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Is the aluminum trim nickel plated? 140-160

posted by  someone claiming to be Ajb164 on  Tue Sep 24 22:01 CST 2024 [RELATED]

I tried to sand some of the “chrome” aluminum trim on my 164 to remove scratches. I removed the scratches AND apparently some sort of coating. Could this be a nickel plating, or is it actually chrome plated? I’m thinking of using nickel electroplating to restore the look and durability. Any other suggestions?








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    Is the aluminum trim nickel plated? 140-160

    posted by  142 guy on  Fri Oct 25 09:58 CST 2024
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    last visit: Wed Oct 22 20:18 CST 2014
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    Which pieces are you talking about? I have a 1971 142; but, recognizing that the grill and headlight treatment is completely different I expect that a lot of the trim pieces are the same.

    The grill on the 140 is aluminum and on my 142 E the surround of the grill was polished aluminum with what might have been a clear finish which on my car is history. It might have been anodized. The early 164 grill insert was cast aluminum with the later cars having a molded plastic insert. I know this because I had a friend who briefly owned a 164 and had an oops with the grill. He had an original cast aluminum grill. It has been many years; but, my recollection was that the crumpled aluminum grill did not look chrome-like. It looked very much like the polished aluminum on my 140 which might have had an anodized finish on it.

    The molded plastic grills have a chrome like finish on them. At the time of the 164's construction, this was probably a sputtered aluminum finish which was polished to provide a high shine; but, the color is definitely different than chrome.







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      Is the aluminum trim nickel plated? 140-160

      posted by  ajb164 on  Mon Nov 4 16:12 CST 2024
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      I'm specifically looking at a couple of aluminum trim pieces on the rear quarter windows. I'm not sure if the coating is anodizing because it shines to a mirror finish when cleaned up (except where I wore it through with sandpaper).

      I bought a chemical (electroless) nickel plating kit to see how close to the stock look I can get it.







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        Is the aluminum trim nickel plated? 140-160

        posted by  142 guy on  Tue Nov 5 08:59 CST 2024
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        last visit: Wed Oct 22 20:18 CST 2014
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        I have a 142 so I definitely do not have that rear 1/4 window. However, the frames around the door window and the frame around the pop out rear 1/4 window are aluminum and definitely not plated. It might be a satin finish clear coat of some kind; but, I suspect it is anodizing. Anodizing is a chemical treatment on the metal surface and not a coating. It does clean up and shine using metal polish and I seem to recall that the rag had a black oxide on it after polishing which clear coat would not do. The 164 being more up-scale may have had a different treatment.








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          Is the aluminum trim nickel plated? 140-160

          posted by  ajb164 on  Tue Nov 5 14:46 CST 2024
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          On my 164, the trims around the door windows and windshield are all polished stainless steel. It does leave black smudges on rags when polished. For some reason, the rear 1/4 windows and the rear window all got aluminum trim. I'll have to check to see whether there is any residue after cleaning up those pieces.








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            Is the aluminum trim nickel plated? 140-160

            uid 37336's pic
            posted by  B20Paul. on  Sun Feb 2 09:17 CST 2025
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            last visit: Mon Oct 20 10:54 CST 2014
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            What year? Upto 1973 the window frames are polished aluminium & the rest is polished stainless. 1974 got downgraded to stainless steel clipped on a steel frame like 240's have.







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              Is the aluminum trim nickel plated? 140-160

              posted by  ajb164 on  Mon Feb 3 14:08 CST 2025
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              The model year is 1974. Everything is polished stainless steel except for the trim around the rear 1/4 windows and the trim on the back of the car. I also thought the aluminum trim was simply polished until I polished through a layer of top coating while restoring a piece of the rear 1/4 window trim. That top coating is not paint. It is either an anodized layer or a plating of some sort.

              -Adam







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                Is the aluminum trim nickel plated? 140-160

                uid 37336's pic
                posted by  B20Paul. on  Mon May 26 23:07 CST 2025
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                last visit: Mon Oct 20 10:54 CST 2014
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                Aluminium develops it's own protective petina over time, primarily it' just aluminium oxide. If you have to weld aluminium, this has to be gotten rid of with a stainless steel brush first because it has a higher melting temperature then beneath it. Learned this in the 1980's when I did my Apprenticeship.

                The trim parts that were stainless & are downgraded to aluminium in 73-74 models demonstrate quality going backwards. 240's in general are junk compared to early 140-164 & the P1800 & the 120's.






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