supplier .For auto stainless cleaners

3)  What do you use to protect it (polish?).I used past car wax .But that was then

.

On cleaning and polishing, I would use Never-Dull................... Works great...........

Troy

[wingedone]

Thomas is that you?

Yessir.  How ya been? 

[wingedone]

2)  What do you use to clean it?. Non Abrasives cleaners would be my suggestion.Check with a car care poilsh supplier .For auto stainless cleaners

3)  What do you use to protect it (polish?).I used past car wax .But that was then

.

On cleaning and polishing, I would use Never-Dull................... Works great...........

Troy

Thank you and NASCARXX29 for your input.

I have the blue and red Wenol polishes.  Are either of these unsafe for this metal?

[Hemi_tyme]

Thomas is that you?

Yessir.  How ya been? 

Wow Great to see your both still kickin 
Winger Are you trying to polish trim or buff out scratches?
Ken

[BigBlockSam]

I would use Never-Dull..

  yep

[wingedone]

Thomas is that you?

Yessir.   How ya been?  

Wow Great to see your both still kickin  
Winger Are you trying to polish trim or buff out scratches?
Ken

Just polishing.  Wasn't sure of the material and some of the products I have for metal polishing say: "Don't use on this or that" and I didn't want to do any damage.

I had them professionally buffed several years ago and am now in just maintenance mode.

All input is appreciated.


Oh, one other thing.  Is the stainless a layer or is the cover a solid piece of stainless?
I am obviously not a metalurgist.

[pandamarie]

Wenol works great on stainless. to protect them I use a carnuba based wax, I call it pink wax because thats what it looks like and it goes on in direct sun light and comes off with ease. smells good to. wont leave white on any of your black semi glass paint either.
I have used it on my 39 V12 Packard and won three concourses with it and a number of other awards, not bad for a 16 year old restoration that gets driven to shows.

[superbirdtom]

just polished mine with 3m superduty buffing compound and a circular flex 50 buffer.it took out minor scratches and looks like a mirror used wool pad. it turned out great then finished with some stainless steel polish then waxed it.did it right on the car plastic bagged off car then cut holes in plastic and masked around pillars so compound would not splatter on car. keep buffer moving do not stop and polish in one place.

[xs29j8Bullitt]

1)  What material are the A-pillar covers made of?.   They are stainless steel

Hmmmmm...  How  sure is everyone that the A-Pillar mouldings are made from Stainless Steel.  The last Superbird set that I acquired was taken off a car in about 1980, and had chroming peeling off both of them.  So I checked them with a magnet, and the result was very strong attraction.  I realize a 400 series SS might be somewhat attracted by a magnet, but not to the extent observed... IMO.

I checked two other sets of original mouldings... same strong attraction.  I then checked Larry's SS repros... little or no attraction (300 series SS )

What do the experts think... get the magnets out and check yours!  

XS

[Aero426]

Mine on the car are stainless for sure.   I have a pair of Superbird ones for sale and they are also stainless.

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Mine on the car are stainless for sure.   I have a pair of Superbird ones for sale and they are also stainless.

Are they strongly attracted by a magnet Doug?

[FJ5WING]

I have a mix of standard and phillips screws attaching mine.

Can someone tell me what hardware should be used to attach them?

[nascarxx29]

For the superbird I recall apillars being secured by phillips

[Hemi_tyme]

Mine on the car are stainless for sure.   I have a pair of Superbird ones for sale and they are also stainless.

Are they strongly attracted by a magnet Doug?

Hey Allen, I just checked the 4 Superbirds at the shop and all had a magnet stick to them All the cars have original A-pillar covers..........Damn learn something new everyday, But I still have a hard time believing that it's chrome plated
Ken

[62 Max]

I polished a set years ago that were on a bird that was rolled.They must be partial stainless as I polished them on a buffer with stainless polish.Filed the scuff marks out of the tops and buffed,looked like new.I buffed the ones on my bird also,they are not plated and have not changed in 25yrs...

[70Sbird]

Mine are definitely Stainless.
I initially used Simichrome polish, followed by Mothers cleaner wax, then Meguires gold class wax
Each cover is held on with 2 phillips #10 x 3/4" I believe they are called "oval Head" screws

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Mine on the car are stainless for sure.   I have a pair of Superbird ones for sale and they are also stainless.

Are they strongly attracted by a magnet Doug?

Hey Allen, I just checked the 4 Superbirds at the shop and all had a magnet stick to them All the cars have original A-pillar covers..........Damn learn something new everyday, But I still have a hard time believing that it's chrome plated
Ken

Hi Ken, I did a little research and read that some forms of SS can be highly attracted to a magnet.  In the aircraft industry I work in the 300 series is most commonly used, and is not attracted to a magnet.  I will try to get a picture of the set that appear to be peeling in the next few days...

Allen

[wingedone]

Ok, looks like I got a great deal of help here.  Thank you all.

Good to 'see' you, Wild and Ken.   

[daytonalo]

I sell them on Ebay and are mirror stainless


Larry

[sunroofsuperbird]

Mine on my original 440-6 Car that burnt rusted after being burnt? I didnt think stainless rusted? but could be because of fire? I should have taken pic of them before I sold them? guy was going to have them rechromed?

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Below are pictures of the set of A-Pillar "air deflectors" that I purchased from someone that previously owned my C500 and a Superbird as well.  A coating of some sort is clearly peeling off, but the base material is not flash rusting... almost looks galvanized.  Might be that there were alternate methods of manufacturing allowed (a common practice).  At any rate, this is what made me wonder if the mouldings were Stainless Steel... 

[mauve66]

seems more like chrome paint or chrome process itself on those, my .02