Anodizing or not?!?!
 

The trim and wheels on my 77 911S are a medium gray color, and I have no reason to believe this not original. Is this anodizing? I always thought anodizing a more chrome like in appearance?!? The reason I ask is: Some of my passenger side trim has turned a darker brown in color, and I need to know how I can match it to the rest of the trim?!!? If I strip it, will it be bright instead of gray if polished or re-anodized and not match the rest of the trim and wheels? Thanks for any help here! RB
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1396236848.jpg

Hard to tell from this photo, but it's possible the brown color is faded black anodizing, which would suggest your trims were originally black. Porsche did bright anodizing as well. Having them all redone is very expensive (over $1k)

40K mile car (documented). Trim, wheels, and paint all original.

Your positive it is all original? I am not the authority but I am reasonably sure a '77 S would have been chrome trim. Door handles, door tops, window door window and quarter windows. Bright anodized aluminum trim in the windshield and rear window rubbers. Except for the Carrera which would have been black trim. I am not positive above the Fuchs on an S. The 77 Carrera would have had black anodized centers. Is it possible someone updated the trim?

After taking a second look at the picture I can tell you the trim is not right so it isn't original. That car would have never had bright windows and black door handles. I think the headlight rings are wrong also. I think they should be bright as well. Painted rings came later. 1979 or 1980 I think? I don't think flag mirrors were available in 1977 either.

Post your question in Tech for more definitive answers.

The headlights are sugar scoops - I think painted is correct for '77. The black handles clue me in that the trim is likely faded black anodized as I said before.

I understand the headlights are sugar scoops but I think in 77 they were chrome. I think they were either replaced or painted. I also don't think the door handles are original. If you look the door top is also black. But the piece under the rear quarter window appears to be silver. In addition the quarter door window and rear quarter window are silver. I think pieces have been changed out.

I am pretty sure 77 the trim was silver except for the Carrera which was black anodized..

I just noticed two more things about that car that don't appear to be correct for an all original 77S. It looks like it has sport seats and the peeling paint on the front fenders. That looks to be failing clear coat. A 77 would not have had clear coat. It would have had a single stage paint.

Black77USS can you post better pictures?

your right with the trim on the car it has been changed out along with many other parts of the car . it is far from how it was delivered from the factory .
as for rims they too are not as they should be at all . they did offer different types of finishes on rims but not what you have on the car as a option .

I bought the car from the original owner's estate, so I can't ask him. He had removed the thermal reactors and replaced the 5-blade fan. I have the original seats that I replaced with the sport seats. The missing paint is from the primer (white) lifting off of the galvanized body after setting out in the weather for several years!?!! There is no clear coat or indication the car has ever been repainted, and it is a black color coded car. I actually was not too interested in the car when I first saw it because of the paint, but my mechanic pointed out the low mileage. The fact that the dash was not cracked, the carpets were very good, and all of the leather except the bottom of the seats being cracked, was in great condition, the fact that I could buy it for $1,500 may have influenced me in buying it!?!? {:>)

The car is in a shop out of town right now getting exhaust backdate, tensioner update, oil leaks attended to, and other general maintenance, so I can't post better pictures right now. Thanks for all of the input! RB

RB- I am not trying to beat up your car. Just trying to help answer your question. You stated "40K mile car (documented). Trim, wheels, and paint all original." Who ever told you it was all original was wrong.

So what is it you would like to do with the car? Restore it to original or black out the trim?

drcoastline - how are you certain of this? My '75 came with painted sugar scoops and black anodized trim. I don't know for sure that those are original, however I find it unlikely that someone would have made that change. My black anodized trims are so faded that in photos they look like bright anodized.

Black77uss - I looked at a quote I received to strip, polish and bright anodize my trims: $2200. Depending on your budget, you may just want to paint them black.

I am certain to the extent that your 75 and black77USS cars are middies (1974 to 1977). They were all bright trim except for the Carrera models which would have been black anodize. I can guarantee you your 75 was not factory in black unless it was a Carrera. Porsche changed from bright trim to black on all models in 1979 I think. By 1980 for sure. It was very common for people to update earlier cars to the 1980-89 look. either by replacing the trim or painting it. That is why it is very hard to find a 911 in any configuration that has not been altered. Even many of the "special cars like 73 RS's have been altered to some degree. There have been parts made to make long hoods look like impact bumper models. It is not unusual to have a bright trim car blacked out. I did it to my 74 in 1984. I have now changed it back. You need to look and know what to look for.

Blacking out trim was very common in the 1980's. Your '75 would have come with bright trim. Your sugar scoops would have been chrome as would your door handles, door window trim and rear quarters. The anodized trim would be the aluminum in the windshield and rear window rubbers and parts of your Fuchs if you had them. Your wiper arms would have been black. Maybe your faded trim is bright trim with a few coats of rattle can black paint that has faded away?

But why wouldn't they just paint the trim? Seams like a lot more work to change out door handles, windshield trim, side window trim, etc. They would have to remove the windshield and rear window to change that trim. I just don't buy it.
And you have not said how you are so certain. You're telling this guy his car is not as original as he thinks. Are you remembering from the mid 70's? Or do you have specs from these cars?

I'm searching online for early sales brochures, and from what I have found so far, I'm beginning to agree with you! Wish they left the bright trims on mine!

I know because I have been smitten since my 10th birthday in 1974 when I got a model of a 73 RS. The early cars were bright trim. The 73RS was the first Porsche street car to incorporate black anodizing. The mid year cars were carry over years to incorporate the new US regulations, bumpers and emissions basically. Everything else remained the same.

Do a test. They may have left it on the car. It was far cheaper and easier to paint the trim then to replace it. That's what I did to mine back then. That could be why your black trim looks like bright trim. Tape it off and put some paint stripper on it. if it comes off it isn't anodize its paint.

anybody on the site doing aluminum polishing AND anodizing.? have a bunch of stuff that needs to get done. Thx

I'm certain it's anodized. In fact, I've been trying to strip my door handles with Easy Off (lye) - no luck so far.

Yes! His name is Vik - if you do a search in the for sale/wanted section you'll find him. I'll see if I can find the link.