Hello. Just bought a 245 turbo and the wheels need some serious TLC. The previous owner must have used some really bad wheel cleaner on them because the finish is basically eaten off the wheels. In fact, they look almost white in many places. I'm thinking of sanding them down and then painting them myself. I'd like then to look as stock as possible. Can anybody help me as to what type of sandpaper to use and what type of paint? Don't wanna screw this up. Thanks for the input.

I would wash with TSP, Sand with 100/150 grit + nylon pad, clean ,, Prime with Rustoleum 5/4 wet coats. Let dry overnight. Sand with 180/220 and nylon pad. Prime again..until you see and feel smooth. Apply Color coat and clear. always use a Tack Rag..
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john,,1985, 245:Ti, 251k mi..so.california

I do not know if my experiences are transferrable to your area, but still: Last autumn I spent a lot of effort (time + sweat) to recondition a set of Coronas. With 3M pads and brass wire wheels in the drill + steel brushes in my Dremel tool I worked my way down to mostly bare metal. Then I used an aluminium primer and finally wheel paint. It took a whole weekend + a few afternoons. The result was okay, but not professional.

But as I also had two sets of Virgos with ugly paint, I checked around. To discover that the local prison have a workshop where they do small jobs like this. So now I have got my sets of Virgos beadblasted and DuPont powdercoated(!!) for LESS than I paid for 3M pads and paint for my Coronas. And the Virgos look like brand new.

My point is that it could be worth checking if there are any schools or prisons in your neighbourhood that does jobs like this for reasonable money.

Erling.
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My 240 Page

I have had good luck using Naval Jelly...comes in a pink plastic container from the hardware store....less than $5. It will take the white stuff you see, the old clear coat, and the oxidation off. All you do is wipe it on let it sit for a while, and then hose it off. You might have to give them several treatments to get the wheels totally clean, and you will need to clear coat them when you are done to keep them bright.

Forget the sandpaper! Sometimes I have used some 0000 very fine steal wool to bring up the shine....but only rubbing "with the grain". However, most of the time all you need is the Naval Jelly.

I would try one wheel first and see what you think....if they are not pitted, I think you might be amazed at the results, especially if you want to restore them to a "stock" look.

Good Luck!

Naval Jelly from the Loctite company? I thought that was for rust removal. Let me check it out. Yeah, just went to the website. Loctite says it's for rust removal all right, but you say to put this on the virgos to take the clear coat off them? How does it make the wheel then - nice and smooth? The problem I have is that most of the finish is gone from my wheels (the silver paint that is) and this makes the wheels look fairly white in appearance. Will the naval jelly remove the rest of the silver paint so I'll have a "clean" surface on which to respray some Duplicolor paint to be finished by a spray-on clear coat? Come to think of it, I should prime the wheel before adding the paint, yes?

Naval Jelly regardless of brand will work. It takes what is on off, so if you want to later paint, then it is a great surface prep. How your wheels look after the treatment will depend on how bad they actually are under the flaking finish and surface oxidation. Naval Jelly will not hide any pits or other flaws, but rather make them more visable because it will clean off what might be hidding them. Once you see what you have got, you might have to paint.

My experience has been with wheels from the West Coast...no salt or major corrosion problems to start with...they have come out fine. I painted the centers black once, and got some special spray paint in cans from an Auto Paint Supply that were formulated to stick to aluminum...it held up well.

Good Luck!

How long do you let the jelly sit on the wheels - 5, 10, 15 minutes? I don't want to leave it on too long if it can damage the wheels or something. Thanks.

Ya I have a nice set of rare wheels for my 245. I fouled up the spare with sand paper--you can never get it quite right and it takes forever. Get them blasted if possible and then paint them. The white stuff on the rim is endemic to all alumium wheels over time the clear coat just peels away. Some people have stripped the coating off and used steel wool (very fine) to buff them up. This way you can preserve the lath marks in the metal. However, the oxidation is really tuff to get off. I have yet to find a product that gets rid of the dark marks short of using my grinder on the things.

Nathan

Thanks Nathan. I'm gonna try to do a poor man's spray with duplicolor and see what happens. If it goes bad, I'll have them bead blasted and powder coated. The quote I got was $50 a wheel. If I screw it up or it looks bad, i'll just ante up the 200 bucks and have them professionally done.

I've repainted about 10 Virgo wheels. I usually wet sand with 220 to start with, and take off enough finish to get it smooth to the touch, which means no flaking clear coat or brake dust pitted areas.

When painting the wheels, don't over do it. You can't put a coat of paint on the entire wheel at one time and expect them to come out looking good. Start with the back side because that will put overspray on the front side, and you want to cover that up. Then do the area at the base of the spokes where it meets the rim. To shoot down in there, you will leave uneven paint on other areas, so do this part first. At the same time, you can paint the sides of the spokes, and even the tops of the spokes. If you want to paint inside the holes around the lugs, do that early on as well. Sometimes I hold the can up close almost inside the hole, and tap the nozzle as I pull the can away quickly. Works better with the standard round spray pattern, not so good with the fan spray.

I try to finish off with a coat on the tops of the spokes, and on the lip around the rim. That way you get the most even, smooth paint you can on the important parts.
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forums.turbobricks.com

If you have any curb rash, you can smooth it out with a good wet/dry sandpaper. Start with 150 for any heavy stuff, switch to 300, then 600. Use plenty of water and work slowly. It only takes about 15-20 minutes a wheel, depending on the damage.






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don hodgdon '89 744ti, '81 242t, '71 D-35

If you sand them they will look like shit. Unless you have access to a bead blaster. Get them done. Prime, paint, and seal them yourself. Check out www.eastwoodcompany.com for great rim and mag paint. The right product is very important when painting a rim... if you want it to last... or look good!

"If you sand them they will look like shit."

Isn't that what the paint is for?

Wet sand with 220, then if you wish, 400 to smooth out the fine scratches left by the 220. Clean, dry, and wipe down before painting. Spray about 3 coats and be done with it.
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forums.turbobricks.com

Thanks for the recommendation karmaticlove.