Has anyone tried contacting a plating co. to check on polishing out the stock gray ZO6 wheels. This way you get to keep your wheels which are lighter and stronger than aftermarket junk. and at the same time have nice polished wheels. You could go ahead and have them chrome plated then clear coated if you desire, or after polishing just have them clear coated. Food for thought..... :confused:

 

Hi Jack Mays -

There has been quite a bit of disussion here in the past regarding this subject - try a search to see what you come up with.

There is a place in Vancouver called Panther Precision Machine - here is a url - http://www.pantherwheels.com/

Of course there are several places that ofer an OEM exchange program for OEM wheels to get them chromed.

And did you know that the Commemorative Edition (rpo Z16) Z06 will have polished Z06 style rims?

best regards -

mqqn




[Modified by mqqn, 9:10 PM 6/15/2003]

 

Thank you, sir, for your information concerning the wheels. Here in Houston there are quite a few plating companies that can handle this and the shipping won't be the big problem. What I was trying to do, was find out why so many people want to buy after-market wheels which are not as structurally sound and weigh more than the considerably stock wheels. Thanks for your response. :thumbs:

 

Hi Jack Mays -

No problem :thumbs: - The answer to why may lie in the money - You can buy aftermarket chromies for $1100 and keep your stockers for a rainy day...

I have heard that the '01 stock wheels are better suited to polishing than are the '02+ wheels - but I have no first hand experience to report.

I have seen the polished - and while these are good looking - they do not "pop" like chromies - purely my opinion.

best regards -

mqqn

 

Hey Jack -

I often wonder the same thing - since I track my car, I don't want to risk the build quality of some aftermarket wheel, specifically an OEM knock-off. Just don't want that extra conern with a activity that's already a little dangerous and "equipment intensive".

A couple of things on the polishing (and not maching like some companies provide). There was some concern voiced from a polishing shop that the cast wheel (i.e., 02-03) had tiny fissures, that would become more evident with polishing, and cause some discoloration. I have no idea about this, just passing it on - the same shop said the forged wheels (from '01) were better suited.

Here's the thing - I had wheels on my previous ride that were cast. I actually had the wheels disassembled (3-piece), polished, the back 1/2 painted dark to hide dirt/dust (also put back together with ARP 180K psi fasteners - they looked great and I never had any problems - no corrosion, pits, etc. They only hassle was the exposed aluminum hazed over quicker than a chrome or painted finish, so I spent alot of time with Blue Coral chrome/aluminum polish :D (it actually helped to keep the shine longer).

Here's a pic of a hand/machine polished, cast wheel - I like this finish actually better than chrome:

Click for _much_ larger image!


Seeya -

DT


[Modified by DT, 2:10 AM 6/17/2003]

 

Jack,
I emailed you some pics of my polished wheels. The one inside was taken a few weeks ago.
There was some concern about the cast wheels being too porous to be polished. But as you can see on mine it was not a problem.
The wheels were polished 18 months ago and were not clearcoated. I waxed them when I got them back and have not touched them since, except for normal washing. I know it is hard to believe they have not tarnished after 18 months but they have not. It is hard for me to believe, too.
Dave

 

Hi corvette dave -

And, since the Z16 will likely use the speedline wheels, GM must think they are ok to polish as well - you were just ahead of your time! :thumbs:

best regards -

mqqn

 

mqqn,
First time I was ahead of anything!
You are right about the "pop" of the chromies. I have had them and wanted a little less"pop" this time around.
I also like the machined look I have seen on this forum.
Dave

 

DT, thanks for the info. Heck those wheels you did look great. I'm sure you know that you can apply a clear coat over the polish job and it will look great. You and I have a common factor that being we live close to salt air and that makes it a little rough on some metals. Thanks again Buddy... :thumbs:

 

Hi Dave. Where do you guy's get all this good info. I sware some of you guys must work for the C.I.A. or some other group. I'll keep you'all posted on this wheel thing. Got some feelers out and we might hit a home run..Thanks Buddy. :p:

 

Dave, what brand of wax are you using on your wheels? They look very close to chrome. Must be some good stuff. Thanks again for the pics. :seeya

 

I checked out a bunch of sites that had information on polishing, this one in particular is excellent:
http://www.caswellplating.com/

They have loads of info, plus all the supplies! I'm seriously thinking about picking up a set if used Z06 wheels, then I can really take my time and try it myself! Sounds pretty straight forward, just very time/labor intensive. Then, assuming I get them the way I want them, I can sell my existing OEM wheels and have a polished set for the difference (if any) on my wheels, plus the supplies.

If I decide to give this a try, I'll post my progress here!

Seeya -

DT