Thanks for the feedback and the kind offer. A couple of days ago I was thinking a replacement piece was going to be the only solution. Things are looking much better at this point. Judging by how long it’s taken so far I figure I have at least another 5 hours to go as well, just removing dents before the polishing can start. No idea how long the polishing will take, but it should go easier with new compounds and buffing wheels.
Next step will be sanding and polishing the upper right trim. I want to confirm it looks corrected under a fully polished shine before moving on to dent repairs in the lower pieces.
So far I’m reasonably impressed with the results, being this is the first stainless trim I’ve ever attempted to repair. I never needed to repair any previously. Years ago I simply selected pieces that were in perfect condition, because everything was readily available and relatively inexpensive. I kick myself now
for specifically not wanting the trim back in the 1990’s when mint examples were common in the local wrecking yards. At the time I preferred the simplicity of the black gasket, and obviously lacked future vision.
My wife and I searched through what seemed like and endless supply (hundreds) of 1960-66 trucks in local yards at the time, and I only bought what I needed. Back then they were whole trucks, not stripped carcasses. Believing this bounty would last forever, left behind were dozens of Chevy deluxe instrument clusters, floor shift and automatic steering columns, floor pans, door panels, original radios, deluxe switches and knobs, etc. None of it was particularly interesting or worth investing in to haul home at the moment.
If only!
I’ll probably wait until next week before working on the trim again. It’s currently cold and damp, but next week is supposed to bring sunlight and 70 degree temps, which I’m really looking forward to.