[BB1968]

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey guys, I have looked everywhere trying to find a way to protect my aluminum wheels with no success. Does anyone have any ideas what you can do to stop them from oxidizing. I'm not like Jerry Mequire(spelling) I don't like spending all day detailing my car. I just bought these wheels and when they got wet the first time they started to turn milky and loose their shine. I don't want to spend several hours each weekend polishing them. Any and all help will be GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!!!!BB

[b-man]

Originally Posted by BB1968

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey guys, I have looked everywhere trying to find a way to protect my aluminum wheels with no success. Does anyone have any ideas what you can do to stop them from oxidizing. I'm not like Jerry Mequire(spelling) I don't like spending all day detailing my car. I just bought these wheels and when they got wet the first time they started to turn milky and loose their shine. I don't want to spend several hours each weekend polishing them. Any and all help will be GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!!!!BB

Keep it parked in the garage.

Keep the wheel polish handy.

I love the way aluminum wheels look, I hate taking care of them.

Now the only aluminum wheels I have are either painted or clear-coated.

I replaced a set of polished Centerlines with these just a few days ago. Screw polishing wheels all the time.



I started to get smart when I built this car some years back, I put painted steel wheels on it from the very start!



The steel wheels are heavy and not as pretty as aluminum alloy wheels in the opinion most people, but I'll take easy-care painted steel any day now over bare aluminum. Now you know at least one reason why Rally II wheels are so popular.

[BB1968]

B-man thanks for moving my thread. I did put it in the wrong place. SORRY. How does the clear coat hold up? And you are right screw polishing all the time. Has anyone ever tried to have the face of an aluminum wheel chromed? Can it be done and how costly might it be? BB

[b-man]

Originally Posted by BB1968

B-man thanks for moving my thread. I did put it in the wrong place. SORRY. How does the clear coat hold up? And you are right screw polishing all the time. Has anyone ever tried to have the face of an aluminum wheel chromed? Can it be done and how costly might it be? BB

You're welcome, I don't mind moving threads. Any aluminum wheel can be chromed, but you wouldn't like paying the price.

My factory clear-coated wheels are on my 2002 WS6 T/A, stock 17X9" WS6 wheels. The clear coat holds up fine, but keep in mind my T/A is a garage queen with less than 20K mile on it.

If at all possible, keep the car garaged. I used to keep my GTO with the Centerlines garaged, but I kicked it out many years ago to put another car in that can't sit out in the weather and the Centerlines suffered.

I gave up on trying to keep them polished, and now that I know the car will sit outside for the forseeable future painted wheels were a good solution. I wanted a new look anyway so it worked out for the best.

Now I have 3 different '64s with black painted wheels. The Tempest coupe has 17X8s all around, the GTO hardtop has 15X8s/15X5s and I have a Lemans convertible with 14X6s all around with skinny whites and spinner hubcaps.

You just have to get used to polishing them every now and then, I really don't know any other way. Garaging the car is key, a lot less oxidation that way.

[Mr_GTO]

Mothers mag and aluminum polish, a high speed drill and buffing wheel. Shine them right up, then I typically put a coat of Zaino on the wheels.

[6D6GOAT]

keeping up on aluminum is the reason i spent the extra money and went with chrome plated torque trusts (actually only the spokes are chrome you still have to keep up on the rim but thats pretty easy)

what every happened to zoop seal? is that stuff any good. i remember looking at that stuff a year or so ago for my aluminum hood scoop. seems like i heard that it was a little expensive but worked pretty good.

[HWYSTR455]

I used Zoop on a set of brand new AREs, after polishing the heck out of them. It's a pain to apply, you have to have the all prep'd and totally clen before you start, and it's best to have the tires off the rims. As for the results, well, the loose a bit of luster/shine by applying it, but will say, after 6 months of sitting outside, they still look the same. Shoot, I had a lug nut that was nicked during install rust, and the wheels still look the same! I'd say for a street car it would be fine, but for something you don't drive often and/or show, nothing beats the just-polished look.