Topic: Started on the rims
in Forum: C3 Car Care
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Lifetime MemberAsh Fork, AZ - USA
Joined: 4/18/2007
Posts: 1058
Vette(s): 1981 Red Interior White exterior
I've got the stock aluminum rims that have sat for about 10 yrs. Very dirty with a few curb nicks in them but in pretty good shape, no pitting. I read a ton of advice on how to best approach cleaning them up so my daughter and I could get to work. The best advice was to find a shady place to work
. I picked up som 400 and 600 grit paper along with Mother's power ball mini, the Power Metal liquid and Mag and Aluminum paste. We sat with about 20lbs of cotton clothes and started using some elbow grease.
. I picked up som 400 and 600 grit paper along with Mother's power ball mini, the Power Metal liquid and Mag and Aluminum paste. We sat with about 20lbs of cotton clothes and started using some elbow grease.
I started with just using the paste because I was concred with roughing up the rims too much woth the paper. Long story short, I moved to using the 400 grit after not being sattisfied with the first results with the paste. After an initial sanding with the 400 and then the 600 I was amazed at how great these rims turned out. I next applied the paste but wasn't very happy with the dullness of the shine. When I say dull it is in comparison to the brilliant shine I got right after using the 600 grit paper. I can only assume that the tiny scratches left from the paper left more reflectable area and the paste smoothed most of it off.
Maybe I didn't buff it long enough? I'm going to rebuff and see what happens I might go to a finer paper and check the results. Either way the rims look tons better! I love putting a cleaned up rim next to one that's still rough.
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I did mine with a buffer, and rubbing compound first. Then went back over them with a polishing compound. Turned out really nice and shiny.
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Lifetime MemberAsh Fork, AZ - USA
Joined: 4/18/2007
Posts: 1058
Vette(s): 1981 Red Interior White exterior
I put a little more time into buffing with thte Mother's mini ball and HOLY COW!! Man do they look great. I can barely type at this point as my fingers are badly cramped and stiff but well worth the price.
Here's what I did:
400 grit wet sanded until the blemishes were gone
600 grit wet sanded to get rid of the swirl marks
Mother's mini ball and Mother's Mag And Aluminum paste for a solid 30 minutes
Use damp cotton clothe to take up the paste
paper towels to buff...it's what i had handy, I was to lazy to get up and find good, clean, useable rags
put on sunglasses, stood back, stared and became one with my satisfaction
Dave C..........My mantra: I can not be bought!! Long and short term leases available.
In the words of Zora Arkus-Duntov "Is your seat belt fastened? Alright, Let's go"
Yeah, I know, Shut up Dave.
Yeah, I know, Shut up Dave.
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Sounds like a good process - will have to keep in mind if the Lukester wants to put her old shoes back on...
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My rims need some work but I need to check before I do this you used sand paper on the rims and you were able to get a good shine back on the rims??????You buffed with paste for 30min.???
Could you all just confirm this before I put paper to the rims??? Thanks BB78
Lifetime MemberAsh Fork, AZ - USA
Joined: 4/18/2007
Posts: 1058
Vette(s): 1981 Red Interior White exterior
I promise to post pics as soon as I can get my kid to do it for me
. I wet sanded with 400 grit then 600 grit, you get a shine but lots of swirl marks, scared the heck out of me. I then used the mother's polish and that got rid of the swirl marks. It may have been longer than a half an hour but certainly not more than an hour. I am sure I can get an even better shine if I was more experienced with a buffer and buffing compounds. But, never take 1 guys word for it, you can try it out on the inside of the rim where you'll never see it. I was going to do the back/inside of my rims but decided I had too many other projects to complete.
. I wet sanded with 400 grit then 600 grit, you get a shine but lots of swirl marks, scared the heck out of me. I then used the mother's polish and that got rid of the swirl marks. It may have been longer than a half an hour but certainly not more than an hour. I am sure I can get an even better shine if I was more experienced with a buffer and buffing compounds. But, never take 1 guys word for it, you can try it out on the inside of the rim where you'll never see it. I was going to do the back/inside of my rims but decided I had too many other projects to complete.
Dave C..........My mantra: I can not be bought!! Long and short term leases available.
In the words of Zora Arkus-Duntov "Is your seat belt fastened? Alright, Let's go"
Yeah, I know, Shut up Dave.
Yeah, I know, Shut up Dave.
Lifetime Member #192
I have used Mothers but get faster results using "Wenol" it's a paste much heavier than mothers. It gets really black when you work it hard, blacker the better. You can purchase buffing cones for your drill (higher the RPM the better) from Eastwood. I have done the rims without sandpaper but mine may not have been as bad as yours.
Wenol may be hard to find but it is on ebay, about $10 bucks a tube, 2 tube should restore even the worst I'd think. Autosol is another good polish that some here use.
Either way its a time consuming job, but you yield great results for your labor Nice wheels are the first thing that gets noticed.
ebo
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