CSwanson

Hello- What clear coat is best to use after I fix the curb rash on my Z16 polished wheels? Just the touchup bottle with the small brush kind?
thanks
Craig

$$$frumnuttin'

if it is truly a polished wheel, you should be able to skip the clear...reason is it will look worse if you try to add a clear layer to a small area....better to simply buff out the raw aluminum from time to time. The visible edge will be way less obvious this way, and there is no risk that the surrounding gloss or spray pattern is different from the rest of the wheel.

hotwheels57

I had one small place on my Z16 wheels that the previous owner scraped. The aluminum had slightly oxidized. I sanded with 1000 grit, polished it with WENOL, then applied a light application of clear nail polish. That was four years ago. No further application has been required. I'd dare say no one has ever noticed it.

Nail polish can be removed and re-applied easily. It's brush on, so it's easy to apply to build up to the area around it. No over spray or masking is involved.

A small touch up bottle of automotive clear coat paint (DUPLICOLOR) should work just as well. Clean the area with alcohol, sand/polish if necessary and apply.

SaberD

i disagree. i have some wheels with a polished alum lip that got some rash on my beater, and they looked much better after repairing with clear coat. i just used a rattle can and taped it off. it will also look better if you wet sand with some 2000 grit and polish after. the brake dust sticks to the bare aluminum so much easier than the clear coat, that after just a few days, the bare spot sticks out like a sore thumb.

Z06Electron

See this is where people get messed up, because they are afraid of painting. There should not be any difference between the repair and the surrounding area because after it dries you are going to wet sand the entire repair and over spray areas with 2000 and then 2500 grit sand paper.

The wet sanding is what is going to blend everything in together. From what I have read 2 part clear coat spray is the most durable and is approx $20. You can try some 1 part clear and worst case scenario repaint in a year or two. Good luck.