Hello Everyone:

As part of the restoration of my '84 Olds Toronado, I'm having the lower door, rocker and wheel lip trim restored. The reputable plating shop told me that the trim is actually aluminum with a stainless plating. Since there was some white powdery corrosion on the back, it appeared to be aluminum. However, I didn't quite understand the stainless steel part. They also said that buffing can quickly cut through the thin plating. SO..., they will be stripping these pieces & then plating with chrome.

Supposedly, GM used this type of trim in the '70s and into the '80s.

Can anyone shed light on this 'aluminum-stainless' trim? I'm trying to learn more (as always)!

Thanks,

Paul

Never heard of stainless plating.

Paul,
I "restored" a 79 Caddy Brougham that had been converted to a station wagon about 10 years ago, it had a lot of the lightweight trim you are describing. I'm no metallurgist but I assumed it was just an aluminum alloy with a harder surface or just very thin stainless. It was definitely not anodized, that would have peeled or worn through to show a base metal. I polished all the trim myself including some pretty poor junkyard pieces and had no problem with anything
"cutting through". Do not know for sure if it is the same as your Toro, you might want to put this on the OCA forum.