Wheels: Clear coat or not:
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 163
Likes: 1
From: Port Allen Louisiana
Wheels: Clear coat or not:
When I purhcased my Vette 4 years ago, I stripped the clear coat off so I could redo/polish the aluminum wheels. All came out well, but I did not recoat with clear at that time. Since then every two or 3 months I spend a couple of hours repolishing the aluminum wheels. Kinda of a pain. My question is has anybody done the same and then recoated them with clear? If so, what did you use, how well is it holding up, and would you do the same again? Or not, and polish as I am doing now. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,116
Likes: 5
From: Livonia MI
While not Corvette wheels, did strip some aluminum wheels, polish out with a drill mounted buffer/stick compound kit, and clear coated with Dupli-Color clear wheel paint. Been holding up well for years. There's also another treatment for polished metal parts, called Zoop Seal. Not really a paint coating, but a treatment, that's supposed to last for a year or two. Seen it used on the weekend Power Block TV shows, and maybe worth looking into.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 6,937
Likes: 848
From: melbourne florida
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
there is a clear ceramic coating available, it is superior to clear powder coating because the clear powder coating takes away a lot of brilliance,and the ceramic is actually clear
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 849
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From: Woodland California
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 163
Likes: 1
From: Port Allen Louisiana
While not Corvette wheels, did strip some aluminum wheels, polish out with a drill mounted buffer/stick compound kit, and clear coated with Dupli-Color clear wheel paint. Been holding up well for years. There's also another treatment for polished metal parts, called Zoop Seal. Not really a paint coating, but a treatment, that's supposed to last for a year or two. Seen it used on the weekend Power Block TV shows, and maybe worth looking into.
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 163
Likes: 1
From: Port Allen Louisiana
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,676
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From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
I had mine professionally cleaned / polished years ago on a machine and while it cost me a few bucks I remember only having to wash them and they came out looking new and they were never clear coated again.
If I could get to them ( stored ) I would show you, I would wash one with soap and water and it would look brand new and I had this done 10 years ago. Don't know how they did it but it must have something to do with how smooth they get the surface with the machine. I was amazed at how they held up.
That said I changed about everything on the car to chrome, I cannot stand polishing aluminum, rather have a tooth pulled.
If I could get to them ( stored ) I would show you, I would wash one with soap and water and it would look brand new and I had this done 10 years ago. Don't know how they did it but it must have something to do with how smooth they get the surface with the machine. I was amazed at how they held up.
That said I changed about everything on the car to chrome, I cannot stand polishing aluminum, rather have a tooth pulled.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 14,950
Likes: 3,351
From: NYC NY
Now most of the major billet wheel companies offer clear coating as an option. I recently mounted a set of Budnik's with that option on a friend of mine's street rod. The finish was amazing. You couldn't tell they were clear coated. The finish was brilliant. It's definitely worth looking into. I doubt that it's cheap though.
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 10,956
Likes: 409
From: California
I was going to have my Centerlines clear powder-coated, but the shop told me that the billet and spun aluminum will "bleed" some when in the heat room, thus giving a dirty water look in those places that it "bleeds" so I went with the bare aluminum.. I clean them a lot, but they seem to keep there luster well.. happy so far.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,116
Likes: 5
From: Livonia MI
When I polished the wheels well, and cleaned all the residue off with lacquer thinner, really couldn't see any dulling effect of the clear wheel coat paint. Surely a clear ceramic coating would hold up better, but really don't use these wheels much.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,164
Likes: 7
From: Beringen
wheels are being blasted with stones, sand and whatever. No coating on it will last for ever, causing the alu to corrode underneath and then you'll have to redo it again.
If you do not clear coat them, you'll have less problems keeping the corrosion away. This however will mean more work.
In the end it depends on how you use the car. If you only use it in summer, I would say stay away from any coat.
If you do not clear coat them, you'll have less problems keeping the corrosion away. This however will mean more work.
In the end it depends on how you use the car. If you only use it in summer, I would say stay away from any coat.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 261
Likes: 1
From: Montgomery TX
The polish gets into the pores of the aluminum and any clear coat or paint will fish eye on the wheels. I ended up roughing mine up with a abarsive pad, cleaning and painting them. They were in too bad shape to polish.