started my wheel refinish project

[Brant]

After much searching and reading all the threads I could find, We (my dad and I) finally began our wheel refinishing project.

So far only 2 of 8 have been finished...
wheewwww a lot of work
but they are really coming out nice!

here are pictures:

[Brant]

more pictures:

[Stackett]

Hey Brant,

Could you post some before pictures and let everybody know what process you went through to get them to look that good?

Thanks in advance.

[hkspwrsche]

yes we need full DIY details

[Kroggers]

More details please!!!!

[Brant]

Sorry no before pictures with me at the moment.
but basically they were the all black 944 wheels with a tiny bit of curb rash, faded black centers, and one of them had a tire mounting machine mark that went all the way around (not too deep) right on the rim face.

The other one had a very light machine grinder around half of the face (where some previous owner had tried to remove scratches)

So I plaguerized from all of the previous threads.
I used air craft stripper and Easy off oven cleaner to fully strip the black and the anodizing.

previous threads indicated 3 treatments of easy off oven cleaner. I had to use 4 treatments.

After stripping them, we used sand paper 220 grit.. and then worked up to about 1000 grit.

Then lots of good old fashioned polishing.
We put a polishing wheel onto a stand up electric grinder motor and held the rims at as many angles as possible. We used a couple of different types of polishing rouge. Finally, we bought a small polishing wheel that bolts onto an electric drill chuck and used the hand drill to get into the corners.

After polishing, I hand masked them with some fine line professional automotive tape. (you can get it at automotive supply stores)

Then we used a Griot's wheel paint product. It was wheel specific, but oddly I think the can said it was lacquer. In a semi-gloss.

Thats it.
took a ton of effort and time.
not looking forward to doing 6 more
but still very happy with the way they came out.
I run a vintage race car and have been using 7inch cookies, these will really set it off when I get done.

[914/6]

Those look great, way nicer than cookies IMO
I used orbital polisher, sander with foam pad on spoke faces and lips worked good for me.

[Rich76_911s]

This might be a really dumb question, but it won't be the first or the last time I ask a dumb question. How the heck do you mask this stuff perfectly like that? How do you keep the paint to the poished finish line so even all the way around all the pedals? I've never tried but when I think about this process in my head I just cannot see myself being able to do that.

By the way your work looks awesome. I am sure it has been a lot of elbow grease but the difference will be worth it I am sure.

Rich

[joefrantz]

Brant

Well done -- I used the same process to do 4 wheels last year.
Two tips -- Sand wet, if you're not already. It is much faster and more effective.

More importantly, Eastwood sells some small inexpensive felt bobs that fit into a quarter inch drill and will make the areas around the lugnuts much easier.

http://www.eastwood.com/jump.jsp?itemID=434&itemType=CATEGORY&iMainCat=433&iSubCat=434&page=4

Hang in there -- it's a nasty job but the results are woth it.

Joe

[Brant]

Joe,
exactly where/what I used:


Rich,
thanks for the kind words.
It's not impossible.
I was having heat stroke on saturday night (after racing that day) and had a throbbing headache, yet still masked one of them.

The fineline tape really gives you a clean division and allows you to lift the tape repeatedly and get the masking pretty straight.
No super skill really... just patience and a decent product.

I masked the 2nd one on sunday with a clear head and without heat stroke... it was much easier.

brant