Has anyone tried matching the fake brushed aluminum in TCs with real brushed aluminum?
I would think it would be a real job making it.Possible,though.The trim for the dash trim that goes around the instrument cluster would be the hardest.I'm happy with the factory trim myself.For real aluminum to be applied and not stick out and look,well......stuck on,may be quite a c as well.
Itd glare too much with the sun and all.
This is about the gauge plates I had made. (Can't find the post right now.)
At first I was thinking about painting them black, as that would sorta match the way the dash is designed. But since they are made from aluminum, it sorta makes sense to have the finish match the fake brushed parts.
Coming from someone that made all of his interior panels out of real aluminum, I can see what you want to do. I've tried a bunch of different things throughout the years...what I have in the convertible is my best work to date.
If you get a Scotch-brite pad and go in one direction on the plate, that gets you the brushed look. It's tricky, and you have to be sure you don't stray or else your eyes will notice something is wrong. After you brush the metal, clean it up with Prep-Sol or similar degreaser. If you want to make the color of the metal darker, a VERY light mist of spray paint (your choice of color) over the surface will do the job. Hold the panel at arm's length and just gently swipe over the metal quickly.
When you're done, use a GOOD clearcoat, but again there is a trick. What I've been using with a lot of success is Dupli-Color High Heat clearcoat. Very lightly give a coat, just so it dulls the surface. Another quick dust coat when it's tacky, let it dry, and you're done. You should now have a satin finish. What this does is prevent fingerprints from showing.
Remember that real brushed aluminum is awesome to look at, but a real mother to keep clean. Clearcoating all the metal will keep the look yet prevent dirt and dust from sticking.
Hope that helps.
Thanks Eric, that's what I was looking for. Do you have any suggestions for a paint that's a close match to the simulated?
Not really...I've always left the natural finish and just cleared it, which adds a little darkness to the color anyway. But I would imagine a grey colored metallic paint would do the trick.