Aluminium bumper
 

Hello, I have a 1969 ,164 there are quite a lot of scratches I tried polishing out the scratches with a cutting compound but there seems to be a clear coat which is very hard,has anyone else had a problem with this, (I,m referring to the bumper)

Stop doing this
The bumpers are anodized Alloy.

You will destroy this thin skin.
To get anodized alloy clean you will funderstand special products.
The scratches will stay or you destroy the surface totally.

I own bumpers made of steel, different problems with them.
Good luck, Kay

Kay is right, those bumpers are anodised from new. From experience the fronts seem to be fairly scratch-resistant, but those back ones certainly aint! It might also be age-related, as those on my '68 145 (same rear bumper) are like yours I reckon, but my later 164E ('72) are quite good.
Perhaps anodising improved over the years: I wonder if it is a costly business getting them re-plated the professionally polished - its been a long time since I visited a platers.

P

Hi Paul, this is very expensive.
Have a nice day, regards, Kay

Thanks , I’m may go down the powder coating route.

Thinks about of to live with the scratches

Cons:
-Powder coating will loose some parts if the bumbers get hit
-The shine will be different, very different.
-Would you lift your Grandma because of some scratches?

Have a nice weekend, Kay

The previous owner of my '68/9 145 had both his bumpers gloss-painted a sort of silver-grey and had the rubber insert removed (not my cup of tea I'm afraid). I swapped rear for an unmodified one from my donor car recently, and used some tyre-wall black on the rubber (dunno make - a friend let me have some) and it looks presentable (as Kay says, I can live with scratches - it will never be a concours car: if it was I'd be afraid to use it). To carefully get the small marks and beginnings of corrosion off I gently wiped it with 1200 grit wet and dry paper (wet of course) which brings out the shine. I have the front one to swap some time, so is for now wearing both types.
My '69 164 has the same problem but after all, the car is 50 years old now so once the new rear wheel arch is fitted will live with it. Its the driving experience I like, not so much the wrapping......

Paul

Thanks all

I was talking to some guys at the Beaulieu Autojumble who had bought an anodised front grill for a late MKI Ford Cortina GT. It was very straight but had quite a few small but obvious damaged areas of anodising. No worries he said, we will be having it re anodized. I wish you luck I said as the anodising process isn't a coating as such but a sort of controlled corrosion that gets a top layer added. They said they were getting it done at a company in Arundel which I assume is this one http://www.fordplating.co.uk/index.htm Perhaps a coincidence that their name is Ford.

These bumpers are simple so should be easy to polish before re anodising if that's the way to do it, so that would reduce the cost a bit. I don't know how they would polish the perforated parts on the Cortina grille but could polish the surround OK. The price for doing the grille for the Cortina might be more justifiable than the Volvo bumpers with the value of that car when restored being several times that of our Volvos.
Maybe worth talking to the company.