Hey Folks, I'm looking into the best way to restore a set of GSL-SE rims. The rims I am currently using happen to have this white scratchy film all over it which I think is the clear coated torn up pretty bad. I just wanted to confirm this and wanted to also find out what the best way to go about restoring these rims would be?

This entire car is nothing more than a personal hobby / project car I picked up from a neighbor's garage that I have been restoring

 

Use something to remove the clear coat (paint stripper), buff out the rims and then reclear coat them.

 

Any specific paint stripper I should look for or anything general? Also with buffing, I have turtle wax polishing compound and that mother's alluminum polish. Any thoughts on which would be better to use or maybe something entirely different?

 

I use either aircraft stripper or Jasco paint remover then use a pressure washer to blast it all off. Then you can either get some buffing compound from the hardware store and a buffing pad to put on your electric drill or if you have a bench grinder you can use a bigger pad. Then after you cut thru the crap you will use a lighter compound for polsihing.

Or you can just get the clear off then use some mothers mag.

 

Ok I have both rubbing compound and polishing so I will grab a buffing wheel from the hardware store for the drill and use the rubbing compound first then polish it. Can I just use the DuraColor paint can to re-clear coat it after all the buffing?

 

Aircraft stripper will peal the the skin off of your bones, HAHA just kidding but it works really good.

 

Don't recommend rubbing compound from T-Wax for wheels, get the right stuff from the hardware store.

Also don't reclear them, just use mothers to maintain the finish.

 

Gotcha, glad I asked What about the polishing compound from turtle wax or should I get that seperately from the hardware store also?

 

Hardware store.

 

As the DOCTOR Said..aircraft Stripper..It's made specifically for Aluminum.I did A set of Ist Gen MX-6 Wheels with TAL aluminum Stripper,and the results were Fantastic.the Clear came right off.NOTE: wear a Mask and do it in a Well ventilated area.This stuff is Super strong and the Fumes are Unreal!(but on the other hand,It works!)..Oh I got mine at NAPA.

 

I use the Aircraft Stripper in the spray can, good for small jobs. If the corrosion hasn't pitted the polished aluminum too deeply, Mother's wheel polish and thier buff ball may bring them back. If they are pitted too deeply, then you will need to start wet sanding with 400 grit paper and work up to 2000 before polishing.

The sanding is a job and I only recommend it for **** people with a lot of time on thier hands.

If you don't clearcoat them, you will need to keep up with the wax and polish. Otherwise, Eastwoods sell a product called Zoop Seal that is supposed to be good for 2 years, it's not cheap.

 

Exactly what everyone else has said, use the aircraft Stripper. Yes, do it in a well vented area, wear some rubber gloves and old clothes/shoes incase of spillage.
After that the mother billet polish should shine them up nice but if you want a little more shine (I did) I used a 800 grit and then a 1200 grit on the lip to make it look like chrome.

After all that work I did not reclear coat it but ended up having to maintain them the next 3 months until I decided to shoot them with clear coat again. After that it was just wash with soap.

Good luck, post pics when your done.

 

if you get tired of trying to get that aluminum polished go to autozone pick up a can of duplicolor wheel paint heres how mine turned out

 

get them chromed https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/chromed-se-wheels-405654/
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ghlight=chrome

 

Holy crap, both of those rims look great! Now I need to decide what route to take... decisions decisions...

 

dude get them chromed! those look bad!! only reason i didnt is cuz i had the 5 bucks for the can of paint and not the money 2 get them chromed..

 

My GSL-SE wheels have the same clearcoat problem. All I do is wipe them down periodically with a rag with a little WD-40 on it and they look good as new...seriously.

 

Well as it turns out a few of these rims are pitted too badly and after really going at them with aircraft stripper, they are going to need some "special" attention. The buffing helped a little but the pits are really overshadowing the whole finish. My question is... if I start wet sanding, won't it remove that "machined" surface the wheels come with as stock (not that I mind)?

 

well see that all deppends on how **** you get on your wheels you take it down in one spot you got to do the rest. My sugestion either have them chromed or sand blast them down to a resonable place to work with then wet sand to 2000 grit and polish for desigered finish.

 

Just buy my set of Se wheels, they have already been polished once before and do not have any pitting on them. It would take minimal work to make them shiny again or you could buy my bench polisher and polish them to look like chrome. See attached before and after shots of a rim that i did.

 

Oh, now those are what I'd be all about if I had an SE.

 

how often do the wheels get swapped out on this car? these are like, the 3rd style of chromed rims i have seen on it. does look sexy though