Clear Coat
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 277
Likes: 0
From: TONOPAH AZ.
St. Jude Donor '06
Clear Coat
CAN THE CLEAR COAT BE TAKEN OFF WHEELS BY A REGULAR PERSON..(or in my case , an irregular person....
) SO THEY CAN BE POLISED. OR WHAT TYPE OF SHOP DO YOU TAKE THEM TO ?
) SO THEY CAN BE POLISED. OR WHAT TYPE OF SHOP DO YOU TAKE THEM TO ?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,753
Likes: 15
From: backwoods upstate ny
i have complete refinishing facilities at my dispoal, but for wheels i don't even bother with the fancy weapons...1 can spray-on paint stripper (i use ''kleen-strip'' auto stripper in an 18 oz rattlecan from peep boys, walfart had it but i haven't been there in quite a while, their 1/2 hr check-out lines pixx me off)...outdoors only, not in direct sunlight, temp is critical (must be 60-80* F)...if the tire is on , mask it with duct-tape (next to rim, newspaper beyond)...rubber dishwashing glove, don't breath...spray on a fat coat of stripper, wait 15 minutes, rinse with garden hose, a bit of help with a stiff paint brush perhaps (no wire brush or screwdrivers)...let dry completely, second applic of stripper to some spots still hangin on...this stuff eats people better than it eats paint--don't scratch your nose, rinse IMMEDIATELY with lots of water if gets on you...rinse doesn't kill the grass.
expect to spend 1 to 4 hrs to do all 4 wheels, depending on your skills with masking, rattlecans, and garden hoses....any auto body shop can do it if you don't want to , 15-20 minutes for them, but they'll prob hit you for 1 hr min @ $75 + $20 material, expect to spend 1-4 hrs taking the wheels to them and retrieveing
expect to spend 1 to 4 hrs to do all 4 wheels, depending on your skills with masking, rattlecans, and garden hoses....any auto body shop can do it if you don't want to , 15-20 minutes for them, but they'll prob hit you for 1 hr min @ $75 + $20 material, expect to spend 1-4 hrs taking the wheels to them and retrieveing
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: Port Angeles WA
Someone suggested Aircraft Paint Stripper so that's what I used and it seemed to work fine. I started with the spray cans but ended up with the quart size container which was more economical. One spray can would do one wheel while the qt. container would probably do all four wheels. I think Walmart sells the spray for around $5-6.00 and the qt. size for $7. I decided to leave the texture of the factory wheel as is rather than sanding and polishing to a shiny finish.
This is on a 92 with sawblades.
This is on a 92 with sawblades.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,564
Likes: 6
From: Woodstock Georgia
Like everyone else said. I did mine with the paint stirpper and a garden hose. It only took one coat of the stripper and then about 1 hr per wheel with somne fine steel wool and metal polish. Be very carefull with the stirpper like redrose said. Any overspray will also eat the paint off your car and it does it rubber and skin as well. Be carefull around your valvew stems.
One stripped and one not
After
One stripped and one not
After
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 854
Likes: 1
From: The burbs of Denver CO
Looks like you already got the skinny on the stripping, when it comes to polishing, you have several routes you can go, from basic to radical. Basic, get some polishing compound, a drill motor, and some polishing disks from Ace or your local auto parts store, then polish until you get the finish you want. You can also use some scotchbrite or sandpaper to clean up the road rash. On the other extreme is the chrome/mirror finish, which requires sanding the rims down to remove the raised ridges on the factory (you don't even notice this stuff until you start to polish the wheels) then varying grades of polish. It took me over a week to do mine 96 rims. Then to keep them from tarnishing, I had them clear coated. Let me know if you want more detailed info.
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 277
Likes: 0
From: TONOPAH AZ.
St. Jude Donor '06
Capital letters
Originally Posted by jimmers
How come all your posts are in caps? Stop yelling at us!!!
Seriously though, you guys have been a great help to me!! Thanks again
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,723
Likes: 11
From: Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada
Originally Posted by B4 COMPUTERS
Sorry. Most of the time I can't even tell if I have a cap on my head let alone the letters?
