Last May I bought a 1982 RX-7 that has the original wheels, which I really kinda like. unfortunately, the clear-coat has seen better days, probably 10 - 15 years ago. Is there a way to chip, peel, or dissolve the original clear-coat from the wheel, then have it reclear-coated? (yeah, reclear-coated; it's not really a word, but you get the idea)

 

I think you can use airplane stripper to remove the clear. Then maybe have them resprayed with clear?

 

if you want to do it yourself, use fine grit sand paper(1500-2000 ish) to remove the chipped clear coat. Then really polish the wheels using a rubbing compound and a lot of elbow grease, and clear coat it yourself. I used U-POL Clear #1 in a can when i refinished some wheels and it worked great, it has a nice gloss finish, and has UV protectant. Just make sure you wear a mask, that clear coat has some harsh stuff in it that you don't want to breath in.

Good Luck!

 

Sanding off the clear is WAY too much work. Aircraft stripper is the way to go!