T308

Can anyone recommend a wheel restoration service in Los Angeles? I've got a set that needs some freshening (curb rash).

Thanks!

JohnnyRock

Whereabouts in LA are you located? Plenty of places, almost too many to mention. What sort of work did you need performed?

T308

Work on the Westside (La Cienega & the 10), live in the San Gabriel Valley.

This is the worst one, but they all have a little rash.

JohnnyRock

OK, super easy to do. You can actually do your own repair, if you are so inclined. Otherwise, you just want them refinished and painted/powder coated again, right? They're gonna look **** when you do.

Lot of great places to have them done in your area. Try Bolton wheels in Gardena, CA. Also, if you're willing to travel a bit, hit up my buddy Lenny at Wheels Specialties in San Bernardino.

Here's his contact info:

Lenny Stahl

Wheel Specialties
665 S. Lincoln Ave.
San Bernardino, CA 92408

email: wheelspecialties@hotmail.com
web: www.wheel-specialties.com
Phone (909) 514-0091 Fax (909) 890-5051

Plenty of reputable options, 1552 in Costa Mesa, VR Wheels in City of Industry, Rotiform in OC....All have good reps.

mkoons

JohnnyRock,
I could use some minor touch-up also, don't want to tie-up car in shop for week. Would you outline your procedure for getting rid of those nasty little scrapes (naturally done by a previous owner) Center paint is fine.
Appreciate your comments.

T308

Thanks. I just emailed him.

JohnnyRock

2 ways of cleaning up the lips. I think it's fair to say that after 12+ years on the road and with several owner changes, most of us have some sort of curb rash.

METHOD 1

Remove the wheel from the car and sand the offending area down starting with a sanding block, medium grit should be fine, depends on how deep your scratches are. It shouldn't be necessary to start at a coarse grit, otherwise, you've got something real deep. Also, need I mention that you should, "sand with the grain"? In other words, follow the curve of the wheel.

Oops, I should clarify here...when I say 'sand', I mean, 'WETSAND'. Use a bucket with a little bit of soap (which acts as a lubricant during the sanding process). Work your way down from a medium sanding block to 220 grit sandpaper, 400 grit, 800 grit, etc. Depending on the finish you want, end up with 1000, 1500 or 2000 grit.

Remember to repeatedly dunk your sanding block/sand paper in the water bucket every step of the way. You're going to remove that icky clearcoat, so be prepared to clean your lips on a regular basis. You can use a Mother's Powerball and some polish to really make them shine, if you want.

If you wish to paint your rims, order some Wurth silver lacquer spray paint. It's the OEM 'silver' color for just about every German-made wheel and should be a dead-ringer for AMG silver. Test before spraying to make sure the laquer doesn't 'craze' your OEM wheel paint. If it does, chances are that's not OEM paint.

If you have really deep scratches, I would suggest a professional handle the work, or just try to source a new wheel.

METHOD 2

Basically an off-shoot of METHOD 1, the main difference is that you will:
1) Chock the front wheels, 2) Jack up the rear of the car, 3) Use jackstands to secure the rear (!! most important, don't be a fool!!) 4) Start motor and engage "D" and 5) Start sanding down your wheels using the rotational force of the motor.

Obviously, this method IS NOT for the faint-of-heart! Your wheel will be spinning and you could lose a finger or two if you are not careful.

The plus side is the sanding is much easier and have a 'crisper' line between the lip and face. Also, the finish will be much more uniform and come close to having a high-polish look once you get down to 1500-2000 grit.

SUPPLIES: The sanding block I'm referring to is easliy purchased at most Home or hardware stores. They are typically found in the paint section. They are the size of a standard kitchen sponge and have a similar, albeit firmer, construction.

As for sandpaper, I would recommend 3M products. If you can source it from a auto paint and body store, so much the better. I've noticed the better equipped Pep Boys and O'Reilly's actually have higher-quality products like 3M and Eastwood in stock for body work.

I sourced my Wurth paint online. I believe Pelican Parts carries it.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a pro and this was posted for your amusement. If you have any doubts, seek professional assistance. It's not my fault if you screw up your wheels or get injured. Seriously.