Help for flakey wheels
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
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Help for flakey wheels
The clear coat is peeling off my wheels, stock '90 coupe.
What is the best way to remove all the clearcoat? I have thought about using a wire wheel on a drill to take it off, then polish them with steel wool and clear coat them again. Also, what is best to clear coat them with, short of powdercoating. Will the clearcoat in the spray cans at AdvanceAuto work for this??
Thanks in advance
What is the best way to remove all the clearcoat? I have thought about using a wire wheel on a drill to take it off, then polish them with steel wool and clear coat them again. Also, what is best to clear coat them with, short of powdercoating. Will the clearcoat in the spray cans at AdvanceAuto work for this??
Thanks in advance
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Do NOT take a wire wheel to them. Use a strong paint stripper and no steel wool or scotchbrite. Those will bith scratch the wheels and you'll wind up here:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...10&forum_id=34
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...10&forum_id=34
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Originally Posted by lt4dogman
Thanks Cuisinart & Carriker
I don't want to have to sand them down, I just want to get the flaking off and clear coat them again.
I don't want to have to sand them down, I just want to get the flaking off and clear coat them again.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
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Update
today I put the paint stripper on and it had all the clearcoat wrinkled up in a few minutes and was absolutely no problem to remove. I used a pressure washer to clean the stripper off the wheel. The problem was in the places where the clear had flaked off there were these yellowish staines. So, I broke out the trusty Bon Ami powder and proceeded to scrub them with the powder and a terry cloth rag, making sure to stay with the machining "grain" on the wheel. After scrubing the face of each wheel they look much better (actually better than I thought could look). I really like the "finish" that the Bon Ami leaves, sort of a matt finish, much like the original. I still have to apply more stripper to remove all of the gray paint in the accent holes, so I can repaint them, or maybe if I can get ALL the paint out I will clearcoat them natural aluminum. Oh yes, I will hit the rim lip with Mothers for a sharp high polished accent.
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Team Owner
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From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Originally Posted by Midnite 88
I did the same as cuisinartvette but, I painted the "slots" black.
Advanced
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From: Lisbon maine
let me see if I have this right, because I have the same problem. All you did was use paint stripper to remove the clear coat, and then just cleaned them up? How do they look with out the clear coat? Good?
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Originally Posted by mainelenny
let me see if I have this right, because I have the same problem. All you did was use paint stripper to remove the clear coat, and then just cleaned them up? How do they look with out the clear coat? Good?
With paint stripper applied
With clearcoat removed;
Stock with old clearcoat:
Polished, no clear:
Last edited by cv67; Aug 5, 2005 at 01:19 PM.
Team Owner
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From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
I go over them with a soft cloth and some polish once a month.
Email pics to kalthoffpools@yahoo.com and I'll post them for you
Edit: Here's his pics
Email pics to kalthoffpools@yahoo.com and I'll post them for you
Edit: Here's his pics
Last edited by cv67; Aug 5, 2005 at 04:28 PM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
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Thanks for posting the pix cuisinart.
The Bon Ami gives them a matt type finish, but I polished the rim for just a little +bling+ and painted the slots with a metalic beige. They don't look bad, especially with the new exhaust, and I still have less than $5,000 in the car, but not for long!
The Bon Ami gives them a matt type finish, but I polished the rim for just a little +bling+ and painted the slots with a metalic beige. They don't look bad, especially with the new exhaust, and I still have less than $5,000 in the car, but not for long!