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Restoring some old 92 Camaro RS tires/rims -- tips?
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Restoring some old 92 Camaro RS tires/rims -- tips?
Hi all -- restoring my old 92 Camaro RS V6 3.1 and the tires/rims are next on my list. I'd love to be able to just replace the 235/55R16 wheels and then restore the rims, if possible.
Two questions about working on the rims:
1) Where can I go to get matching wheel nuts and nut covers as well as the "CAMARO" center caps?
2) Any tips and tricks to cleaning and polishing the rims once I get the wheels off?
Some example photos of their poor current state below -- Thanks!
Re: Restoring some old 92 Camaro RS tires/rims -- tips?
Do you want to restore them or make them really shinny? I like the wheel buffing kit Eastwood sells but it takes about 6 hrs a wheel to do it right. If you want them factory you don't go to the full shine but you get it to a mat finish and then clear coat.
Aircraft stripper is the only thing I've had luck getting the factory clear coat and finishing off. But you loose the machine tooling with the buffing method. If you want to make them "original" then chemical strip, very light acid etching to clean any staining on the aluminum and then re clear coat. Even then a eagle eye can tell you its not an original finish.
Hawks have the caps and etc but you can find them cheaper on amazon or ebay. OER makes officially licensed lugnuts, caps, and senters for most of our wheels but I bought chrome covers for the lugnuts for my new wheels and chrome center caps. I got new center stickers printed and shipped (from china... didn't realize it at the time I ordered) there are random companies out there that will make custom ones if you send the art work. Hawks also has many of the wheels in reproductions.
I have restored wheels and to do it 100% it takes 6 hours a wheel of real work, the reproductions are $700-$1000 a set of 4... so its honestly hard to justify restoring the wheels unless there are no reproductions or you are going for a concourse restoration.
