Aluminum trim will look pretty shabby after years of spending time under your hood not receiving any attention. Such was the case with my junkyard rescue '90 LSC SE. But restoring aluminum trim is a snap!

The 5.0 HO plate was looking VERY shabby! The black paint had all but flaked off and the aluminum was extremely dull and rough. I was able to restore if with items I had lying around the garage. Total working time was about 4 hours.

Next is removal of the remaining paint and years of corrosion. Wet sanding the plate is the easiest and fastest way to make the surface smooth. I had an assortment of sand paper, so I started with a sheet of 1200, followed with 1500, then ended with 1800.

Wet down the plate and your sand paper and sand back and forth following the grain of the "raised areas" of the plate. Periodically wash off the plate and paper with water.

Keep sanding with each sheet of paper until it no longer cuts. You'll be able to tell when you no longer see black material wash off the plate. I used a piece of "Scotchbrite" pad to clean up the letters and the ribs.

With the sanding completed, follow up with some of your favorite metal polish. I like Simichrome, and just happened to have some in my detailing cabinet.

With a clean cloth, polish the plate with a back and forth movement like you made with the sand paper. Keep polishing until you are satisfied with the sheen of the raised surfaces.

Grab a firm bristle brush, such as a toothbrush, to scrub the polish from the letters and the ribs. Paint will not stick to these areas if polish is in these areas. Scrub until all is removed.

Find some flat black rattle-can paint and apply two thin coats of flat black paint, paying particular attention to the ribs and the letters. Make sure you have coverage in those areas; paint on the raised areas will be removed later. Allow to dry.

Here's where it gets tricky. Soak a rag or paper towel in some lacquer thinner, being careful not to have lacquer thinner dripping from it. Lightly wipe the rag back and forth (similar to how you sanded the plate) to remove the paint. Keep wiping with a clean side of the rag, flipping it over when it becomes contaminated with paint. I ended up using two paper towels. Be careful not to wipe in the ribbed area or in the letters, and be careful not to drip any lacquer thinner in these areas. The object is to remove the paint on the raised areas while leaving the paint in the recessed areas.

Once the paint removal is complete, using VERY minimal polish, clean the raised areas again with the polish being careful not to get any in the recessed areas. Once you are satisfied with the sheen, follow up with 2 light coats of clear coat.