polished gslse rims...
Rotary Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,119
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
Originally posted by Frankenrex
Yup. Pretty much as puntorotary described above. Strip clear-coat. Sand with 400, sand with 600, (optionally) sand with 1000. Polish with a good wheel/aluminum polish. I like Flitz for a general metal polish. For these wheels, I used a "Cartier" metal polish that I picked up at an auto show, IIRC.
Lots of elbow grease involved. The sanding goes much better if you use wterproof paper and wet-sand. The paper lasts longer, and the water lubricates as well as keeping the debris out of the way.
I took the wheels off the car, one at a time, got it up high enough to work on sitting on a stool without killing my back, and went to work. Took a few days for all 4 of them, but I work slowly.
Yup. Pretty much as puntorotary described above. Strip clear-coat. Sand with 400, sand with 600, (optionally) sand with 1000. Polish with a good wheel/aluminum polish. I like Flitz for a general metal polish. For these wheels, I used a "Cartier" metal polish that I picked up at an auto show, IIRC.
Lots of elbow grease involved. The sanding goes much better if you use wterproof paper and wet-sand. The paper lasts longer, and the water lubricates as well as keeping the debris out of the way.
I took the wheels off the car, one at a time, got it up high enough to work on sitting on a stool without killing my back, and went to work. Took a few days for all 4 of them, but I work slowly.
Originally posted by cosmicbang
Flitz is the best metal polish of the approx 25 brands I have used. Never tried Cartier though, how does it compare?
Flitz is the best metal polish of the approx 25 brands I have used. Never tried Cartier though, how does it compare?
Originally posted by 1984special
Why is it useless to sand the clearcoat? Will it not come off?
Why is it useless to sand the clearcoat? Will it not come off?
Really though, it's so much quicker to just spray the wheel with aircraft stripper from a spray can, wait 10 minutes, scrub abit, then rinse. All gone! Be sure to wear rubber gloves - that stripper does nasty things to your skin. Don't breathe it either!
RX7mall
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 222
Likes: 0
From: ft lauderdale
I was told to use Acetone to remove clear coat on my rims. brand name is Plasti-Kote. But after reading this, should i go get the aircraft paint remover?
thanks for any help.
(was told to use acetone by the guy at parts store. )
thanks for any help.
(was told to use acetone by the guy at parts store. )
Originally Posted by ssglopezvm
Got tired of heavy cleaning, Polishing, Striping, Sanding.....
For $125 per rim, I went Chrome @ calchrome.com
For $125 per rim, I went Chrome @ calchrome.com
DRAG RACING
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 389
Likes: 1
From: Puerto Rico
Originally Posted by diabolical1
for the street, i know it matters little, but how much weight did the chrome add, if any? do you know?
I had the same question... The answer is none. The same layer that comes of the wheel during the prep-process of striping, buffing, sanding, is added when chromed.
