Question about polished wheels

C

CleanGSR

New member
I've got a Black '00 Integra with 99 Civic SI wheels. The wheels are currently gunmetal in color but am thinking about polishing the faces. I've Photoshopped the look on my car and love how it looks but concerned with maintanence. This is my daily driver and maintaining black with 2 washes per week is already kind of a pain. Would the polished wheels be a pain to keep clean and will they need polished a lot to keep their shine? Also, what do you guys think about using my pc w/ an old Propel Green pad to polish them out....might make things faster.



Any input on whether this is a good/bad idea on a daily driver would be appreciated.
 
I have a polished and cleared aluminum rims. They may not get "dirty" as some people consider dirty - but they're a paint to keep clean. Several days after cleaning, polished wheels get a film on them that isn't hard to remove, but none-the-less it's there.



Polished rims look cool if they're clean. Everything comes with a price. If you wash your car once a week - you can wipe your wheels off easily with a MF and some solution.
 
So this "film" easily wipes off w/ some QD? I wipe the wheels down every wash anyway so that wouldn't be anything new. Plus the wheels are really flat-faced so the PC might make quick work of the polishing. How often to you have to re-polish them to keep them shiny?
 
Well, being that they're clear coated, I don't have to polish them at all. I just wipe the thin layer of dirt-film off when I was with a clean MF and some QD.



Chrome rims need polishing and more maintenance since the metal is exposed to the elements. I'm assuming your wheels are clear-coated and not chrome?
 
Right now they are painted gunmetal color. When done they will be highly polished aluminum with no clear. Just the straight aluminum. I've seen it done and it looks great......it's the maintenance that worries me a little since I drive it daily and in the rain, etc...
 
CleanGSR said:
...they will be highly polished aluminum with no clear. Just the straight aluminum. I've seen it done and it looks great
Click to expand...



Yikes. I'm sure they'll look stunning, but bare aluminum is, IMO, more of a nightmare to keep clean and new than chrome. Do you live in a salty (winter or near the sea) environment? If so, you'll have to keep your wheels clean from salt or they'll start to pit. Or, get then cleared.
 
The biggest problem with uncoated polished aluminum is the fact that it oxidizes over time..

Couldn't you throw a coat of wax or sealant over the wheels after polishing them to protect the finish?
 
Even a coat of wax or sealant (unless reapplied regularly) isn't going to keep the metal from oxidizing at all. I would highly recommend you clear coat them. Which will only add to their luster. And, they'll be easier to maintain, since you can buff on them like paint.
 
I've never liked clearcoating a polished wheel. (Unless it's a factory wheel, like the 02 WS6's) The finish is never as bright as it is uncoated, IMO.
 
Actually clear coat will take a lot away from the luster. If I clear then I'll have to stop sanding at 800 grit so the clear will stick. Without clear I can work my way down to 1500-2000 grit and get them looking ridiculously shiny. They put rocks down in the winter instead of salt here and in Missouri so no sea salt in the air. Mild oxidation should be okay. Wouldn't be any worse than buffing out part of the paint. Plus these wheels are pretty flat faced so I'm confident that the PC will work to help polish them quick. Here's a pic of the wheels polished like I want.



100_2881%28edit%29.jpg




107_4179%28edit%29.jpg
 
I love those wheels when they are polished! I am working on some polished ITRs with my friend at the moment.



I have another friend who did the same on some GSR hammerheads, but he clearcoated them and did lose some shine. But since these wheels are your daily's, I suspect you might have to make some sacrifice in the looks department to make them easier to maintain.



I wonder how P21S polishing soap would work on those wheels as the pad it comes with is almost the same size as the spokes and would make cleaning them very easy.
 
Is there anyway that you could find out what grit he stopped sanding with when he cleared them and find a pic. If not I understand, just wanting to see the look w/ them polished and cleared rather than straight polished.



This is the car they'll be on by the way. Should look good against the glossy black I think.

IMG_0917.jpg


^^Winter wheels
 
Nice looking car. I detailed a black GSR this past weekend.



I will find out and post in this thread.

I would look on Honda-Tech for pics, but I can guarantee it will look amazing!!!!!!
 
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