Reconditioning Alloys

[novanotts]

Does ne1 no of a company that reconditions alloys who aint expensive??!?
I appreciate ya help!!

[ade]

why not do them yerself?

cost alot less.

Body shops may do them for ya and there are some tyre places that also do them - theres a couple of laces up by me (drivers, Auto Image) who buy old alloys in part ex for new set - or will charge you to recon yer existing set. Dunno how much though - prob ?150+

Depends on how bad scuffed they are.

To do yerself, simply get a tyre place to remove the rubbers,
clean/degrease alloy.
sand back scuffed areas using orbital sander using 120 grit - do this gently - for deep scuffing, you may not be able to remove it all and really deep (as in crash damage) should be repaired professionally. for those hard to get at areas (like between spokes etc) use 240 grit.
The sand using 400 grit all over.
then degrease again
then prime using either primer from cans or spray gun (if using spray gun use etch primer, then primer - sand betwen coats)
if using cans once primed, flat back usinf 600 wet n dry and then prime again -then flat back using 800 wet n dry (use all paper to this point dry)
allow to harden for a few days (unless working is a warmed environment)
then you can spray on yer top coat - if using silver, you can buy hammerite in silver spray form nowadays and simonz also do proper wheel spray paint in various metalic colours
apply thin even coats and allow to dry between each (20 mins at least).
Allow to harden for a couple of days then apply some lacquer - you can get this from halfords or most other car accessory shops. Again spray on evenly and thinly - you cant see it but it is going on so sdont overdo it or it will run like hell!
Allow plenty of time to dry between coats - 320 mins or so.
you can apply as many coats of paint/.lacquer as you need - minimum 3 I'd say.

Allow to fully harden in a warm area for at least 3 days (weather is cold now so you need to allow solvents time to evaporate - if no where warm then allow at least a week).
Take back to tyre place and get rubbers refitted, rebalance wheels and refit.

Sorted.

I did mine and they look amazing - good as new and only cost me ?30 for the whole set to respray!

They'll withstand minor knocks too - just make sure you park carefully and dont kerb yer alloys - even proifessionally done ones cant withstand prolonged kerbing!

To clean them just wash the car as you would do normally.

Ade

:wink:

[?Marty?]

Halfrods now do a minor damage Alloy Repair kit for about ?20.

Some places do special offers sometimes - all four wheels reconditioned for ?100.

[Breeny]

Prstine Wheels in Woburn Sands or Wicked Wheels (all over the place)
Just had mine done at Wicked Wheels, very expensive but well worth it.

[carltoncrazy]

pristine r gd,
breeny am i right in saying,u brought 600 quid wheels
them sent them away to get em resprey coz u dint like the colour,?
i heard dat alont the grap vine

[Breeny]

not cos i didnt like the colour, i just wanted a different colour. Whats all "dis" and "dat" Speak properly!

[jon_boy]

so do wheels still look ok after being refurbed? i got some tsw's that have a few scuffs but farily good condition. one of them however is in chrome. so i want em all refurbed in one colour. however sum one told me that when they spray em its a really dodgy silver colour but from wot u guys have said they sound great.

[ade]

there was a stunbning blue nova at trax that had a white pearl / flip paint job - white with green blue flecks in it - well smart - forget whos it was - it was in the novaload lineup!

Most recon ones are very well done - it all depends on how badly scuffed they were previously

Ade