Best rim cleaner is???
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,084
Likes: 1
From: Aussie expat in Saudi Arabia
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 112
Likes: 0
From: vt
i just spent some time last night with a mothers powerball and their aluminum polish. worked amazingly well on the three of my rims that didn't have clear coat on them. the fourth rim was a replacement at some point in the cars life, and still has clearcoat on it. is the best way to get the clear off to lightly sand it, or is there a good stripper that would work? don't want to use anything too caustic, as the tires are mounted on the rims and i don't want to destroy the rubber with harsh chemicals.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,342
Likes: 7
From: Connecticut
You didn't mention if they were stock Rallye rims or after market 
If they are stock, I would recommend getting a pint of Argent Silver (stock color for Rallye rims) Remove the rings and center caps.
Prepare and prime, then paint them.
I always add a few coats of clear over the silver.
If you don't have a spray gun any decent automotive paint store should be able to mix you a spray can which is enough to do all four rims
I believe Lars has the formula for the paint and I'm fairly certain it can be found with the search function under "Argent Silver"
If they are not stock rims, then just ignore this post
Good luck
If they are stock, I would recommend getting a pint of Argent Silver (stock color for Rallye rims) Remove the rings and center caps.
Prepare and prime, then paint them.
I always add a few coats of clear over the silver.
If you don't have a spray gun any decent automotive paint store should be able to mix you a spray can which is enough to do all four rims
I believe Lars has the formula for the paint and I'm fairly certain it can be found with the search function under "Argent Silver"
If they are not stock rims, then just ignore this post
Good luck
Safety Car
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 3,758
Likes: 3
From: Surrey
The clearcoat on mine was actually a layer of clear anodising, just like on the trim around the windshield, rear glass & rockers. Took fricken ages to remove with wet-or-dry, but the results were well worth it. For bare ally, after an initial polishing on mops, I use Solvol Autosol & a lot of elbow grease to bring it back up. Or, as my original answer to the question was going to be, the best thing to polish up the wheels is a wife Once bare ally is polished then a polish with Autoglym Super Resin Polish helps prevent them fading & getting water damage (oxidation). If you can't get it, then any polish that leaves a protective layer should do it.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,380
Likes: 6,391
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
V8FastCars@msn.com
Lars
8th Gear
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Port Hope Ontario
I've used Autosol on my Pontiac Snowflake rims with great results and Mothers polish on my Drag Lites. I find Autosol works great for the initial cleaning and then Mothers for the maintaining of the shine.
