restoring old rims????help
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Joined: Mar 2008
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From: richmond/Virginia
Car: 1984 z28 camaro
Engine: 305
restoring old rims????help
i would really want to know how to restore my rims. i always hear people talking about how they restored their rims and what not and i see it done. and it looks great, i want to restore mine because i kinda dont like aftermarket rims unless they look really good plus i dont wanna spend all kinds of money on some rims.
any advice would be very apreciated
any advice would be very apreciated
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Joined: Dec 1999
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From: Calgary
Car: 89 Formula
Engine: 350
Transmission: TH 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.27
Re: restoring old rims????help
you have the factory 15" Z28 rims?
Years ago I sanded blasted a set--primed them and painted bright silver. Turned out pretty good.
I also did a set of 15: Pontiac Ralley rims. Same procedure but I had to mask---thats a bitch!
Had my 16" High Tech Pontiac rims professionally done.
Years ago I sanded blasted a set--primed them and painted bright silver. Turned out pretty good.
I also did a set of 15: Pontiac Ralley rims. Same procedure but I had to mask---thats a bitch!
Had my 16" High Tech Pontiac rims professionally done.
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Joined: Sep 2007
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From: NORTH EAST GA
Car: 84 z28
Engine: 355
Transmission: TH350
Axle/Gears: one wheel peel
Re: restoring old rims????help
those would look killer polished............ruff sand em with 320 and get all the color off, then water sand with 400, then 600, then 1000, then 1500, spray em with clear coat and they should look real good, if they aint any nicked places on them
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From: Putnam Valley, NY
Car: 1992 RS 6spd
Engine: Carbed 357c.i.
Transmission: Built T56
Axle/Gears: Soon to be Strange S60
Re: restoring old rims????help
Everything he said is true, except you are going to need an aluminum polishing kit to get them to shine. Those can be pricey so don't jump in till you know what you want to do.
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From: Putnam Valley, NY
Car: 1992 RS 6spd
Engine: Carbed 357c.i.
Transmission: Built T56
Axle/Gears: Soon to be Strange S60
Re: restoring old rims????help
Back to prep work for you then bro. Make sure you prep the parts of the rim to be painted, ie. medium-high grit sand paper wet first, then high-really high grit sand paper wet, then a really extensive cleaning, then tape off, then paint of your choice, not nearly as expensive as polishing, and probably a bit less time consuming. Just rememer if you are rattle canning it, prime with the same company as your base coat color, ie. rustoleum auto primer with rustoleum gold with rustoleum clear. It'll all work better most of the time within the same company because of the chemicals they use to make their specific types of paint.
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From: Putnam Valley, NY
Car: 1992 RS 6spd
Engine: Carbed 357c.i.
Transmission: Built T56
Axle/Gears: Soon to be Strange S60
Re: restoring old rims????help
Thats the company for rattle cans I like the bast. See what you like, I just like the mid level thickness of rustoleum.
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From: Putnam Valley, NY
Car: 1992 RS 6spd
Engine: Carbed 357c.i.
Transmission: Built T56
Axle/Gears: Soon to be Strange S60
Re: restoring old rims????help
Thats up to you man. I would use a gray or white primer if doing the gold over in the same color. Basically this is what I would do. Pick your primer according you your color coat, the lighter the color the lighter the primer, the more vibrant the color, go with gray primer, and of course if you do it black go with black primer. As for clear coat, remember to hit the newly painted and dried surface with like 1200 grit wet paper, clean it, dry it, then LIGHTLy apply coats of clear till desiered shine is achieved.
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From: Putnam Valley, NY
Car: 1992 RS 6spd
Engine: Carbed 357c.i.
Transmission: Built T56
Axle/Gears: Soon to be Strange S60
Re: restoring old rims????help
Lots of polishing I guess, thats more out of my league with the chrome and the gold, if it were my rims I'd do black and gold but thats just me.
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From: NORTH EAST GA
Car: 84 z28
Engine: 355
Transmission: TH350
Axle/Gears: one wheel peel
Re: restoring old rims????help
if you sand the polished parts with 1500 itll come out slick and you wont see any scratches
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From: maryland
Car: 91 maro
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Re: restoring old rims????help
yea i wet sanded my old rs rims and cleared them i really wish i kept them for drag tires,o well i like my torq thrust
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From: South East Michigan
Car: 1986 Firebird / 1985 Trans-Am
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Re: restoring old rims????help
My only additional suggestion would be cleaning and degreasing your rims really good first before you start your sanding or you risk embedding some oil or grease into the rims and then possibly ending up with fish eyes when you paint.
Not saying it will happen, just you increase the chance of it, if you start sanding on dirty rims.
Not saying it will happen, just you increase the chance of it, if you start sanding on dirty rims.
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