polishing wheels...suggestions please

[EScanlon]

Hey, I did the same thing!

That's the main reason I posted. What at first seemed like a simple rubout with some polishing compound, turned into felt cones, wheels, different grades of rouge and liquids, more rags than you can shake a stick at and several sweatshirts stained beyond repair. If I ever need black zoot camouflage I have enough shirts for a baseball team.

Do yourself a favor and find some metal protectant. This will help maintain the shine and make it easier to polish it out when they start to oxidize again, and trust me they will. About the only way to guarantee that it will take years is to have a clear coat either baked on or anodized on.

I use a product by MAAS which is a metal protectant. There are some polishes out there that purport to do the same, but having tried half a dozen brands or more, MAAS Metal Protectant does the job better than anything else.

Hope this helps.

Enrique Scanlon

[v12horse]

Thanks Enrique, I will have to try that stuff. I am using this gloss sealer called Master Formula. Has anyone heard of it?

Thanks,

Ben

[MikeW]

Originally posted by v12horse

It took me so long because I started with 320. If I just started with 220 and went up through the grits it would have been a lot quicker.

I'd be careful following that advice. I think I started with 80 grit on my wheels. My experience is that if you try to jump to a finer grit too soon it will take a lot longer in the end.

[NCLarry]

I'm only about 1/2 done with my first wheel... and I can second starting with 80. I initially started with 320 and made little progress. Jumping to 80 got all the nasty stuff quickly and the 320 paper lasted longer and did a better job. I'm still finishing the slots (what a pain in the neck).

I only manage to put in about an hour every so often so this can easily end up taking forever.

I've considered a local wheel place that'll get them looking like chrome for $80/wheel... then again, thats $300+ total ... maybe its worth putting more time in...:classic:

[SledZ]

One more to go for my slots. I used 600,1000,1500 then hit it with my 8" buffer Black, Brown and then white. Took about 3 hours each and my back is killing me!

Think I'll just use Duplicolor clearcoat for wheels, anyone else use a clearcoat for these? Sunday driver so maybe I'd be better off hitting them with NeverDull everyonce in awhile...

Also I think I'll put on those Falken Ziex 512 tires. They seem the best all around plus they look great.

[MikeW]

Originally posted by SledZ

Think I'll just use Duplicolor clearcoat for wheels, anyone else use a clearcoat for these?

Someone here recently mentioned this product from POR15:

http://www.por15.com/product.asp?productid=246

It looks like it might be the way to go, but only after getting them polished to perfection as I'm guessing this is rather permanent. I like the idea that it doesn't leave brushmarks as I don't have a way of spraying the stuff.

[SledZ]

Should have thought about POR since I spent a ton of $ on POR-15,chassis coat, tank sealer,manifold paint, gallons of marine clean and metal ready !!

It does look permanant doesnt it. hmmm There pretty nice but not perfect.

[hls30.com]

This is what I am using to polish my wheels-it does have the Glissten PC that I used to cleas coat my bumpers and emblems-it is damn near indestructable!!

http://www.por15.com/product.asp?productid=333

Will

[280z]

ok i didnt read every post on this thread but this is my story. i took bens advice, i went 220, 320, 400, 600, 2000. i couldnt find 1000 or 1500 but i woulda done that too if i had them. i finished it off with a chrome polish called neverdull. it worked superb! here are a couple before and after pictures.

this first one is a before

[280z]

after

[280z]

before

[280z]

and after. there still not perfect but i couldnt believe it after i was finished, i never thought they could look like that.