The clear coat is going on my 89 16" IROCs and the aluminum looks spotty-oxidized.

Is it easy to reclear myself or expensive for shop?

I'm also thinking of polishing the aluminum faces- I like that look. Any recommendations for a tool/method?

The paint (grey) is very good (between the "spokes")

 

I love my polished wheels! -pardon the water spots!

 

Tootie Pang - did you check out the new Hawks IROC repo's?

Anyone know if the new Hawks 17" IROC repo's can be purchased with the polished finish?
I saw they have them in chrome, but I prefer polished.

 

I don't believe they are offered polished. They will work with you for custom finishes though. Before they confirmed that gold WOULD be available, I asked about having them polished and painted (in gold), to match my stock 16's. They said they could do it. ....never took it beyond that, and then they announced the factory gold, so that's what I'm gonna go with.

 

Good to know - Thanks !!

 

Aluminum Aircraft stripper will cut the clear coat but it will not cut the primer under the gold paint (at least it didn't on GTA wheels). Its nasty stuff you will need thick gloves and other safety equipment.

Personally for a daily I would buff them out to a clearcoatable surface and then have a body shop clear coat them with some really hard clear. One that can bake on the finish. Most DIY clear will yellow over time.

On my GTA wheels I left them in polished metal and over the years they have been hard to keep clean. For a show car or a week end cruiser you can't beat the shine of fully polished metal.

with that said expect about 4 hours a wheel... how much is your time worth to you?

 

I have some free time here and there but four hours a wheel?! Yikes. Is that to polish them from the clear coat now? Using air/power tools?

 

Strip with stripper will take you about 1-2 hours for all 4, excluding letting them sit with the stripper on them.
Sanding, polishing, polishing, and more polishing (each step with finer buffing compound) will take about 4 hours a wheel with power/air tools. (you would never finish without power/air)
tapping, painting the color is probably another 1-2 hours for all 4.

And at least for me this was full on working. No if you have a big buffer motor you might save some time, but you also have to be careful not to burn the metal. Media blasting them to an even surface if there are any pitting will also save some time.

I've done GTA, formula, and a few truck wheels over the years... every time I do a set I say I will never do it again...

 

I have seen a process of striping cast aluminum, I believe it is called "Chemical Blasting" A friend showed it to me on his phone so I have no link or any other info on who or where it can be done.
It makes it them look like new and does not alter the surface of the cast. Then just have them recleared.

 

Refinishing wheels in any capacity takes time. ....I cleaned, sanded, prepped, primed, and painted my Trailblazer wheels a few years ago, and it took the entire weekend. ....on my Irocs that I have pictured about, it was easily 4 hours per wheel. EASY. ....did them over a couple weeks. It was worth it though. That was almost 15 years ago, and they still only need about 30 minutes a wheel, once a year to bring 'em back to 95% as close to perfect as the day I did 'em. Definitely NOT a daily driver though.