Fuchs question
 

Gonna detail my car this weekend...was thinking about polishing my Fuchs...

They are factory, black centers and shiny rims...

Okay the centers are painted, I am not sure if the rims are chromed or polished...how can I tell?

I can't polish (Mom's polishing compound) chrome right?
Do I just use mag wheel polish?

Question are a bit elementary...but any advice would be helpful

thanks

It can get complicated. Your wheels might be chromed (although I think that would have to have been an aftermarket modification), or they could be polished, or they could be anodized (which I believe is the stock configuration, although I could be 100% wrong).

If the lips are polished, you can polish them again. If they're anodized, you can polish the anodizing off. They won't be anodized anymore.

------------------
Jack Olsen
1973 911 T sunroof coupe

Yes, I believe they are anodized. So, you leave them alone until you want to either have them refinished (expensive), or you try to deal with them yourself in terms of polishing. This will be a lot of work though, and you'll be taking the anodized finish off.

Usually the best bet is to clean them really well without using an abrasive that will hurt the finish.

My rims look fine in spite of their age, but the black part has begun to wear off. Some day I will rattle-can the black to renew the appearance. I'll be careful not to disturb the rim area.

------------------
'83 SC

There was an extremely comprehensive story in Excellence recently about the Fuchs wheels ... you may want to read it before attempting any cleaning or polishing.

The official factory position regarding the anodized finish is that abrasives are NEVER to be used on Fuchs wheels! If the unpainted portion of your Fuchs is 'cloudy' looking, the recommended procedure is to rub Vaseline petroleum jelly into the clear anodized finish with a soft rag. The clear anodized finsh, which is hard, but slightly porous, is only a few thousndths of an inch thick. The petroleum jelly is supposed to fill-in the 'pores' in the finish and protect the underlying aluminum from oxidation.

So ... do some reading, try the Vaseline treatment, and hope for the best. Depending on the number of years of neglect, the anodized finish may be in good enough shape to avoid drastic polishing!

P.S.
The Vaseline treatment is recommeded at least twice a year, for continuing protection, whether any white cloudy areas are found, or not!


------------------
Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

[This message has been edited by Early_S_Man (edited 11-05-2000).]

Thanks for the tip Warren. Just tried the vaseline treatment and it works great.

Hey Warren. Does the vasiline trick work on fuch that have been polished? That is to maintain the polished look.

No, the Vaseline is only for the original anodized finish! I suspect a good automotive paste wax -- not the 'quick' creme-type, will serve you best for polished wheels. I would only caution that polished wheels will need an even MORE frequent cleaning/waxing schedule than the anodized Fuchs!

------------------
Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa