Along with several increasingly finer wet/dry grades of sandpaper. Ending at 1500 and my wheels are chromelike!
Wheel clear coat removal.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: SF Bay Area California
Wheel clear coat removal.
The clear coat on my OEM wheels is starting to show its age. I would like to remove is so I can polish the wheels up. Does anyone have any recommendations for what products to use?
Safety Car
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From: The reason time exists is so everything doesn't happen at once
If your car is a daily drive you may want to consider re-clear coating the wheels after stripping them. Polished aluminum looks better than chrome, IMO, but on a DD they can take a lot of work to keep looking that way.
Le Mans Master
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From: Watkins Glen NY
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Melting Slicks
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From: SF Bay Area California
Le Mans Master
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From: Santa Maria CA
Melting Slicks
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From: NS
I used Tal-Strip II Aircraft stripper. Two coats and they were bare. Then lots and lots of wet sanding, ending at 1500 grit, fine-cut compound, and finally Mother's Billet polish. If you keep the Mother's polish on a couple times a year they'll stay good.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Watkins Glen NY
After using the stripper, I started wet sanding with 220.
I didn't use a buffer, don't see why you couldn't though. But, by the time I was at 1500, they were so smooth it probably wouldn't be necessary.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Van Steel Corvettes
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Once you have them stripped. This stuff is great for sealing the bare aluminum. http://www.zoops.com/zoopseal.asp
I'm thinking about doing this to my old stock wheels and sell them.
Last edited by shakedown067; Jul 24, 2007 at 02:22 PM.
Race Director
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From: Sherwood, Arkansas
This is how someone over at Corvetteforums.com did theirs:
Okay, I was debating rather to buy new rims or polish my originals. My originals had corrosion that snuck under the Clear coat and were a bit banged up on the sides due to balance wgts. To save a little $$ I decided to fix up the original rims. Now for anyone interested on a "how to" I'll recap my day of rim polishing for you. This is not for the faint at heart, it took me the WHOLE day and I mean until dark to finish this project.
You'll Need
1-Paint Stripper (I used Stripeze) $6.29
2-Polishing Cream (I used Mothers) $6.99
3-000 Steel wool $1.99
4-Paint Brush (small, for applying stripper) $1.99
5-Plastic scraper $.99
6-Mothers Power Ball (miniature) $19.99
7-Garned hose and soap
Around $38 bucks, give or take a two. You could live without the Power Ball but it saved some elbow greese for sure.
First off, I didn't remove my tires or want to strip any of the silver paint on my rims. This made it a bit more difficult because I had to be real careful not to get stripper on the painted areas.
1- I removed the wheels off from one side of the vehicle to due two at one time (seemed to work faster)
2-Removed the balance wgts. (Took digital pics so that I put them on the same spot.)
3-I sanded and painted the balance wgts. While they were off
4-Clean rim and tire very good with cleaner
5-Applied coat of stripper and let sit for 15 minutes
6-scrubbed with stiff brush first, then a plastic scraper and finally with steel wool.
7-I had to repeat #5 & #6 two more times to get the entire clear coat off
8-hosed and scrubbed all remaining signs of stripper
9-Took mothers Power Ball and stuck it in the polishing compound
10-Polished rims with Power Ball for about 5 minutes, cleaned with water and soap.
11-Repeated #10 two more times
12-Cleaned with soap and water
13-dryed and put balance wgts. & Center caps back on
14-Put Armour all on tires and bolted back on the car.
You'll Need
1-Paint Stripper (I used Stripeze) $6.29
2-Polishing Cream (I used Mothers) $6.99
3-000 Steel wool $1.99
4-Paint Brush (small, for applying stripper) $1.99
5-Plastic scraper $.99
6-Mothers Power Ball (miniature) $19.99
7-Garned hose and soap
Around $38 bucks, give or take a two. You could live without the Power Ball but it saved some elbow greese for sure.
First off, I didn't remove my tires or want to strip any of the silver paint on my rims. This made it a bit more difficult because I had to be real careful not to get stripper on the painted areas.
1- I removed the wheels off from one side of the vehicle to due two at one time (seemed to work faster)
2-Removed the balance wgts. (Took digital pics so that I put them on the same spot.)
3-I sanded and painted the balance wgts. While they were off
4-Clean rim and tire very good with cleaner
5-Applied coat of stripper and let sit for 15 minutes
6-scrubbed with stiff brush first, then a plastic scraper and finally with steel wool.
7-I had to repeat #5 & #6 two more times to get the entire clear coat off
8-hosed and scrubbed all remaining signs of stripper
9-Took mothers Power Ball and stuck it in the polishing compound
10-Polished rims with Power Ball for about 5 minutes, cleaned with water and soap.
11-Repeated #10 two more times
12-Cleaned with soap and water
13-dryed and put balance wgts. & Center caps back on
14-Put Armour all on tires and bolted back on the car.
Team Owner
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