Any tricks to restoring faded black anodizing?

[jmohn]

Originally posted by island911
I've seen the Sharpie pen trick on lug-nuts. It kinda looks "off" IMO. . .kinda slightly purple-ish.

Though, maybe that was Magic Marker. (?)

Same here, tried it on the lug-nuts, looks purple; and I used a real "Sharpy", I just looked at it to be sure.

Jerry M
'78 SC

[techweenie]

I have most of 'em at a friendly local Porsche shop/dealer -- 911PCC in Venice. A couple more are in various shops, and three are parked where I live.

It's a handful!

[cstreit]

Vaseline. Works wonders on Fuchs, imagine it might do the same for you.

[island911]

Vaseline Works wonders on Clear Anodize. . . .It's not likely to add black color. In fact, if you are going to try to dye the anodize, make sure it's very clean. I imagine it could get blotchy if oils are soaked into some areas.

[john70t]

techweenie, your fleet signature takes up a quarter of the page . Mabye there should be a "wannabe techweenie post".

[JCR]

What if you shot a dark grey laquer through an airbrush? Mix it very thin, possibly with acetone so it will go on a bit dry?

Tiny atomized paint particles may restore a tinted anodized look.

[911pcars]

Anodizing, as you've seen, wears away after a few years. The coating is only a few thousandths of an inch thick. For long-term color, try black powder coat. I've had it on my trim work for about 20 years and the black has stayed put. I've even had a 16 foot extension ladder fall onto the front windshield once upon a time. The window broke, the trim was bent, but the black on the trim stayed on. I straightened it out and replaced the glass. Still looks fine.

For some background info on anodizing at home, click on the "DIY Anodizing" article at http://www.early911sregistry.org/TechInfo.html

Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars

[Tom F2]

I'm not sure that these parts were anodized. Porsche also used silver oxide coatings during the 70s, until they learned how sensitive to light the silver oxide coating is. This is the faded trimi you typically see on late 70s SCs and Turbos.

Best solution for the grille, which I've seen, is painting it with a high quality (e.g., two component) trim paint. Satin black. Gives a smoother appearance than the powdercoating that I've seen, and lasts better than anodizing or silver oxide.

[echrisconnor]

I have window trim that does a nice dither from black to matte silver/aluminum. I actually like the flat aluminum look and am interested in getting the rest of the black off. I heard of a high-powered marine product (Like Omegal Chemical Marine Aluminum Brightener); it's an aluminum mast cleaner/protector. Anyone hear of this working or some other way to get the rest of the black off?