[michael lang]

I bought a pair of 7x16 Fuchs for the front of my 911 not that long ago. They're in pretty decent shape. I checked them for roundness and all looks good. I was also able to get about 99% of the brake dust and dirt from the wheels, especially on the inside. The centers are now gleaming but I'm having trouble with the lips. They are polished just like the current wheels on my 911. I bought that kit that's avail. to rejuvenate faded and corroded polish but it's not working. It is a cloth wheel that attaches to a drill and a stick of white chalk/paste that is claimed to bring back that bling of polished things. Originally I was planning on sending them out but I thought I would give it a try first. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I might try before I dig into my wallet to have them redone? Thanks!!

Mike

[Trak Ratt]

Shoot an e-mail to Larry Reynolds at Car Care Specialties. His site has a lot of information too.

[87turbolook911]

Michael...the lips of your wheels are most likely anodized and not polished. I don't think the anodized surface can be polished by hand.

If you want them polished, others may know how you can remove that anodized finish then you can proceed to polish the surface.

[michael lang]

Actually Vu, they are polished. They just have that rustic look to them. Alomost like little black spots around the lip surface of the wheel. I checked them out again after I posted this last night, I think I'm just going to have to pony up the cash and pay to have them redone. It's a shame I was really looking forward to redoing them myself. I just don't have all the right machining tools to do it.

Mike

[87turbolook911]

FWIW, I was looking to refinish my old 7's and 9's and spoke to Al Reed in California. Super nice guy and prices were good. Others and the board may no of some local vendors who can take care of you as well.

Good luck!

[KevinOyler]

Polishing requires many steps and patience. Sounds like you have pitting on the surface that needs removed. Try using 220 wet/dry or emery cloth to get the surface level. Then you need to use several different stages of polish to get to the shine. White is usually the finish stage in most systems, and the finish stage polish will not remove below surface defects, nor get the surface to the point for final shine polishing (at least not in a 24 hr day). 220, 400 sandpaper, then first stage, final stage polish is probably the minimum steps you can get by with on a slightly pitted surface.

[michael lang]

Thanks Kevin. I'll try that first. Vu, the cheapest I have been able to find is a pelicanite named Alex Magro ('70fasty). Anyway the pictures of wheels that he has redone on his website look very nice. He charges $85.00/wheel + shipping. I could always fall back on Danny Bush (Wheel Doctor), he'd be about $125.00/wheel but no shipping and he does pick up & delivery. So I was thinking that I'll try Kevin's suggestions first, then if I can't get that bling, I'll cough up the cash.

Mike

[Noah]

Don't use 220 -- that's MUCH too rough a grit. (When you're home-polishing Fuchs, after you strip the anodizing off, you start with 400 grit at the roughest. By starting with a rough grit paper, you're just creating more work for yourself by creating deep scratches in the aluminum that will have to be sanded out with each succeeding level of finer grit paper.)

Since they're already polished, wet sand them with 1500 or 2000. Then attack with the drill, buffing pad, and red polish. Make sure you use red polish, and load the buffing pad up with it by spinning the pad on the drill and pressing the stick of polish into it. Then buff with Meguiar's aluminum wheel polish with a new buffing pad. They'll look like chrome after that.

[michael lang]

Thanks for chiming in Noah. I remebered that your were telling me what you would do to redo the lips on the wheels & I told you that I was going to send them out. The more I thought about it the more I decided to try it myself before I ponied up the cash to get them redone. I just could not find your number to call you and ask what you were referring to. Thanks again!!

Mike

[KevinOyler]

Originally Posted by michael lang

They just have that rustic look to them. Alomost like little black spots around the lip surface of the wheel. I checked them out again after I posted this last night, I think I'm just going to have to pony up the cash and pay to have them redone. Mike

If you have black spots, it sounds like pitting. It will take an aggressive abrasive to get pits leveled out. Run your finger over the spots. If you can feel anything, then the pits are too deep for just polishing (unless you can accept shinny but visible depressions). If you can't tell, then you better have someone who has polished wheels take a look at them before you do anything. Good luck.