Polishing Wolfrace wheels
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Re: Polishing Wolfrace wheels
Hi Nigel. Welcome to the light/dark side (delete as appropriate)Nigel Clark wrote:I used this firm in Melton Mowbray to refurbish the Revolution wheels on my TR6 about 3 years ago.
http://www.alloywheelrepair.co.uk/
The Revolutions had a diamond polished rim with lacquer that had blistered. I had the wheels cleaned and polished but not lacquered - the rims just need a polish once a year to keep smart. This service wasn't cheap, about £50 per corner from memory, but I'm happy with the result.
Nigel

A local contact is most welcome.
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1977 SE6a, previously 1985 1300 SS1
Worlds longest coupe restoration
Chief mechanic for offspring's fleet (SE5a, Bond Equipe, Ford Focus)
Henry Royce: "The quality remains long after the price is forgotten"
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Re: Polishing Wolfrace wheels
Noggin wisdom last night was that glass bead blasting gives a good finish. Discuss.
Ford Fiesta
1977 SE6a, previously 1985 1300 SS1
Worlds longest coupe restoration
Chief mechanic for offspring's fleet (SE5a, Bond Equipe, Ford Focus)
Henry Royce: "The quality remains long after the price is forgotten"
1977 SE6a, previously 1985 1300 SS1
Worlds longest coupe restoration
Chief mechanic for offspring's fleet (SE5a, Bond Equipe, Ford Focus)
Henry Royce: "The quality remains long after the price is forgotten"
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Re: Polishing Wolfrace wheels
Hello Scmarf,
I wouldn't have thought that would give a polished finish but a matt one? Although aluminium is soft it is difficult and tedious to polish to a good shine with just average DIY kit.
Alec
Alec
I wouldn't have thought that would give a polished finish but a matt one? Although aluminium is soft it is difficult and tedious to polish to a good shine with just average DIY kit.
Alec
Alec
1968 Triumph 2.5 P.I., Jaguar X Type estate 2.5, 1962 Jaguar MK 2, very long term restoration. 1991 Hymer 564 motorhome
- Roger Pennington
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Re: Polishing Wolfrace wheels
Yes, I can't speak from personal experience, but I would have thought that if you wanted a polished finish, you'd still have to polish it afterwards? It might be a good way of removing dirt, lacquer, and light corrosion, (without using chemical strippers) though how it would deal with heavier corrosion pitting, I don't know?
....Roger
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Re: Polishing Wolfrace wheels
I've blasted the ally bumper trims on an SE6, I can assure you you will certainly not like the finish it gives
SE4c rebuilding. SE5a similar it seems!
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Re: Polishing Wolfrace wheels
On my SE6 I had, I did one wheel (the spare) then sold the car
I used Brillo pads, very lightly and T cut and then if I remember right I used WD40 to finish off with, it was just an experiment really but quite pleased with the end result.
I did it all by hand, no tools used at all and God did I know about it, It did take about a day to do the one but it looked good in the end.
There are places out there that do them and like Nigel says about £50 per wheel but I don't think that is bad really for the work that goes into them, but some people would like the challenge and to say I did that
I used Brillo pads, very lightly and T cut and then if I remember right I used WD40 to finish off with, it was just an experiment really but quite pleased with the end result.
I did it all by hand, no tools used at all and God did I know about it, It did take about a day to do the one but it looked good in the end.
There are places out there that do them and like Nigel says about £50 per wheel but I don't think that is bad really for the work that goes into them, but some people would like the challenge and to say I did that
Polishing up Slotmags
Brought a set of wolfrace slotmags and I'm going to polish them up, any recommendations on products? Tools? Cloths? Techniques? Cheers 

Re: Polishing up Slotmags
.......depending who bad they are id try sanding wet n dry with some 2000 grit, then get a firm mop head on a mopper with some cutting paste G3 THEN G10, im sure itll work on alloy, my slots have been sprayed silver, ill be looking into getting them polished to original spec
Re: Polishing up Slotmags
.......depending how bad they are id try sanding wet n dry with some 2000 grit, then get a firm mop head on a mopper with some cutting paste G3 THEN G10, im sure itll work on alloy, my slots have been sprayed silver, ill be looking into getting them polished to original spec
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Re: Polishing Wolfrace wheels
I've merged this thread with the previous one on the same topic, so there's now a number of posts of extra info, before your question. 

....Roger
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Re: Polishing up Slotmags
Were they ever polished though, looking at mine I'd have thought not, dog rough finish only suitable for paintthe 70s wrote:.......depending who bad they are id try sanding wet n dry with some 2000 grit, then get a firm mop head on a mopper with some cutting paste G3 THEN G10, im sure itll work on alloy, my slots have been sprayed silver, ill be looking into getting them polished to original spec
SE4c rebuilding. SE5a similar it seems!
SAAB C900 2 door, Alfa Romeo GTV twinny
Scimitar SE4 SE4c SE5 SE6b Austin A35
High Peak Noggin Secretary & general dogsbody
www.high peak noggin
If things are going well with the rebuild you've missed a part out
SAAB C900 2 door, Alfa Romeo GTV twinny
Scimitar SE4 SE4c SE5 SE6b Austin A35
High Peak Noggin Secretary & general dogsbody
www.high peak noggin
If things are going well with the rebuild you've missed a part out
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Re: Polishing up Slotmags
My belief is that the original finish would be diamond-cut and polished, followed "probably" by lacquer. Certainly when I bought my car back in '83 the lacquer showed plenty of evidence of having been on the car for the 3 1/2 years or so from new, and when I stripped it, the original surface, complete with the tiny grooves from the cutting, was still visible.ScimmyMike wrote: Were they ever polished though, looking at mine I'd have thought not, dog rough finish only suitable for paint
Surely the whole point of a "slot-mag" style wheel, is the shiny polished dish?

Of course, 30 years down the road, who knows what wheels may have been subjected to, by uncaring previous owners?

....Roger
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"Condition can be bought at any time; Originality, once lost, is gone forever" - Doug Nye
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"Condition can be bought at any time; Originality, once lost, is gone forever" - Doug Nye
Re: Polishing Wolfrace wheels
Back in the eighties I purchased a new set of Wolrace wheels for my SE6 to replace the tatty chrome alloys and was given the option of having them normal or "super polished."
I opted for the latter and very shiny they were but also unlacquered...which was fine until they were used on salty roads which was an immediate disaster.I spent many hours re-polishing them myself and,lesson learned,applied a few coats of lacquer before they went back on the car.
I opted for the latter and very shiny they were but also unlacquered...which was fine until they were used on salty roads which was an immediate disaster.I spent many hours re-polishing them myself and,lesson learned,applied a few coats of lacquer before they went back on the car.