Black look, Chrome look

[brown911]

Hi guys, I have a 1974 Bitter Chocolate 911 that is due for a tidy up, it currently has the black look window trim, which has worn through in places. Just wondering what the best method is to restore the black look, or is it possible to strip it to the chrome look? The same question is also asked with regard to the windscreen trim.

Thanks.

[dipso]

That is going to be a tough choice, black or chrome. Keep in mind your mirrors, rims, headlight trims, doorhandles,rearview mirror. Probably more.
I thought about this for a while as well and decided to keep mine aluminum. The blacked out look is *****en and I wish I had it but with my car color I think it is better chrome.

Black on Brown could look cool.
Oh man, I feel for you. Tough decision coming on.

Lots of posts though, I remember seeing a nice black on brown before.

[Fishcop]

Welcome to the board, don't forget to post a picture of your car. And there is also an Australian/NZ forum on the board for 'local questions'

It's important to realise that both finishes are actually anodised finishes applied to the aluminium. Either finish is not cheap to reproduce but a yellow pages search of anodisers should find someone that can do it. On your colour, I think the chrome finish would be really striking.

Cheers

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Funny you should bring this up. I also have a '74 (originally Mexico Blue, currently black, will eventually become Mexico Blue again). Somewhere in its history a previous owner almost certainly painted over a lot of the trim bits. I suspect it was done at the same time the car was painted black (whenever that was). I have spent the last couple of months restoring the trim to its original chrome/metal, including the vent window surrounds, the targa bar, the door handles, the windshield & back window mouldings, the headlight surrounds, etc.

I believe that in '74 only the Carerra models had the black trim pieces based on this bit of literature I picked up (a 1974 sales brochure from Porsche):

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads11/signage100001_resize1190244177.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads11/signage100002_resize1190244195.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads11/Table+011190244929.jpg

I'd also recommend this thread (there was some discussion in it about this matter recently):

Is there a 74 style, black flag mirror?

Bottom line is I'm fairly certain that only the Carerra models for '74 had the black trim available as an option, so if you're interested in "period correctness" I'd probably suggest the chrome. That's not to say it NEVER happened, and the ROW cars may have had slightly different options, but I'd tend to think the trim pieces for your car should be chrome.

Also, chrome just LOOKS a lot better on a brown car than black trim does. Just my opinion, but I'd think you'd want the chrome pieces just for looks.

Un-painting the trim pieces is a lot of work but it looks good when done. Check this thread for some progress pics of my own car I posted a while back:

Targa Progress Pics #1 - "un-pimping" the window trim

[brown911]

Thanks for the replies, so are the window frames anodised aluminum or anodised chrome (if there is such a thing)?

Fishcop, where do I locate the Aus/NZ forum?

From what I can tell my car has the black look (front / rear windscreens, door trims and door handles), but the headlight rims are chrome. The mirrors are cheapies that will be replaced.

Cheers

[the]

If your car came with chrome originally, it would have steel trim. It is a very solid, heavy chrome plated steel.

If your car came with black originally (which is unlikely), it would be anodized aluminum trim.

My guess is your car has steel, chrome plated trim that was painted black at some point.

[brown911]

I will have to learn to post some photos for all to see! The inside of the door frames has excellent chrome and looks very solid. What does the black look inside door frames look like (black or chrome)?

Cheers

[Fidalgo911S]

Another member on this board, AshEvan, has a bitter chocolate '74 911S with chrome trim. Looks really nice. See if you can find a picture of his car. That may help you decide (chrome).

[Fishcop]

The Aussie forum is here http://forums.pelicanparts.com/new-zealand-australia/?daysprune=

Anodising is an extremely hard, almost 'ceramic' surface finish applied to aluminium. Basically for 'chrome' they polish the raw aluminium to a mirror surface before anodising to protect the lustre. For the black look (as I understand it) they use an oxide in in the anodising process to leave a dark anodise coating.

So basically speaking there is no true chrome in what you're dealing with. The only chrome I can think of on the 911 is the headlight rings and door handles. There was never any 'heavy chrome plated steel trim' on the big bumpered 911.

