Bringing back some wheels!
09-29-2014, 10:39 AM
#1
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Georgia
Posts: 414
Bringing back some wheels!
I got a killer deal on some Mustang Boss 302 wheels from a friend, so I jumped on them. After closer inspection, I discovered they has a lot of scratches on them, ranging from spider web style fine scratches to what turned out to be scratches that go through the clear coat. The scratches weren't actually that awfully bad and didn't deter me from purchasing the wheels. I figured I could put some elbow grease on 'em and make them better.
Here are some before shots:
As for the process, I started out by removing a wheel from the car, a true pain in the *** as I lowered the car some months ago, and I can't get a jack under it. I made a ramp to allow me to jack up one corner of the car at a time. I washed the wheel with Meguiar's Wash and Wax, and then I used the Meguiar's clay bar kit on the first wheel. I didn't use it on the second wheel because I found the clay wasn't showing any decontamination at all. I then used Ultimate Compound on another company's cone shaped drill attachment. After the compound, I applied Ultimate Polish on a fresh cone drill attachment by the un-named company. I found that the deeper scratches weren't coming out, but the wheel did present a whole hell of a lot shinier. I then finished up with a hand application of Ultimate Wax before putting the wheel back on the car. To clean up the tire, I just applied a tire shine from another company with an applicator, making sure to work it in and keep it off the wheel.
All in all, I'm pretty happy. At first I wasn't though; thinking that I had purchased $100 worth of product and I wasn't getting any favorable results. After stepping back though, I was quite please with the outcome and the overall purchase of the wheels and tires. Here are some after pictures:
All of the work didn't get out all of the scratches, but it did diminish the look of the bad ones that didn't come out. Overall the wheels I did look so much better. It took me 3 1/2 hours to do just the driver side wheels. I'm saving the passenger side wheels for another day!
Here are some before shots:
As for the process, I started out by removing a wheel from the car, a true pain in the *** as I lowered the car some months ago, and I can't get a jack under it. I made a ramp to allow me to jack up one corner of the car at a time. I washed the wheel with Meguiar's Wash and Wax, and then I used the Meguiar's clay bar kit on the first wheel. I didn't use it on the second wheel because I found the clay wasn't showing any decontamination at all. I then used Ultimate Compound on another company's cone shaped drill attachment. After the compound, I applied Ultimate Polish on a fresh cone drill attachment by the un-named company. I found that the deeper scratches weren't coming out, but the wheel did present a whole hell of a lot shinier. I then finished up with a hand application of Ultimate Wax before putting the wheel back on the car. To clean up the tire, I just applied a tire shine from another company with an applicator, making sure to work it in and keep it off the wheel.
All in all, I'm pretty happy. At first I wasn't though; thinking that I had purchased $100 worth of product and I wasn't getting any favorable results. After stepping back though, I was quite please with the outcome and the overall purchase of the wheels and tires. Here are some after pictures:
All of the work didn't get out all of the scratches, but it did diminish the look of the bad ones that didn't come out. Overall the wheels I did look so much better. It took me 3 1/2 hours to do just the driver side wheels. I'm saving the passenger side wheels for another day!
Last edited by GLOCKer; 09-29-2014 at 10:46 AM.
09-30-2014, 05:53 AM
#3
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Pa
Posts: 32
Yeah that came out really nice. Wheels are tricky, I am working on a SRT8 Charger right now and the black painted areas on the wheels look the same way and I am not going to risk using a heavy compound on them to try and fully remove it. Not worth risking damage to the wheel on my end, and the client was okay with that.
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