My friend sent me this link I have a 300E..she's been re-painted and looks real sporty but I was thinking about trying this, basically sanding down the rims and polishing them, apparently they'll turn out shiny? and I'm terrified but I'm going to do it anyway..Has anyone done this before and does anyone NOT recommend doing this? This is the linkhttp://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=547333 Any disaster stories please let me know thanx! ~Dehaven

 

I know several guys who do this to parts under the hood. They take really ugly and awful looking dull aluminum parts and when they're done polishing them they look like they're made of chrome. I've seen two-dollar looking Mustangs and Camaros look like two-million dollars under the hood after every aluminum part is polished. It's a lot of work but it's eye-candy when it's done.

I'm too old to do it but maybe you're not. Get a rotary tool (Dremel) as part of your electric polishing arsenal. It's too small to do the large faces of wheels but you'll be glad you have one to do the weird angles and nooks and crannies. You can get all the polishing wheels just like the Wenol kit has and sandpaper wheels are also available.

The guys I know forego the sanding and start with buffing compounds and go to rouges. It's probably faster and more productive to start with sandpaper on something with a surface area as large as four wheels, though. Assuming the VW guy really did his wheels, I'd take his advice on the grits. You have to have learned something by the time you start doing the fourth wheel.

Finally, I would always clearcoat a part when you're done. Aluminum doesn't rust like steel, but it does erode. If you don't protect the finish, it will oxidize and become pitted. If you clean a non-clearcoated aluminum part with a white cloth, you can see the black oxidation come off onto the cloth. Water and salt from winter roads will speed the erosion process of course. They wouldn't last one winter where I grew up without becoming pitted. You won't have to keep re-polishing if you spray them with clearcoat.

It's my understanding that once you start doing this you can't stop. Look under your hood to check how many ugly, dirty, dull aluminum parts are under there. Now imagine if they all shined like brand new chrome.

 

okaay..I started it..just one at a time in case something went horribly wrong..It looks sooooo good..the sanding is the hardest part it takes a long time..and if you're going to do this you really don't want to get that aircraft stripper on your hands..it felt like it was eating through my skin to the bones[:@].other than not wearing gloves, I've done well so far and it's looking great! Thx to lugnut on the dremel sanding bits suggestion it helps get in between the tiny parts

 

That aircraft stuff sounds like my BBQ sauce. Dangerous!

Keep us posted. Take pics if you can.

 

How did the wheels turn out? What year is your 300E? Do you have any pics you can post?

 

yeah, show us the photo.

make sure it's not chrome.

 

Okaaaaay...yes the rims look GREAAAT..they look like chrome but of course they're not..which is better, if they scratch you can just polish them out. BUT..unless you're reaalllly good at polishing sanding aluminum I wouldnt try it. I started and it was going fine but you have to do it VERY EVENLY or it can cause pits which look really bad..I ended up calling a guy locally who does this for a living.took him 5 days!.when he was done they looked like brand new shiny chrome, and he was ALL SILVER he looked like the tinman from the wizard of Oz..he did a really good job and it cost about 80 bux a wheel..not bad when you see how they look..which you will, as soon as I put the picture on, which I will soon I promise. Also, something that doesnt make the car loook ummm, well like you "pimped your ride" but looks really sporty are replacing the amber side indicator covers with clear ones, which I did, and I'll show you what that looks like as well. ~Dehaven

 

cool. U da man.

 

i fully agree with the wheel rims.

one time, one mechanic used paint thinner to remove a small spot on a rim, and we found out there was a top coat on it! it becomes so shiny, that all we have to do is strip the top coat from other rims also.

well, the customer complains because he said it was too shiny. we respray them to make a dull shine.

 

Okaaay..this thing is giving me problems posting pictures soooo...I made a homepage and put them on there so you guys can see the rims and the lights..anyone done anything else they can share with me? Appreciate it. See ya. ~Dehaven (here's the link to pics):http://hometown.aol.com/michaeld407/page2.html