[PlaneJob]

In the airplane world polished aluminum is considered one of the ultimate treatments to give an airplane.

The Insight is almost all aluminum right? could we polish it? what about polishing some racing stripes into it?

anyways, this is my first post, i hope to buy an Insight tonight or tomorrow - I am sure I'll be around.

 

[Delta Flyer]

While the main body is aluminum, the wheel covers, the undersides, and bumpers are plastic. Polished aluminum might still look good.

 

[Guillermo]

A red or blue Insight with a polished aluminum roof might look really nice, like a MINI.

 

[Yves M.]

Front fenders are also plastic

yves.

 

[Lawson]

And it would take repolishing fairly often to keep the metal looking polished. A lot harder than just applying polishes and waxes.

 

[PlaneJob]

nah - polish it and shoot clear coat!!

 

[flunkysama]

Look at page 1-15 in the Body Repair Manual. There is so much plastic on the exterior that if you do polish the AL parts it will look like a bad two-tone paint job. Remeber the DeLorean?

 

[Aaron Cake]

Look at page 1-15 in the Body Repair Manual. There is so much plastic on the exterior that if you do polish the AL parts it will look like a bad two-tone paint job. Remeber the DeLorean?

And what about the DeLorean? It was brushed 304 stainless, not aluminium.

 

[flunkysama]

I cited the Delorean because they tried to paint the plastic nose to match the bare metal of the car. IMHO, It looked ugly (The nose paint, not the car).

The exterior plastic bits painted body color on the insight are the front and rear bumper covers, the front fenders, the rear wheel spats, the rocker panels, the rear view mirrors, the cover of the A pillar that goes up the roof and the hood mounted nozzles. Get out photoshop and picture of an insight, paint these parts a contrasting color. I don't think I'd like the results. Face it, the body is almost as much plastic as AL.

 

[Aaron Cake]

Actually, at first they tried to match it, but found they couldn't even get it close. So they went with a standard grey. Personally, I like the look though I will be painting mine entirely black (the bumper, not the car).

 

[jerrydelrey]

Has anyone tried to polish the hood?

 

[jerrydelrey]

The Miata guys have been polishing there hoods for a while now. Polishing the aluminum hood This guy said he didn't even clear coat it. He just polishes it every 6 months.

 

[Insightlover2011]

The store I bought my CF vinyl from, has aluminum, chrome, and gold finished vinyl. So, that maybe the way to go if you want the look without the hassel. I thought of the same thing too, but didnt realize how much plastic there is.

 

[atikovi]

Would be much better to chrome paint the whole car like Justin Beiber did to his Fisker.

 

[jime]

Tremendous amount of exterior plastic. Not mentioned so far are the overdoor moldings. Perhaps the hood and roof would be a nice touch. Hard for me to visualize.

 

[Insightlover2011]

Would be much better to chrome paint the whole car like Justin Beiber did to his Fisker.

Thought about that too, but that chrome plating process is very expensive. Even the new painting technique is expensive. But a chromed Insight with matching wheels would definetely look cool.

 

[jerrydelrey]

I was just thinking polish only the hood.

I don't want to hassle with replacing the vinyl.

I was reading the thread, and it looks like alot of work.