Before & After rims.

[Paul Higg]

I used gray Scotch Brite pad, white pad, 000 steel wool, 0000 steel wool, Mother's Billet polish with the small ball, and a lot of elbow grease. Now for the other three...

 

[joesroad]

Good Job!!

 

[CHRLDO]

BEFORE AND AFTER RIMS

SAVE YOUR MONEY, GO TO AUTOMOTIVE PAINT STORE ,BUY HEANY DUTY MACHINE BUFFING COMPOUND IN A BOTTLE THATS ROUGHLY A QUART. USE THE MOTHERS BUFFING BALL AND YOUR CORDLESS DRILL.

 

[Paul Higg]

CHRLDO, that is a good idea, thanks!

 

[Paul Higg]

CHRLDO, by the way, welcome to the forum. You will not find a greater wealth of knowledge and experience. The people here are more than willing to help and they have years of actual hands-on experience.

Enjoy the forum and welcome.

Paul in Atlanta

 

[Paul Higg]

Good Job!!

Thanks Joe, I appreciate it. It was a lot of elbow grease but it was a labor of love! Actually, I love doing it, in fact, I love doing virtually ANYTHING to my Vette.

 

[GS Diva]

Paul,

What a transformation! Great job.

Elaine

 

[Paul Higg]

Thank you Elaine, that was very nice of you. I took Tom94's advice and it was well worth it.

I took the wheel off the car and placed it on a table, I had plenty of light and time, and just went to work. I actually am amazed myself. I really did not know what to expect. I certainly did not expect to see these results. One thing I did learn however, is you only need a TINY amount of Mother's AND to keep buffing with the wheel until it shines. No matter how black it gets it will eventually shine. It was a learning process for me. Now I know what those aircraft belly skin buffer guys went through when I worked jets. That was a LOT of work for them but the aircraft aluminum was like a mirror.

 

[CHRLDO]

BEFORE AND AFTER RIMS

YOUR BEFORE PICTURE LOOKS LIKE A CLEANER WAS APPLIED ON A DRY WHEEL.APPLY ANY CLEANER TO WET WHEEL STARTING AT THE BOTTOM WOKING YOUR WAY UP. KEEP WHEEL WET UNTIL YOU RINSE. AT THE STAGE OF YOUR CURRENT AFTER PICTURES I RECCOMEND YOU WET SAND YOUR WHEELS WITH 1200 GRIT WET OR DRY PAPER,THEN WET SAND WITH 2000 GRIT WET OR DRY PAPER.THEN POLISH WITH HEAVY DUTY RUBBING COMPOUND.WHEN YOU GET THE DESIRED SHINE YOU CAN COAT THEM WITH CLEAR URETHANE. IF YOU COAT THEM WITH URETHANE YOU MIGHT WANT TO CLEAN THEM ONLY WITH FANTASTIC HOUSEHOLD CLEANER. HAVE FUN! IT'S WORTH THE TIME!

 

[Paul Higg]

Hey! Thanks for the advice CHRLDO! THAT sounds like a good idea. Wet sand with extra-super-duper fine grit will DO it. I am going to take your advice. I was a little unsure about the poly thought, I gave it some thought but applied some Meguir's #2 polish but I can remove it with the polish remover #1. I did it on a table, I removed the wheel so I didn't have to sit on the floor, I could see better with it on a table, and I could peer into all the nooks and crannies.

 

[CHRLDO]

BEFORE AND AFTER RIMS

I'VE GOT A HARLEY WITH SOME ALLOY PARTS AND I KNOW YOU CAN GET THESE TO SHINE ALMOST LIKE CHROME.SO DON'T FORGET TO SHOW THE FINISHED PRODUCT!

 

[CHRLDO]

BEFORE AND AFTER RIMS

I FORGOT,YOU CAN WORK OUT ANY CURB RASH WITH A SMALL FINE METAL FILE AND VARIOUS GRITS OF EMERY CLOTH UNTIL YOU GET TO SCOTCHBRITE AND WET OR DRY.

 

[Paul Higg]

Eventually...eventually...
:cool

 

[Toms007]

Paul. that is an amazing transformation. I need to do that to the wheels on my Silverado pickup, they look just like your "Before" pictures. How much time did you put in on that one wheel?

 

[Paul Higg]

Hi Tom, I spent about 1 1/2 hours on it. I am going to do them all one at a time but next time wet sand first then clean and MAYBE poly them, I don't know yet. But thanks for the compliment. It looks really nice.

 

[hotshotzny]

nice job.. and some real great advice there from chrldo... i think im gonna do mine over the winter to see how they come out. i wanted to do them over the summer but my OCD would not let me do just one and take a rest i wouldnt be able to drive the car until they were all done. i have a feelin your arms felt like they were about to fall off after the first one.

 

[Paul Higg]

Actually hotshot they didn't. The Mother's ball has a sleeve that allows the ball to spin in. It was more fun than work. I'm going to take that advice when I do the other three. I don't mind doing one at a time as I have plenty of time. To me the most important thing was removing the wheel and putting it waist high on a table. I had a lot of good light to work under too. MUCH better than sitting on the garage floor and trying to peer up under some tight spots!

Thanks.

Paul

 

[G Winter]

YOUR BEFORE PICTURE LOOKS LIKE A CLEANER WAS APPLIED ON A DRY WHEEL.APPLY ANY CLEANER TO WET WHEEL STARTING AT THE BOTTOM WOKING YOUR WAY UP. KEEP WHEEL WET UNTIL YOU RINSE. AT THE STAGE OF YOUR CURRENT AFTER PICTURES I RECCOMEND YOU WET SAND YOUR WHEELS WITH 1200 GRIT WET OR DRY PAPER,THEN WET SAND WITH 2000 GRIT WET OR DRY PAPER.THEN POLISH WITH HEAVY DUTY RUBBING COMPOUND.WHEN YOU GET THE DESIRED SHINE YOU CAN COAT THEM WITH CLEAR URETHANE. IF YOU COAT THEM WITH URETHANE YOU MIGHT WANT TO CLEAN THEM ONLY WITH FANTASTIC HOUSEHOLD CLEANER. HAVE FUN! IT'S WORTH THE TIME!

Is there any benefit to going on to 3000 paper before the rubbing compound ?

Glenn

 

[hotshotzny]

It was more fun than work.

well if ya are having so much fun i'll fed-ex mine down to ya and you can have yourself a blast!

im so spoiled having a lift i put the car on it to check the pressure in the tires.... so much easier to work at that level.

 

[Paul Higg]

Send 'em down, I'll do 'em! It may take me a while though!

Hi Glenn, I didn't even KNOW they MADE 3000 paper. Do they really? Now THAT would be some fine stuff.

Thanks to all for the compliments and suggestions, I have created a file of all the suggestions to incorporate in my next three wheels.

Paul