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Have to agree that $600 is not all that bad, but I have in mind to go with C6 18/19 wheels anyways, makes more sense to put the $600 towards them.
I have searched for the base C6 wheels I want, price ranges from $300 to $1000. Just need to find a set that is close to me.
Yeah I will spend quite a bit of time/effort on the wheels, gives me something to do, and I do enjoy working on my cars....although one wheel is fun....the fourth wheel will not be!!
Have to say that the sanding is not all that bad, goes pretty quick really. Do need to get more sandpaper; 320, 400, 600
I will not get chrome wheels, only polished ones. Even though there is little to cause the chrome to corrode here in Southern AZ.....I will not get chrome. And I stay away from reproduction wheels.
I thought about getting the Mother's Mag & Wheel Polish....probably will. I already have a Mother's power cone to do the polishing with.
Oh and the shop that I called about refinishing, they sell the 17x8.5 wheel already done for $175.
Later
Much comes down if you need tires too. If someone has new tires and do not want to add more tire cost the old wheels repaired is a good deal. Now if you need tires anyways then move to a new wheel
$175 refinished plus core would be a good deal.
I would look around for better polishes if you do this yourself. You can get different grits and better compound to make this easier. Mothers is like the mildest stuff you will find and good for finishing not cleaning up.
Think of polish as sand paper and it comes in different grits or in this case compounds.
There are some chromed OEM wheels out there but the chroming was done either by the dealer using an aftermarket exchange program or the previous owner using a similar program. The factory did not offer chrome wheels on a C5.
Jack... Who what and where is a "aftermarket exchange program"... I think mine came from there, a dealers personal Corvette outa South Dakota with beautifully chromed wagoneers!.... And no flaking, thank you!
I would look around for better polishes if you do this yourself. You can get different grits and better compound to make this easier. Mothers is like the mildest stuff you will find and good for finishing not cleaning up.
Think of polish as sand paper and it comes in different grits or in this case compounds.
He's already using actual sandpaper. He's going to use Mothers for the final polish.
To the OP, If you want bigger wheels, the C6 wheels are a good option if you can find them at a decent price.
I think the Mother's is more towards a deep wheel cleaning rather than a polishing compound. I have a stick of grey metal polishing that I plan to use after the 600 grit, followed by the Mother's to remove/clean off the grey compound. Last step will be to spray an automotive grade clear coat.
I have one rear wheel that I am up to 600 on, stopped there and began on the other rear wheel with an 80 grit wheel.
The tires that came on my '04 are still good; fronts are 2018, rears are 2021, plenty of tread, but are getting a bit old. I will probably use these tires for the remainder of the year, replace next year.
I am going to talk to that wheel refinishing shop again, ask if they do take trade-ins. Would sure like to apply the C5 wheels towards a set of C6 wheels that they have already done.
Have to agree that $600 is not all that bad, but I have in mind to go with C6 18/19 wheels anyways, makes more sense to put the $600 towards them.
I have searched for the base C6 wheels I want, price ranges from $300 to $1000. Just need to find a set that is close to me.
Yeah I will spend quite a bit of time/effort on the wheels, gives me something to do, and I do enjoy working on my cars....although one wheel is fun....the fourth wheel will not be!!
Have to say that the sanding is not all that bad, goes pretty quick really. Do need to get more sandpaper; 320, 400, 600
I will not get chrome wheels, only polished ones. Even though there is little to cause the chrome to corrode here in Southern AZ.....I will not get chrome. And I stay away from reproduction wheels.
I thought about getting the Mother's Mag & Wheel Polish....probably will. I already have a Mother's power cone to do the polishing with.
Oh and the shop that I called about refinishing, they sell the 17x8.5 wheel already done for $175.
Later
What shop would that be?? Another tip that may help, but you must BE CAREFUL!! That would be to chock the front wheels REAL GOOD, use a floor jack to lift the rear of the car, and use GOOD QUALITY jackstands. Put the car in 1st gear, and let the wheel spin. This will lessen the labor, and speed up the time needed to finish the job. Again, you MUST USE EXTREME CAUTION. I've done this on my 2 post lift, which is admittedly safer, and it works great. But it can safely be done as I mentioned above. If this intimidates you, by all means, DO NOT do it......
Last edited by grinder11; Apr 29, 2023 at 01:33 PM.
The shop I talked to was Nu-Wheel in Tucson.
Hand sanding of the wheels is really not all that bad, but thanks for the suggestion. Having the wheel slowly turning would speed-up the sanding process.
I have both rear wheels at 400 grit now, looking pretty good, not perfect by any means, but sooo much better than they were.
I will update this thread with a progress photo later today.
Stay away from OEWHEELSLLC.com I bought a set for my C5. 2 of them leaked right through the casting inside the barrels. The other 2 were out of round. They looked good but are Chinese garbage.
Progress Photos:
1st is RR wheel taken through 600 grit.
2nd pic is LR wheel through 600 grit then using Mother's Power Metal, a Mother's power ball on my drill, wiped-off with water, then sprayed with crystal clear lacquer. I am pretty much done with this wheel except for a couple of spots on the front.
No I did not get 100% of the corrosion off but since I plan on getting those C6 wheels in the future, I think they will look fine until then.
I have refinished wheels before and it is all about how much time you are willing to invest. I took the faces up to 3,000 grit then polished with various metal compounds. When done they were mirror finish and many mistook them for being chrome.
Stay away from OEWHEELSLLC.com I bought a set for my C5. 2 of them leaked right through the casting inside the barrels. The other 2 were out of round. They looked good but are Chinese garbage.
Wow really? I've had these chrome OE wheels on my 95 for the past 15 years with no issues what so ever.
Stay away from OEWHEELSLLC.com I bought a set for my C5. 2 of them leaked right through the casting inside the barrels. The other 2 were out of round. They looked good but are Chinese garbage.
What was their response to your leaking castings that you say happened right away? Did they replace them? What about the out of rounds? How was their support department? Were you able to speak to anyone there? Their wheels do come with a lifetime structural warranty.
There are some chromed OEM wheels out there but the chroming was done either by the dealer using an aftermarket exchange program or the previous owner using a similar program. The factory did not offer chrome wheels on a C5.
