I just bought a dc 4-1 header stainless steal, it has been used so I wanted to polish it back up again. So before I polish it, what grit of sandpaper should I use. And is there anything I could spray on it so it don't turn back to that gold/blue look ? I tryed searching and got 2 post about it, and I heard that blue away works well, do you just rub this on or buff it in ? Any tips or suggestions, thanks.

p.s sorry about error in the subject line.



[Modified by 90blackcrx, 1:37 AM 2/10/2003]

 

I wouldnt use sandpaper if anything I would use like an SOS pad or scotch pad?? Or even steel wool I would think sandpaper unless it was real fine would scratch it up too much. Also if you want something else to polish with it would take a while but get a dremel and use the polishing tips that they have for it those work great as well not for clearing anything off but for polishing atleast.


[Modified by Vinceg99, 1:51 AM 2/10/2003]

 

Well for polishing it up, I have an attachment that goes right onto my drill.

 

yeah that would work for the big areas but the dremel is great for the tight areas!!

 

Yes I also have the dream and I will use it in tight areas, can I use any polish with the dremel or does it have to be the onts they sell ?

 

I haved used all sorts of polishes and waxes and even cleaners with the dremel it worked well with all of them. But be pre-warned if its something that is really runny use the slowest setting at first I was using some wicked cleaner and kind of turned up the dremel too much and ended up tasting all of the cleaner didnt taste very well either

 

Ok thanks, so what about keeping them that color ? Any ideas ?

 

I dont think that there is a way to stop it thats just what happens to SS when its heated up there is always an almost rainbow effect on them even if you look at the older show cars theirs are always that color as well, its just from the heat.

 

whoa dont polish it with anything gritty. sos pad anything like that. best would be a fabric. if you've ever polished something its like a fabric, u use wax blocks wit it.
like the way u polish aluminum u use high speed wheels with some sort of material, that is no abrasive really. its more the compound you are polishing with. the wax/clay stuff. i shouldn't really be saying cuz i cant specify it. ive just seen it done and the material that applies the wax/clay compound is soft.

and the rainbowish color is the actual steel changing. the color is throughout the steel now in the heated area. it wont polish away.

 

I was saying an sos pad to remove any of the corosion or anything like that. I wasnt saying use the sos pad to polish it up and also an sos pad wont scratch it either I used it on my like luggage rack on my Corvette and it cleaned off all of the rust and stuff and didnt scratch it one bit.

 

dont bother doin it .. guarantee it will look crappy again in first couple times you run your car. did it already and was a waste of time it looked brand new till like i said a few days later

 

I might not, but I might. But the reason I said sand paper was, I thought I was suppose to scuff it up alittle so the polish would have something to stick to ? I was told if I ever polish my tail lights to scuff them up alittle so would'nt it be the same for a header, or was a told some shitty information ?

 

Well think of it this way when you polish your rims or even wax your car would you scuff them up so that it sticks? The purpose is to make whats there shine and you shouldnt have to scuff anything up if anything using a wax or bug and tar remover would be the best way to do it than you get everything off and just the polish/wax would be on it.....

 

wax wont do **** to it nor will the best polish you have you have to break the surface to get it off stainless steel or get a high speed buffer if its as bad as my buddies was it will be alot of work for what it looks like now.

 

My friend polished his and it broght back the shine, and that blue away I hear works well to.