jbust

iTrader: (16)

These rims are C2's racing hearts 19x8 fronts and 19x9 in the back coated flat black, anyway i did this last night for almost Four hours and almost finish.. all i need is to polish the lip.

step 1 = jet remover (buy the biggest one you can get) apply it with a paintbrush all over the rims for 10 minutes.

step 2 = hose it down! if you have a pressure hose it would be better.

step 3 = i bought the set of wheel paint , that includes clear coat and primer paint (pep boys or autozone should have these) I also bought 400 grit , 800 and 100 sand papers for sanding/ polishing the lip..

here are the pix of the project last night ( before and after)

im gonna post the pictures again when i finish.

cost = rims + tires from a crackhead $400
misc = $47

jbust

iTrader: (16)

more pix

the paint that i used is graphite, it has little metalic flakes on it really looks nice upclose.

purerx7

iTrader: (61)

that looks AMAZING, can you go more into detail with how you did it, especially what you did with the different grits of sand papper? I need to refinish the rims on my car.

jbust

iTrader: (16)

start with 220 grit sand paper to
remove the anodizing from every where that you want to shine. What is important
is to go always in the same direction with the sand paper strokes. Try to go with
the existing "grain" of the metal. Removing the anodizing is a long pain in the ***
process. You will have no fingerprints left after polishing. From 220 comes 320 to
remove the scratches left from 220. I recommend wet sanding all the grits. Wet
sanding will help to keep your work area clean and it makes a big difference with
the higher grits. The grit sequences I use are as follows: 220, 320, 400, 600, 800,
1000, 1500 and if needed 2000. Doing the whole rim by yourself with a good
part of everyday dedicated to it will take just over a week. If you don't mind
investing some money into this project buy an orbital sander. This will greatly
reduce the polishing time and wear on your fingers. When you have completely
removed all the anodizing and pits, redo 220 by hand to remove all the swirls left
by the sander. If you decide to use the sander only use it for the first grit. The
only "trick" involved is not to get into a rush to complete it. I really cannot stress
this enough. If you do not completely remove the scratches left behind from the
previous grit you will always have scratches visible. Whenever I think I am
finished with one grit I always go over that same area again one more time with a
fresh piece of paper to ensure I have all the scratches out. I recommend to keep
using the same piece of paper until it is smooth so you are using it to gradually
remove the scratches left from a fresh piece of paper.
You asked about coating it to avoid oxidation. I have seen people who have tried
to clear coat a polished lip with little success. I am not a painter but the way it
was explained to me is that the polished lip is now very smooth. Special paint
is needed so that is will actually stick. The ones I saw painted looked very dull. If
you have any success with this I would appreciate any knowledge gained. Up
keep of a polished lip is not difficult though. I use a metal polish called
"Mother's" but I have used a product from Europe called "Wenol" that was also
good. When I get caught in the rain I just dry the frame and swing-arm to prevent
any drops leaving rings when they dry. And when I clean the rims I just go over
it with the metal polish to bring back the mirror shine.
I hope this babbling letter helps you. Time for me to go grab another beer for success. I hope that you do polish your rims the way you want it. I believe it adds to the pride of ownership. Plus it is great to see the
look of other people when they see your rims. Best of luck to ya!


john

note: my rims are not finish yet, but soon to be.. i will post the pics of the Rims installed on my FD with the old look to new look..

jbust

iTrader: (16)

new pics from the weekend.. not done but i just wanted to check how it looks on the car.. check it out!