Wipes the sweat from his head, and works the soars out of his shoulders....
Man what a process! It definitely takes a long time to get it done guys, but let me tell ya, it looks fantastic! Here are pics of the final product:
http://www.5thgenmaximas.com/russmax...vc%20polished/
Now I just need to reinstall it
HAHAHAHA. I gave up after a few times under the hood. I took another used one to a plating shop and they polished it for me for $95! So I was like heck let them do it! I could never get it to look this good.
Man what a process! It definitely takes a long time to get it done guys, but let me tell ya, it looks fantastic! Here are pics of the final product:
http://www.5thgenmaximas.com/russmax...vc%20polished/
Now I just need to reinstall it

HAHAHAHA. I gave up after a few times under the hood. I took another used one to a plating shop and they polished it for me for $95! So I was like heck let them do it! I could never get it to look this good.
for a brand spanking kick a@@ new 2002 3.5 liter 6 speed Maxima SE in October?
That's the rumor I've heard. Looks really good on the polishing!
Ken
That's the rumor I've heard. Looks really good on the polishing!Ken
Quote:
Originally posted by Ken
for a brand spanking kick a@@ new 2002 3.5 liter 6 speed Maxima SE in October?
That's the rumor I've heard. Looks really good on the polishing!
Ken
hahahahahahaOriginally posted by Ken
for a brand spanking kick a@@ new 2002 3.5 liter 6 speed Maxima SE in October?
That's the rumor I've heard. Looks really good on the polishing!Ken
Quote:
Originally posted by Ken
for a brand spanking kick a@@ new 2002 3.5 liter 6 speed Maxima SE in October?
That's the rumor I've heard. Looks really good on the polishing!
Ken
Originally posted by Ken
for a brand spanking kick a@@ new 2002 3.5 liter 6 speed Maxima SE in October?
That's the rumor I've heard. Looks really good on the polishing!Ken
Like I said, I am serious about keeping the car...and that is why I am going into it alot!

Quote:
Originally posted by Greg's2kGLE
Very nice Russ!!!
How are you driving it without the valve cover? Or do you have an "extra" car?
It's a used vc, another. I will swap them out tomarrow night most likely..Originally posted by Greg's2kGLE
Very nice Russ!!!
How are you driving it without the valve cover? Or do you have an "extra" car?
Senior Member
Quote:
Originally posted by RussMaxManiac
It's a used vc, another. I will swap them out tomarrow night most likely..
Did you get it from a wrecked Max and for how much? What are you going to do about the side of the engine that is polishable?Originally posted by RussMaxManiac
It's a used vc, another. I will swap them out tomarrow night most likely..
Senior Member
Looking good! May I suggest that you clear coat it before you reinstall it. I have talked to others that have polished theirs and found that the aluminum starts to oxidize almost immediatley. I sprayed mine with 500 degree clear engine enamel right after I did mine a little over 2 years ago, and it still looks great.
I cured the freshly painted part in my oven at 225 degrees for an hour. Once it cooled, the paint was as hard as a rock! However, you should run the oven at 500 degrees for 15 minutes afterward, or your wife's cooking will taste like Krylon.
I cured the freshly painted part in my oven at 225 degrees for an hour. Once it cooled, the paint was as hard as a rock! However, you should run the oven at 500 degrees for 15 minutes afterward, or your wife's cooking will taste like Krylon.
Quote:
Originally posted by yo_its_ok
Y pay someone to do it ???
Man, some blood sweat and tears and your underhood could look like mine....Nine7Max has seen my underhood, and it was all done by hand, polished sides, tranny dipstick tube, oil dipstick, radiator supports, AC Lines, all hardpipes going around the motor, hood struts, started on the TB, and on brake master cylinder.
All done over 6 weeks, endless nights, and $5 in wet sandpaper, lots of rags and $5 tub of Mother's Aluminum, Mag Polish.
i been wanting to start to do that...
i use mothers polish as well... hmmm
wet sand paper you say... have to try that
-Peace
Originally posted by yo_its_ok
Y pay someone to do it ???
Man, some blood sweat and tears and your underhood could look like mine....Nine7Max has seen my underhood, and it was all done by hand, polished sides, tranny dipstick tube, oil dipstick, radiator supports, AC Lines, all hardpipes going around the motor, hood struts, started on the TB, and on brake master cylinder.
All done over 6 weeks, endless nights, and $5 in wet sandpaper, lots of rags and $5 tub of Mother's Aluminum, Mag Polish.
i been wanting to start to do that...
i use mothers polish as well... hmmm
wet sand paper you say... have to try that
-Peace
Quote:
Originally posted by yo_its_ok
Start out with 800 grit, work to 1000, 1500, 2000 grit til its nice and smooth and starting to show some signs of polishing out...dry it all off...take some mothers on a rag and start working out....MPNY has 13 hour sessions in a garage doing this....check out NY96MaxSE's Motor....or 1HOTMAX's Motor...even Maxima97GLE's Motor...I'm polishing out the TB and Brake Master Cylinder, so I won't be done for a while. MPNY Project: Radiator Support Fully Polished...yeah something sick like that...
-Peace
Originally posted by yo_its_ok
Start out with 800 grit, work to 1000, 1500, 2000 grit til its nice and smooth and starting to show some signs of polishing out...dry it all off...take some mothers on a rag and start working out....MPNY has 13 hour sessions in a garage doing this....check out NY96MaxSE's Motor....or 1HOTMAX's Motor...even Maxima97GLE's Motor...I'm polishing out the TB and Brake Master Cylinder, so I won't be done for a while. MPNY Project: Radiator Support Fully Polished...yeah something sick like that...
-Peace
ok.. i will start that this weekend....
ps.. i know you know how to polish......aka boots and such...
i kinda do too..

