ALUMINUM TAILGATE PANEL RESTORATION

[Ray Cecil]

Aight. School me on getting the "purdy" back into an aluminum tailgate panel. My F250 will be back in a few weeks and I'd like to get the tailgate panel ready.

I have one tiny little dent I should be able to lightly hammer out with some wood blocks and a body dolly.

I bought new "FORD" chrome emblems.

Also, the red strip is ok, but could use some cleaning. Is there a way to polish the plastic to a new shine?
 Thanks

[Gary Lewis]

What I've been told is that once metal is dented it is stretched and getting it to go back into the same place it was before requires shrinking it.  Some have said they use dry ice to shrink the metal.

I've not tried it, but I have tried to take small dents out and have been very frustrated as the dent seems to come back sooooo easily.

And that aluminum panel will show marks pretty easily, so I'd do some research before banging on it.  But maybe others know how to do it?

[81-F150-Explorer]

It will never be perfect, but you can take dents out of metal.

I've taken dents out of the aluminum trim around the wheels housings of my truck. It will mark easily using metal tools. What I've used is rubber tools and soft wood blocks.  Hardwood is even too hard and can mark the surface.

The stretching and shrinking will also be noticeable, but should be less noticeable than the dent when done right.

Sometimes you have to say...  That's enough.

As for the red plastic piece. I believe it's the same plastic that the taillights are made out of.  If so I've found that "3M Lens and Hard Plastic Cleaner" works well to clean them up.  Then use 3M plastic polish to seal them.  

You will need to do it again after awhile, but it does a pretty good job.

[mat in tn]

tis noble to strive for perfection yet foolish to expect to achieve it. find your balance.

[Ray Cecil]

Gary, thanks for the advice. This panel was the best one I have been able to find. I'm sure if I remain patient, I'll find a better one, but this one isn't horrible.

I think the dent is barely visible.

Was there a factory clear coat put onto these panels over the alum?

[Ray Cecil]

81-F150-Explorer wrote

... What I've used is rubber tools and soft wood blocks......

Sometimes you have to say...  That's enough.

As for the red plastic piece. I believe it's the same plastic that the taillights are made out of.  If so I've found that "3M Lens and Hard Plastic Cleaner" works well to clean them up.  Then use 3M plastic polish to seal them.  

You will need to do it again after awhile, but it does a pretty good job.

Great advice. I'll definitely take it easy....might even leave it alone. It seems this panel might be coated with a clear??? I'm thinking maybe I can strip the clear and reapply???

[Gary Lewis]

They are anodized.  So you have to be careful polishing them as you can polish through the hard but thin layer of anodizing.

Good luck and show us pics along the way.  

[Ray Cecil]

mat in tn wrote

tis noble to strive for perfection yet foolish to expect to achieve it. find your balance.

Yes. Agreed. I've never had a truck I really was totally proud of, and this one is my first really nice truck that I'm in love with. So, going to take a little more time on it. Not like Gary's dads truck, but will for sure be a nice rust and dent free truck.

[AmericanSavage]

Ray Cecil wrote

Aight. School me on getting the "purdy" back into an aluminum tailgate panel. My F250 will be back in a few weeks and I'd like to get the tailgate panel ready.

I have one tiny little dent I should be able to lightly hammer out with some wood blocks and a body dolly.

I bought new "FORD" chrome emblems.

Also, the red strip is ok, but could use some cleaning. Is there a way to polish the plastic to a new shine?
 Thanks

On aluminum get one of those special polishing bottles—I use on my Harley, and it turnes the aluminum black, but keep going and polishing, and it will shine.  I use Diamond.

On plastic:  Again, I use this on the Harley and on helmet plastic face coverings—NOVUS.  It is a three step system, and works great—removes scratches and everything.  Need to use 5000 grit sand paper with it to work.  Can be ordered from Amazon.

[Ray Cecil]

AmericanSavage wrote

Ray Cecil wrote

Aight. School me on getting the "purdy" back into an aluminum tailgate panel. My F250 will be back in a few weeks and I'd like to get the tailgate panel ready.

I have one tiny little dent I should be able to lightly hammer out with some wood blocks and a body dolly.

I bought new "FORD" chrome emblems.

Also, the red strip is ok, but could use some cleaning. Is there a way to polish the plastic to a new shine?
 Thanks

On aluminum get one of those special polishing bottles—I use on my Harley, and it turnes the aluminum black, but keep going and polishing, and it will shine.  I use Diamond.

On plastic:  Again, I use this on the Harley and on helmet plastic face coverings—NOVUS.  It is a three step system, and works great—removes scratches and everything.  Need to use 5000 grit sand paper with it to work.  Can be ordered from Amazon.

Thanks. I need to get the bike out soon and do some pre season maintenance and cleaning. Might get a new helmet this year.

[81-F150-Explorer]

Yes there is a anodized coating over the aluminum parts on our trucks. It states in the owners manuals not to use chrome or abrasive cleaners on the chrome plated or aluminum trim.

People have used oven cleaner to strip the coating off of their aluminum pieces, so they can polish the tarnished metal underneath. I've never tried it though, so I'm very hesitant to recommend it.  

There is a aluminum clear coating that you can buy for wheels and parts after stripping and re-shining the metal to seal it. Again never tried them.