Alloy wheel refurb
#1
Posted 13 August 2006 - 02:50 PM
My alloys looked like this when they were new...
http://www.minispeed...p;id=starmag-wd
However I've bought them second hand and they've not been polished for a long while..
What is my best bet for:
a)Cleaning them
b)Polishing them up to their original shine
c)Retouching the black paint where it has begun to chip off??
Or would I be better off getting a pro to do them? If so who in the North West and how much?
The wheels have never been curbed/scuffed so it would be a shame to get rid of them for a new set.
Cheers for your help all..
FG.
#2
Posted 13 August 2006 - 03:54 PM
#3
Posted 13 August 2006 - 04:27 PM
I stripped the paint and lacquer off the front side, because that was the worst. I got a large steel tray, a tin of nitromors, and went for it. Use an old brush and dont be stingy with the nitromors. The lacquer comes straight off, but the paint takes a little more effort. use an old knife or something to scrape the corners where its hard to get with a brush. Also, a scouring pad works well for this. Quite often, the alloy corrodes under the lacquer, making it impossible to get them shiny. When you have got them stripped, wash them well with water to get rid of all traces of nitromors and let them dry.
With some fairly fine sandpaper, start to clean up the bits you need to polish, until theres no grotty looking bits left. Use progressively finer paper until its all a light silver colour. Then use autosol to polish them right up. For the painting, hammerite should be fine, as it isnt really on show. For doing spokes on minilites, I used halfords car spray, and then clear lacquer on the paint. I left the alloy bare, so I can polish it properly. Heres the pics of what they looked like when I started, and at the end:
And yes, it is possible to get 4 7x13s on the back seat
#4
Posted 13 August 2006 - 05:38 PM
Afternoon all...
My alloys looked like this when they were new...
http://www.minispeed...p;id=starmag-wd
However I've bought them second hand and they've not been polished for a long while..
What is my best bet for:
a)Cleaning them
b)Polishing them up to their original shine
c)Retouching the black paint where it has begun to chip off??
Or would I be better off getting a pro to do them? If so who in the North West and how much?
The wheels have never been curbed/scuffed so it would be a shame to get rid of them for a new set.
Cheers for your help all..
FG.
NOOOOOOOOOOO
hi there i'd go for the pro to do them as there really nice wheels seems a shame to wreck them with a bit of paint
nice jobTis your lucky day! I just finished doing my 7x13s today, so heres how I did it:
I stripped the paint and lacquer off the front side, because that was the worst. I got a large steel tray, a tin of nitromors, and went for it. Use an old brush and dont be stingy with the nitromors. The lacquer comes straight off, but the paint takes a little more effort. use an old knife or something to scrape the corners where its hard to get with a brush. Also, a scouring pad works well for this. Quite often, the alloy corrodes under the lacquer, making it impossible to get them shiny. When you have got them stripped, wash them well with water to get rid of all traces of nitromors and let them dry.
With some fairly fine sandpaper, start to clean up the bits you need to polish, until theres no grotty looking bits left. Use progressively finer paper until its all a light silver colour. Then use autosol to polish them right up. For the painting, hammerite should be fine, as it isnt really on show. For doing spokes on minilites, I used halfords car spray, and then clear lacquer on the paint. I left the alloy bare, so I can polish it properly. Heres the pics of what they looked like when I started, and at the end:
And yes, it is possible to get 4 7x13s on the back seat
#5
Posted 13 August 2006 - 06:06 PM
#6
Posted 13 August 2006 - 07:53 PM
Out of interest, did you finish them with a protective wax or something....I want them to last for a while before they need doing again...
I'll have a scan around my area and chase up some prices, then depending on the old free time/cash flow balance I'll decide which way I go...
Cheers all.
FG.
#7
Posted 13 August 2006 - 08:12 PM
#8
Posted 13 August 2006 - 08:32 PM
#9
Posted 13 August 2006 - 08:55 PM
#10
Posted 13 August 2006 - 09:18 PM
#11
Posted 14 August 2006 - 05:32 PM
How much does it cost to get the tyres off and then put back on?
#12
Posted 14 August 2006 - 05:38 PM
Good Job Vanman, My 13 x 7's look just like yours did. I think i'll do mine white.
How much does it cost to get the tyres off and then put back on?
i was told u can do it with them still on! put loadsa grease on the wheels, spray ur alloys them wipe off them grease! the grease will protect ur wheels from the spray paint
#13
Posted 14 August 2006 - 06:13 PM
#14
Posted 14 August 2006 - 06:18 PM
altho i dont think so as the mechanic at the garage told me to use nitro morse and he knew i was going to be keeping the tyres on!
but im not overly sure, would wait for someone else to say for certain
but with the grease, he also said putting grease on any of the alloy that u dont want spraying would protect that aswell! like if u wanted to keep the rims the original colour? if that makes sense
Edited by minipixie, 14 August 2006 - 06:19 PM.
#15
Posted 14 August 2006 - 08:39 PM
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