I need to restore my 80 stock aluminum wheels. Anyone know of someone in the Houston area that can remove the anodizing and polish the wheels?

 

[QUOTE=Higs]I need to restore my 80 stock aluminum wheels. Anyone know of someone in the Houston area that can remove the anodizing and polish the wheels?[/QUOTE

On my 78 I removed the old clear coat with wet/dry 400 grit...then polished wheels...





Bottom was before...clear coat was deteriorated...think it is expensive having it done...if your slots are painted black,you can re do all yourself..just shoot black from back of wheel and save $$$

 

Do it yourself.
Get some paint stripper to remove the clearcoat, be careful and don't get it on the tire. If you get it on the tire it won't destroy it immediately, just don't let it sit there for hours....

Step2: sandpaper, 600 , 800, 1200 wet

Step 3 : polish with any available chrome polish

 

Thanks guys. I did not have any luck with the stripper so I took to an anodizer shop to have them strip the whole wheels. I will polish myself.

 

The wheels are not anodized but if you want to remove anodizing yourslef just get some caustic soda and make a 0.1 molar solution, emerge the parts for about 15 minutes, longer if need be and the anodizing should come right off, what remains isn't too hard to remove with a steel wool or scotch brite pad

 

I have tried a product called SATIN GLOSS, which I found at Carlisle. This stuff is used on motorcycle parts and it made my aluminum wheels look like mirrors. I swear by this stuff. The manufacturer is out of Murfreesboro Tennesee. Best part is you don't have to spend hours of polishing with this product.

 

You had the rare missing anodized wheels!!!!

If they were indeed anodized then someone has been playing.
But....
The shop that is REMOVING the anodizing knows better.
The only thing they are removing is some clear coat and some money from your wallet.

 

with RedBad1979. I just completed doing my wheels last weekend and they WERE in pretty bad shape. For the final polishing step, I used rubbed Mothers a couple of times. This pic was taken in a dark garage but they look great in the sun light. I've still not repainted the slots.

 

Great thread...I'm going to clean up my rims now

Thanks All

 

Those look like 79 wheels (black center around the lug nuts). My question is this -- were the slots on yours painted black as well? I know on my 81 wheels the slots are black and the center is not.

 

Fortunatly my company uses an anodizer on a regular basis and they are doing me a freebe stripping the "clear coat" and 26 yrs of crud on the inside. Thanks for the great input.

 

My ride is a 79 and the wheels were in bad shape. Appears to me that the slots were not painted but the center is black. Plans for this spring is to repaint the slots and center the same color as the car when I paint the car.

 

I cut 2" x 2" squares of scotch brite and attached to my dremel...works like a charm, especially for cleaning up the slots. I used "mothers" brand aluminum polish.

 

Mothers has a powerball that I am considering trying - at $25 plus tax.

 

I am also in the process of polishing my wheels.I use blue magic....

 

That Powerball is great

Start with a slow speed, the metal polish can easily cover garage walls and ceiling :o

 

OK guys, why didn't someone warn me to wear a glove while wet sanding....... I now have to type with 3 fingers as all the skin is off the rest. One day from 200 grit, 400 grit, 800 grit, 1000 grit and some Mothers polish and they look perfect. Thanks for the advise! Ouch!!

 

Yup... wet sanding aluminum can be messy.... I'm sure it took a while to get the grey stuff off your hands/fingers....

After I did the first rim I bought some gloves...

It seems you like the result... post some pics of the rims

 

Here is the final result.

 

Look Great !!!!!!!!

I'm a big fan of the corvette aluminum wheels. Here's one I did a few weeks back.