I want to lie to my Fuchs.
 

Well, OK - not really. I want to use sodium hydroxide solution (lye in water) to remove the anodization from the wheels, after I strip off the paint.

The goal is to get the wheels prepped for painting - German wheel silver (Wurth brand) over the whole wheel.

I know it's sort of out of the norm, but I don't much like the black painted centers, and I'm not a fan of polished, even though both of those looks is period-correct for an '85 Carerra.

Yes, I do know how to safely handle concentrated basic solutions (for those who don't know, ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION!!!! Strong bases can dissolve the corneas of your eyes instantly).

Has anyone done this before? Thanks.

Reminds me of Fight Club :D

Please post pics

aircrafte stripper should work just as well 1 GAL Klean Strip - AIRCRAFT Stripper & Remover GAR343 on eBay!

Oven cleaner will strip the anodization.

I don't think paint stripper will do a thing to the anodizing.

Stripper doesn't work on anodise.

I've stripped anodise from all my brightwork. If you use hot water with the sodium hydroxide it is much more effective. The grey "scum" on the surface is the anodise. Check regularly, you don't need much more than 5-7 minutes.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1325413858.jpg

Caustic soude , used normally for wc.

I've done all my wheels like that and the result is perfect.

Think to protect your eyes and hands.

http://i46.servimg.com/u/f46/13/86/10/18/04_09_10.jpg

I stripped a set of Fuchs using Easy Off oven cleaner, use the yellow can not the blue. The yellow can has more lye in it. I did 2-3 coats about 20 minutes apart and it worked fine. Yes hand and eye protection are a must.

Never did wheels, but have used Easy Off for removing anodization from bike parts.

That stuff is awesome - I use it on all kinds of painted stuff.

It won't take off the anodization, however. BTDT on bike parts.

OK, possibly dumb but related question:

Black trim OEM - is it anodized black or some other finish? Would this allow us to use new trim when necessary and return it to raw Al finish?

I absolutely will - in fact, how about right now? :)
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1325442019.jpg

Meteor Grey over Black - I think the solid-color silver-painted wheels will look good. If I knew how to P-chop, I'd do a test first. :)

Yes! Caustic soda is sodium hydroxide. :)

Great shot - thanks.

Are those factory or aftermarket wheels?

It's hard to tell from the angle of the photo. The spokes look a little "aftermarket" in the photo, and they look a little more shiny than factory anodize (but it may just be the photo).

If they are aftermarket, they won't be anodized. They will be some kind of polish or machine finish, probably clearcoated over that.

If they are factory, wow, those are some nice looking 7s and 8s. Baby Butzi cries every time someone ruins a set of those wheels by putting oven cleaner on them.

Ditto. . .

Ruins? I'm a little confused.

They are original, and I'm not sure how they would be damaged in the least if the ano coating was removed. But i am completely willing to learn.

So, instead of taking off the anodization, how about just taking off the black paint and priming? Any problem there?

Fuchs are fairly unique in the wheel world.

They are very expensive to produce. Forged, then anodized and painted in the center, with the lips left in the anodized finish.

Light, strong and an incredibly durable finish.

You also have 7s in the front and 8s (or maybe 9s, but at least 8s) in the rear. These are very desirable and have become very expensive. They are most valued in their original, anodized state.

If you strip the anodizing, you are stripping a big part of the "uniqueness" and value of the wheels. Stripped/polished/ etc. wheels can be put back to the original anodized finish, but it's getting close to $2000 and a lot of time, shipping, etc. to get a top notch factory level finish on them.

What you are proposing to do is strip the anozide, then spray paint them with rattle can silver paint. That's a finish that is done on all modern production low cost cast wheel cars. It's, IMO, a huge step backwards aesthetically and technically.

And your wheels are in such nice original shape. Would be a shame, imo, to do what you are proposing.

If you want a silver look, how about just redo the black centers in silver? Leave the anodized lips alone. That would change the look, but preserves the expensive anodized finish and can be easily reversed.

Beautiful looking car, by the way!

One other idea, how about redoing the black centers to match the body color? Porsche did that in the 80s on some models, or as an option.

That would be a real shame to destroy those wheels.