Wheels and finish's

[danny gabbard]

After chat'n with mr. Ratto , I though I'd start this thread. Lets see your wheels and finish's for a kind of reference for when we all restore some wheels. What paint/colors, primer, polishing , lugs , etc..Any tricks that might help everybody out. Here is a shot of some flat-4 wheels I did for my 67. First I machine'd off any emblem, cast into wheel. Had my helper Jorge file down sharp corner's on spokes from original machine work. Then started with 200-600 grit to sand and prep for polish'r. Then masked and prime'd with DTM primer and sprayed very dry to get a rough cast look and then painted semi gloss black useing cheep lacquer thinner instead of reducer to hopefully help get paint to blush . To further the flattening  effort in paint.

[danny gabbard]

Something I made for when I sent my 5 spokes out to get polished. I did not want polisher to lean into spokes that are a cast finish and mess the finish up. It screw onto the stock cap mounting screw holes

[Jim Ratto]

After chat'n with mr. Ratto , I though I'd start this thread. Lets see your wheels and finish's for a kind of reference for when we all restore some wheels. What paint/colors, primer, polishing , lugs , etc..Any tricks that might help everybody out. Here is a shot of some flat-4 wheels I did for my 67. First I machine'd off any emblem, cast into wheel. Had my helper Jorge file down sharp corner's on spokes from original machine work. Then started with 200-600 grit to sand and prep for polish'r. Then masked and prime'd with DTM primer and sprayed very dry to get a rough cast look and then painted semi gloss black useing cheep lacquer thinner instead of reducer to hopefully help get paint to blush . To further the flattening  effort in paint.

thanks Danny, I'm looking to augment the changes going on with a different finish on my Flat 4's, this will be fun to follow.

[DWL_Puavo]

One trick we've used with weary Porsche wheels, is to use ordinary acidic drain cleaner (normal stuff to unblock sewer pipes) to remove anodizing from the wheel. It's way easier and faster than to remove the anodizing mechanically. Of course the wheel looks hideous after, but it still cuts a great amount of elbow grease.

[ibg]

Usually drain cleaner is alkaline and made mostly of caustic soda, and yes is will remove anodising quickly. There are similar oven cleaning products.
I prefer to get the anodising stripped at the platers, a bit gentler

[Jason Foster]

I've used easy off oven cleaner to remove anodizing and if you watch it and be careful it will leave the part spotless. leave it on too long and you get the hideous effect.

[speedwell]

my empi were sandblasted too Danny , and i've added a mat clear coat on them , i like the way she looks on my car
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, there's a contrast between my car and wheels , and after removing them due to some cracks on , i've done the same treatment on my torker wheels " (copy of american racing torq trust D 5x205) , and adding a satin clear coat on them too
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 ,at the beginning , my idea was to have a magnesium finish , but those are aluminium , so they're weren't oxyded , and i like them on my car , but there isn't no contrast between my car and wheels
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  they look the same , but last week i've painted them in dark grey to have a magnesium finish , and i like them , now next step will be put back the wheels on the car to see the result
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[Jim Ratto]

Fabs, I like that grey "magnesium" color in the last photo, similar to what I am thinking for my Flat 4's

[speedwell]

Fabs, I like that grey "magnesium" color in the last photo, similar to what I am thinking for my Flat 4's

the last thing i would like to do on my wheels would be an oxydation look like the real magnesium wheels , but i don't know how to do it

[danny gabbard]

A chemical I use to clean alum before welding, Works good for just cleaning wheels. I get it at my local welding supply store, Automotive paint stores carry something like it called aluma-prep

[danny gabbard]

A set of 4-3/4 and 5-3/4 riviera's I restored and the same paint treatment I did to a set on my squareback I drove in highschool in about 1980-1

[speedwell]

i've just painting my empi 5 to try some tricks to have an aspect to oxidize
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what do think with the colorof wheels with the color of my car ?? more contrast then before
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[Lee.C]

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