Reply to "Are Postwar Lionel aluminum passenger cars anodized?"

I used a toothbrush for the grooves, but if I were to do it over again, I would try something else. The bristles on the toothbrush don't really scrub the car. They just sort of slide along. A lot of polish got left in the grooves that was a real pain to get out. And in the end, the inside of the grooves was less shiny than the rest of the car. Though, to be honest I'm not usually looking hard enough at them to notice that. I might try some kind of brush (not a metal one) in a rotary tool at the very lowest speed and with a light touch. Actually, before that, I think I would try a natural bristle paintbrush cut all the way down to the nub, (so that it's stiff). Just guessing, now. I can tell you that a soft rag worked well elsewhere.