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Refinishing factory wheels

Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2002 4:23 pm
by MAJ28
what was the problem with the center caps?

-Jason

Refinishing factory wheels

Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2002 5:38 pm
by Guest
For some reason, I believe it's the alloy, they are harder to maintain.  I'm thinking that they are a softer metal alloy than the wheel itself.  More prone to corrosion.

As far as the pictures go, my digital camera has shot the $hit.  I'm looking to borrow one and should have the result's shortly.

Refinishing factory wheels

Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2002 7:22 pm
by Chris88CL
No, GTZ centercaps are plastic.  Cant be chrome dipped due to temperatures and cant be chromed electrostatically due to the fact that they dont conduct electricity.  You could buy chrome spraypaint, but it doesnt look the same

Refinishing factory wheels

Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2002 10:42 pm
by MAJ28
I have a few questions...  if I were to try to do this to my Indy rims:

A.  Would this take off the paint?  Can they easily be repainted?
B.  How do I get the lip of the rim fixed, I curbed my passenger side ones pretty badly, they're missing about 1/8" of lip.
C.  Do my tires absolutelly need to be removed to do this?


I'm talking about just refinishing not chroming...

-Jason




Refinishing factory wheels

Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2002 12:05 pm
by Guest
My bad, I was commenting on "GTU" center caps not "GTZ's".

MAJ - To answer your questions, here  you go:

Indy wheels are pretty much the same as the GTU, they are a directional wheel, with the insets painted the color of the car.  I would not recommend trying to do this proceedure with the tires on the wheels, reasons 1)  allot easier to handle & 2) you will have to mask off the tires to prevent the stripper from geting to them.  If you ever painted anything before and masked it off, you know the common problem...it will bleed under the tap thusforth ruining the tire.

Question 1 - Automotive stripper and aircraft stripper are basically the same thing...extremely potent semi paste strippers.  Whatever they touch, they will remove.  Your best bet is to strip the entire wheel and start from scratch.  After you go through whichever refinishing proceedure you choose, make sure you get a good metal wash.  Eastwood makes the "Metal Wash" concentrate.  You can also use a product called "Total Prep" from Advanced Auto Parts (online if you don't have one around).  Once you clean the wheel afterbuffing, sanding, blasting...whichever you choose, the metal wash will remove all contaminents for your final finish, whether you polish, wax or paint.  Then all you have to do is mask off and paint your choice of colors with automotive aeresol.

2)  You can only get it fixed to an extent.  You cannot add metal to a wheel, but try to blend it in to where it is not as noticable.  I'm thinking you should go ahead and get a new (set) of wheels.  Check with Phatone on this board and see if he still has some GTU's for sale.

3)  Answered earlier - definately recommended!

Remember, unless you are dead set on keeping the factory wheels, you should weight the costs here.  You can get much better looking aftermarket wheels, starting at under $400 - $500.  I just finished my "refinishing" project last night and will be getting the last (2) tires mounted today.  All in all, here's what I have spent so far - $70 @ Eastwood, $20 to remove all the tires, $80 to mount and balance all the new tires...and oh yea - $20 for a center cap from Phatone = $190.00 total.  All together, it took me about 20 hours to complete (on and off & give or take a few hours).

If anyone wants me to post the process to refinish your wheels utilizing Eastwoods kit, let me know.

Refinishing factory wheels

Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2002 1:36 pm
by MAJ28
Thanks for all the detail it's much appreciated, however I can't afford to get a new set of rims.  I was wondering if I were to take it/send it to a place that does remaning of wheels if they would have a method of addind metal to the lips?

Also would it be possible to just sand through the clearcoat so that I don't have to repaint the wheels?

Thanks in advance,
-Jason

Refinishing factory wheels

Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2002 3:14 pm
by Guest
they might be able to weld more aluminum on, and then grind it down... Just guessin here.
QuasarCorsica

Refinishing factory wheels

Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2002 6:19 pm
by MAJ28
Yeah I just asked my dad about that, and he's a machinist and he said that it is possible to probably just weld more aluminum on...

-Jason

Refinishing factory wheels

Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2002 10:24 pm
by Guest
Well, if they can just weld it on and grind it off, good luck!  But, that sounds like a lot of $$ just to fix (1) rim, not to mention (2).  I know that around here, just to have a wheel refinished (not repaired) to the "factory" spec's, you barely get in the door @ $100 per rim.  I could only imagine what it would cost to have one repaired also.

Good luck!

Refinishing factory wheels

Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2002 10:52 pm
by MAJ28
yeah, I know a welder that likes me though... hopefully he'll hook me up.  If not i've got a friend that works at a welding place.  My dad's a certified machinists, but doesn't have any equipment... so we'll see what happens.


-Jason

Refinishing factory wheels

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2003 1:48 pm
by Guest
Quote (BallisticGTU @ Dec. 04 2002,5:07)Quote (BerettaGT/14ASEcerts @ Dec. 04 2002,3:04)I would use a chemical stripper to strip the wheels of the clearcoat, wetsand them with 500, then 1000, then 1500 grit sand paper to gt an deep scratches out, then polish with the dremel and a polishing pad using a aluminum polish such as mothers. Once finished and polished clean and re clear coat them and they will look as god as new.
It's a good idea, but then You'd definitely lose the circular rings that the GTU/Indy wheels has. I've never seen the result of this process on a GTU wheel.  Anyone has pics?
Hey Ballistic, just wanted to let you know that I did not lose those circular rings that you were refering to!  The Eastwood kit I used, only polished the wheels surface, not removing that much material!

Gee, I wish my camera was fixed, that way I could post pictures to show ya'll how it came out!  Put it this way (if I could get you all to envision) imagine the stock GTU wheels, new from the factory, with a polished not chrome look.  As in you could see yourself in them like you would in aluminum foil (the shiney side), but not clear enough to count your nose hairs!