Polishing Grille/Bumper

[pyro]

What can I use to bring some luster back to my grille and front bumper? I bought some never dull and buffed it out with my powerball, and while it looks to have helped a bit, it didn't really do a whole lot. What did you guys have good luck with?

[Stuka]

What grill do you have?


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[pyro]

muscle

[Stuka]

Ahh, not much point in polishing that. Its a plastic grill that has a chrome-like paint on it. Would be better off waxing it I think.

[pyro]

Ahh, not much point in polishing that. Its a plastic grill that has a chrome-like paint on it. Would be better off waxing it I think.

the actual grille itself is painted black, I meant the surround. I know I can do something with that bumper too just not sure what.

[Stuka]

Ahh yes the outside is metal. The factory one that my J10 had (also muscle) was quite shiny around the outside.

The bumper is aluminum, and by then they had stopped clear coating them (I think 79 was the only year they did this). But they were not highly polished from the factory. Kind of just a mild look to em. You can actually polish them to have a chrome like finish, but you would need to put a lot of time in with a drill and a polishing head.

[lindel]

The issue with the 79 bumpers is that they were chrome plated aluminum. The chrome and aluminum didn't agree and the aluminum started to flake and peel. Especially in high-corrosion areas. Jeep went to straight aluminum after that and had much better luck.

[whsii]

The issue with the 79 bumpers is that they were chrome plated aluminum. The chrome and aluminum didn't agree and the aluminum started to flake and peel. Especially in high-corrosion areas. Jeep went to straight aluminum after that and had much better luck.

Hello Lindel,

I have heard that 79 bumpers were aluminum / chrome plated, but no where can I find that aluminum is compatible with chrome.

My 80 had a chromed bumper, which delaminated as you described, but it would hold a magnet. My new re chromed bumper also holds a magnet.

The bumper did not rust, just came apart in layers, I feel it is some sort of exotic metal mix, but still had a lot of iron in it, or a magnet would not stick.

I know that it means nothing, but I really would like to know...

[lindel]

I never tried to stick a magnet to it. I do know that whatever metal that bumper was made of didn't like chrome. I've had 2 79s and the bumpers all did the same thing.

The best thing I can tell you is to source some 80 or later bumpers. The look exactly the same, minus the chrome. They weigh about 5 lbs apiece and are very easy to remove/install. If you get bumpers off of a later year, then they'll most likely have the plastic bumpers on them.