[Dwight]

a buddy of mine polished my Ford alternator for me several years ago. I bet it took him a week to do it.
years later it crapped out. I bought an alternator and took both to a alternator repair shop and had them to exchange the case.

Cleaned it up and put it back in my Cobra. Bobby had to many hours into polishing it to just throw it away.

I polish a lot of aluminum parts but it's hard to get a Chrome like finish because the aluminum is so soft and easy to scratch.

I do clear coat most of my aluminum.
I replaced an aluminum water pump because it looked dirty on my Cobra motor. I clear coated the new pump and it looks good years later.
On some aluminum I just bead blast it and clear coat because polishing it so time consuming.

Dwight