Hi All,

Im new here and I'm working to bring back my 85 GSL. I have the SE wheels but they are in terrible condition and I wanna bring them back. Please reply with some tips and info.

-cliff

 

400grit wet/dry sandpaper - a hose - and a heck of a lot of elbow grease! The se wheels are 2-piece, the outer lip is steel and should not need to be polished. Use a file to smooth down any curb rash on the steel part.

 

my friend took his to wheels america, and they came out looking new.

 

I did mine up real nice. They were coated with a layer of primer under a layer of cheap silver paint... (eww)

Pressure wash first then sand sand sand... once your fingers feel like they are all broken you should be half done. Taking them in would be a good option too, if you can spare the cash.

Once I reach ten post's I will post some pictures of before and after.

 

When I refinish wheels I start with 400 grit. I remove any and all clear coat and/or paint. If I find a stubborn area I will use 320 or even 220, however if you use either of those you will need to resand that area thoroughly with 400. After 400 I use 600, then 800, 1000, and 1500 or 2000 if I have it handy. Sometimes 1000 is enough. Then I use Mothers or Meguiars Aluminum Polish, and polish, and polish, and polish until I can see a flawless reflection of myself. I personally prefer Mothers Aluminum polish, you can buy it at any parts store. It is painful and tedious to do, but well worth it. There are pics of a set of wheels I restored in my '1st gen wheel identification' thread.

 

Am I the only one that noticed he plans on running GSL-SE wheels on his GSL?

 

i should mention the wheels america wheels were not polished on the inside, they kept the lathe turned finish, they literally look like you ordered a new wheel, which has been done, but isn't an option anymore

 

Yes but if he does all this work and then finds the bolt pattern is different he can swap to the SE suspension if he hasn't already. or sell the se wheels for some $

 

I asumed he already has done the suspension swap.

 

yes, i swapped the motor suspension and wheels from an SE

 

thanks for all your help, very informative