Been pm`d asking for tips quite alot now, I'm all for helping out but I'm getting bored of writing the same stuff all the time

So thought i`d put it all here, then i can just link straight to the thread

Right, this was the first time i`d ever done anything like this, and never done it since, so if it goes wrong for you, dont blame me

Got these 13x7 Atiwe`s in straight but a little weathered condition

So i started my first refurb

I only took pics of the one wheel during the refurb process

List of what i used

Nitromoors

Old paint brush

Small peice of thick ish plastic

Autosol

Lint free cloth

Wet and dry paper (400 - 1200 grit)

Nylon gloves

Soapy water

Newspaper

Masking tape

Aerosol primer, paint and laquer

First of all i got the 400 grit paper and worked round the lip of the wheels, luckily for me there werent too many deep scuffs, if you have then i`d use a metal file

Once i was happy with the smoothness of the lip i started rubbing down the dish with the 400 grit.

Then using the old paintbrush i smeard the nitromoors onto the wheel (wish i`d got a pic of the nitromoors working hehehe, it looks awesome )

When it had done its work, it sort of looks like snake skin, all flakey, i used the small piece of plastic to scrape all the flakey paint off (you dont want to get the nitromoors on your skin, it burns)

It then looked like this..

So on went the most paintfull stage wet and drying the dish ready for polishing (use the nylon gloves, i learnt after i did the first wheel)

I used water when rubbing down, using 600 grit then 800 - 1000 - 1200 (you can go higher if you want more of a mirror finish)

Its best to go in the same direction whilst at this stage

This is mid way through 800...

And this is after 1200 (with no polish used yet)...

I then used some lint free cloth to apply autosol (thats a metal polish for anyone who doesnt know) to the whole wheel, and left it for 5 mins while i had a brew break :-D

With autosol on...

And then i buffed it off using some clean lint free cloth....

I wasnt happy with the finish at this stage so i had a bit of an idea

I used a little blob of autosol with the 1200 and went round the dish/rim again, scrubbing untill the paper became really shiney :-D

Buffed it all off and it was much better, sadly didnt get any close up pics of that as my phone broke but you can see the better shine in the pics below

After all 4 wheels were polished and i was happy i used the soapy water to clean the whole wheel free of dirt/grease/dust. Then i dried them and masked them off. Then i used 600 grit to score the face of the wheel...

If youre going to be painting them and its quite cold, use a pan of warm water and let the tin of spray sit in it for a couple of minutes, then shake it well (away from the wheel to not get splashes on it) for a minute (stops the paint spraying out in blobs)

Then on went the primer..

First coat of paint (tip for using rattle cans for the first time - spray in back and forward motion, letting off the nozzle as you reach each side of what youre spraying, so start from the left - spray as you move across to the right, stop then spray as you go back to the left. Kinda hard to describe in text and spray about 20cm from what youre spraying)

Anyway, first coat..

As you can see, thats not enough paint. So i let it dry and did another coat, let that dry and did a final coat (3 coats of paint all together) and then laquered them...

Luckily for me again i didnt get any inperfections in the paint (runs/drips/reactions etc etc) so off came the masking tape and newspaper ...

If you do get any imperfections, just flat the paint back using 1000 grit, clean it all again and dry. Then paint again

I then got the tyres back on and used belgom alu polish on the dish and autoglym on the face. Finished refurb

And one on the car

It took me about 80 hours all together over 3 month to do them, but thats using just my hand, you can get polishing kits off ebay and stuff that will probs cut that time down by a hell of a lot, and will deffo save some skin on you fingers

Hope that helps y`all

This is one for the FAQ

The shine on the lip is amazing..tempted to do my steels now

Love your golf btw

Cheers dude

I`d be carefull if youre doing steelies, you have to keep on top off them with polish as they will rust quickly

Can you not use some sort of laquer to protect them?

Oh and what size tyres are on the 13s?

Yeah you could probs use laquer, but that will dull them abit

they're 175/50

Legend, this is just what i need!

top work .....

nice how to dude..

agree.. this is one for the FAQ.

looks perfect mate, such an improvement from before, suits the car too

found this just as i was about to ask how to... cheers

Pinned.

Now you must make love to me in a tent.

Pinned.

Now you must make love to me in a tent.

dry or moist? to give or to receive

Nice one

When you make love, you need to please each other. You stupid selfish boy.

HAHAHA i thought that was your polite way of saying "screw the shizz out of me"

Stop being a fool or I'll donkey punch you.

Kinky devil aint you

ill be doing my p-slots soon. thanks for the guide

ill be doing my p-slots soon. thanks for the guide

Heard you the first time James :-D

No worries

top thread mate, I've got some ronal multispokes that I'm going to refurb. there going to be sprayed white all over. at what stage of sanding will they be ready for primer?

cheers

really nice simple to follow guide! like it!

just two questions :-) now your wheels are polished, how often do you have to clean the rims to keep the shine up and do you use the proper polish on them everytime?

top thread mate, I've got some ronal multispokes that I'm going to refurb. there going to be sprayed white all over. at what stage of sanding will they be ready for primer?

cheers

I`d just get the wheel down to metal (no paint/laquer/primer etc) then clean and dry, then primer

I'm no expert though take my advice at your own risk

really nice simple to follow guide! like it!

just two questions :-) now your wheels are polished, how often do you have to clean the rims to keep the shine up and do you use the proper polish on them everytime?

Cheers

I`d clean them every week, and use belgom alu (can get that on ebay) every 2 week

You dont want to be using the autosol too often once they're shining like that, its too harsh, that belgom is really good, it puts a protective layer on aswell, so cleaning is easy :-D

thanks again mate

Top thread. Very useful indeed :-D