Rattle can clearcoat result in psuedo anodizing on polished fuchs?

[bob tilton]

I have been wondering if a rattle can clearcoat such as Wurths or VHT would mimick the anodization process if wheels are currently polished.

Has any one attempted this?

[Series900]

it will peel eventually, if you sanded the anodize off, and polished the surface, lots o elbow grease, the bare metal finish lasts with simichrome apllied now and then. I have 6 n7's on the 69 that Jens of vt polished up, still look great.

[bob tilton]

Thanks for the reply Damon. I was hoping to "matte" down my current polished wheels without having to send them out to be refinished in the original style. Kinduv in between the OE finish and the frosted finish.

[kilodawg]

I think you might have better luck experimenting with a brushed look by removing the anodizing and then fine sanding and then switching tom a fine steel wool. It might be challenging to obtain a uniform brushed look along the circumference of the wheel though. You could probably clearcoat it after that or depending on how easy it is to get it brushed just rework as needed.

[911pcars]

Bob,
Nice thought. How about having it powder coated? Can they apply the powder selectively and bake and still keep any existing paint finish intact?

Sherwood

[bob tilton]

my initial thoughts were to simply mask and clearcoat my existing wheels without having to remove the tires. the goal would be to simulate the factory anodized look for the cost of a can of clearcoat and little effort. i've also been reading up on the DIY RSR frosted finish. i thought the person who did it on the S reg did a nice job. thus far the problem has been finding the right color. i've painted up a few swatches and i plan to meet with a friend of mine with harvey's RSR finished deep 6s. i'll know more this weekend if my swatches are close.

[techweenie]

The anodizing is very hard to match up close. If you're looking from a distance, a 3M scour pad will turn a polished surface just satiny enough, but with a 'grain.'

A light media blast might be the best option, followed by a satin clear.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally posted by bob tilton

Bob, Your wheels (like the rest of your car) are are friggin awesome. Gotta love deep sixes. I kinda wanted them for my mid year car but in the end I thought they just wouldn't look right on it - they belong to early cars exclusively - so I had Al Reed restore my flat sixes and I am very happy with them.

[PatrickM]

Hey Dan, let's see a pic of your restored 6's.
-Patrick

[Dan in Pasadena]

Patrick, I'm at home and only have pictures of them on my work PC. I'll upload them tomorrow, they came out great.

[Jason Cullen]

Bob,

Yes, you can clear coat them. However it will not give you that satin anodize look.

When you shoot the wheel, it's a little duller that than the polish.

I adore the satin anodized outer lip with the frost anodized spokes and inner lips finished with satin black.

I need to get my S up to Easy's one of these Sat mornings to admire your 68L.

Was told that is drives nicer than it looks!

Thank you,
Jason

[Matt Smith]

Jason- they are absolutely beautiful and should be used as a visual deterrent to any misguided soul who even considers applying polishing compound to their rims.

Bob- I feel your pain.

[Wavey]

Originally posted by kilodawg
I think you might have better luck experimenting with a brushed look by removing the anodizing and then fine sanding and then switching tom a fine steel wool. It might be challenging to obtain a uniform brushed look along the circumference of the wheel though. You could probably clearcoat it after that or depending on how easy it is to get it brushed just rework as needed.

One way to get an even grain is to bolt the wheel to a front hub (on the car) and spin it while slowly moving the Scotch pad across the surface. Don't use steel wool.

RE: clearcoat, Krylon makes and excellent satin clear that is very durable and would probably provide exactly the gloss level you are seeking. Krylon products are every bit as good as Wurth. Try their satin black some time too.

[bob tilton]

thanks for the feedback everyone. sounds like i need to pony up and have it done right!

[DW SD]

Bob,
I've been pretty happy with my media blasted finish. It is pretty close to the annodized. I also talked to Tyson about the wheels while we were at GAF. He suggested he knew of someone who tumbled the wheels. Tumbling has the similar surface effect, but the pores of the AL are closed, rather than opened during the process. Apparently, they don't stain as easy. Not sure if you are going to Palm Springs in next month, but I am and you could check these out up close.

These do clean up if I use a AL wheel cleaner product - likely contains some acid or something. I don't let it sit long and I dry immediately after cleaning. So far so good - including a weekend of track days.

Doug Wierenga

My WHEELS:

[DW SD]

One more photo:

[bob tilton]

car and wheels look outstanding!

[PatrickM]

Jason, are those 15 or 16" wheels?
Are they brand new or refinished? Who refinished them if so?

I want 4 of those in 7's.

-Patrick