What is the best thing to use to polish the trim around the bed. Mine has some scraches and are dull in areas, looks like it is polished aluminum? The back two ends are chrome on my 85 and they look good the rest need some work. Can you do anything with these other than replace them?

Don't know about '85, but the aluminum trim on my '73 was clear anodized. Once that fogs / hazes, you have 2 basic choices - either replace or buff off the coating completely, polish, and protect.

I haven't decided which route I am going to take with mine yet, but my body man says as long as I keep it well waxed buff, polish, protect is the way to go.

The stainless and chrome moldings respond well to the usual methods, of course.

As far as what yours are made of, I don't know the 5th gens very well. My bed trim is stainless steel, but it sounds like maybe yours isn't. But somebody else here will know...

My 78 trim was aluminum. When I repainted the truck I decided to paint the trim semi-gloss black. I lightly sanded it, used a echer-primer & then shot it. Now it's easy to touch up if needed. I did it 6 to 7 years ago & it's held up good.

On 5th generation Elkys the bed trim (except the two rear corner pieces) are aluminum. They should be buffed like you would any side trim (57 Chevy, etc.)

Hand buffing does very little good. It will improve some with simi-chrome, etc., but removing the trim (watch the clips, the rear window trim clips are hard to find. OPG has a kit for these clips), and using professional buffing tricks will make this trim look better than new.

[quote="ElkySS"]On 5th generation Elkys the bed trim (except the two rear corner pieces) are aluminum. They should be buffed like you would any side trim (57 Chevy, etc.)




The window and bed SIDE trim may be aluminum but the trim on the top of the bed that runs up over the back of the top as well as the top of the tailgate is stainless. Didn't know for sure which trim he was referring to and just wanted to clarify that part.

Thanks for the correction, I meant stainless, just like the "57 Chevy side trim"
-dan