I ran out of patience... And I could not find anyone who carried any better than 600grit wetsand paper. I still have to work on my timing chain cover and other stuff myself.. :P
Quote:
Originally posted by yo_its_ok
Y pay someone to do it ???
Man, some blood sweat and tears and your underhood could look like mine....Nine7Max has seen my underhood, and it was all done by hand, polished sides, tranny dipstick tube, oil dipstick, radiator supports, AC Lines, all hardpipes going around the motor, hood struts, started on the TB, and on brake master cylinder.
All done over 6 weeks, endless nights, and $5 in wet sandpaper, lots of rags and $5 tub of Mother's Aluminum, Mag Polish.
-Peace
Originally posted by yo_its_ok
Y pay someone to do it ???
Man, some blood sweat and tears and your underhood could look like mine....Nine7Max has seen my underhood, and it was all done by hand, polished sides, tranny dipstick tube, oil dipstick, radiator supports, AC Lines, all hardpipes going around the motor, hood struts, started on the TB, and on brake master cylinder.
All done over 6 weeks, endless nights, and $5 in wet sandpaper, lots of rags and $5 tub of Mother's Aluminum, Mag Polish.
-Peace
Senior Member
Russ -
Definitely consider what sinewave said - if you don't bake a coat of high-temp clear, the cover will look bad in under 2 weeks.
For the rest of the parts, you could use a 6" bench grinder with a buffing wheel. You can buy a new one for under $75.00 and save yourself some blisters.
Definitely consider what sinewave said - if you don't bake a coat of high-temp clear, the cover will look bad in under 2 weeks.
For the rest of the parts, you could use a 6" bench grinder with a buffing wheel. You can buy a new one for under $75.00 and save yourself some blisters.

Senior Member
Quote:
Originally posted by sinewave
Looking good! May I suggest that you clear coat it before you reinstall it. I have talked to others that have polished theirs and found that the aluminum starts to oxidize almost immediatley. I sprayed mine with 500 degree clear engine enamel right after I did mine a little over 2 years ago, and it still looks great.
I cured the freshly painted part in my oven at 225 degrees for an hour. Once it cooled, the paint was as hard as a rock! However, you should run the oven at 500 degrees for 15 minutes afterward, or your wife's cooking will taste like Krylon.
Absolutely!! I polish rice rockets all the time. Once polished, unless cleared becomes a high maintenance item!Originally posted by sinewave
Looking good! May I suggest that you clear coat it before you reinstall it. I have talked to others that have polished theirs and found that the aluminum starts to oxidize almost immediatley. I sprayed mine with 500 degree clear engine enamel right after I did mine a little over 2 years ago, and it still looks great.
I cured the freshly painted part in my oven at 225 degrees for an hour. Once it cooled, the paint was as hard as a rock! However, you should run the oven at 500 degrees for 15 minutes afterward, or your wife's cooking will taste like Krylon.