Also, do you have the standard 911 or is it a '74 Carrera?

[the]

Originally Posted by Fishcop

There was never any 'heavy chrome plated steel trim' on the big bumpered 911.

Sure there was. I've owned and restored a couple from the '70s, including having the steel trim taken down and rechromed. Most definitely was NOT aluminum trim, but was chrome plated steel.

[Fishcop]

Originally Posted by the

Sure there was. I've owned and restored a couple from the '70s, including having the steel trim taken down and rechromed. Most definitely was NOT aluminum trim, but was chrome plated steel.

What parts? The window frames and trim, window seal trim, early engine grill are all ALUMINUM. You can chome aluminum - but the factory anodised it. I don't know about bumper and sill trim as I don't have it, but I have worked with everything else.

I look forward to being proven wrong on this one...

[Fishcop]

Might be some light shed here...

Polishing window frames? 68 different?

I maintain that the '74 trim is alumnium

[the]

Originally Posted by Fishcop

What parts? The window frames and trim, window seal trim, early engine grill are all ALUMINUM. You can chome aluminum - but the factory anodised it. I don't know about bumper and sill trim as I don't have it, but I have worked with everything else.

I look forward to being proven wrong on this one...

Don't know what years you are referring to when you say "early." And I'm not 100% sure about the '74.

But my big bumpered 78 and 79 both had factory chrome plated trim. The coupe door window frames, windshield locking trim, etc.

I personally removed all of it myself, consulted with my plater, and had it replated. It was definitely, 100% certainty, NOT aluminum, but some kind of steel with a standard heavy chrome plating on it.

[Fishcop]

I was refering to early cars as the pre-impact cars (<74), but the link I posted does indicate that around 68 and earlier the trip could have been steel/chrome. Is your car a targa, or maybe had some replacement parts from an older car? Edit: I read you have two... Well that has me stumped. I've never seen steel/chrome trim on the later cars, only alloy/anodise coating.

At the risk of sounding condecending (and I honestly don't mean to be), are you sure you're we're talking about the same thing? there are some platers that also anodise/anodize metals based on the effect you ask for. I've done a number of searches on the board (a no doubt you've done also ) and I keep coming up with threads that back the aluminum/anodize combination.

Hope we haven't scared you off Brown911?

Cheers

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Don't be put off, the fact that Pelicanites will debate ANY topic ad nauseum is only indicative of how passionate we all are about these cars.

I've literally seen entire threads go on for days about the correct colors of screw heads here.

[Fidalgo911S]

My '74 is anodized aluminum. It is a true statement that the trim on the later cars is aluminum. I think most say "chrome" because it's shorter and easier to type; "clear anodized aluminum" is a mouthful.

However, the trim on my previous 65/66 was clearly chrome. I believe the base metal was brass.

[the]

My 78 and 79 may have been brass, I'm not exactly sure. But it was definitely not aluminum, was way, way too heavy when off the car, and was chromed using standard chroming methods. I've also picked up the aluminum versions, and they are probably half the weight. Very noticeable.

I don't know if the metal trim is ferrous or not (will a magnet stick to brass?). P-O-P has a 74, maybe he can brave STORM WATCH 2008!!!!!!!! and risk his life to go outside and take a magnet to his door trim and see what happens.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I'll check it when I go downstairs later, but looking at the disassembly pics I posted above it certainly looks like some sort of alloy or brass underneath the chrome plating. . .

[brown911]

Thanks for the replies, looks like I'll have to get a magnet! Eitherway I'll still need to determine the appropriate way tidy it up.

My car is a standard 74 G body 911 fitted with a 930/10 SC engine and mag cased 915 with 7/31 gears. Also has 15" by 7" Fuchs. I've had this car since 2000, it's registered, but needs a tidy up. The bitter chocolate has grown on me!

Cheers

[Fidalgo911S]

I found the picture of AshEvan's car. Bitter chocolate suits a G-series well.