Has anyone eliminated the polyurethane coating off their wheels and polished their brushed aluminum to bright shine and then recoated their wheels?

I would love to do this, I like my SS wheels, but I love the new polished ones they have for the 2008 Impala SS. But I figure I can do the polishing myself, it is the coating afterwards. Where can we get the polyurethane to re-coat the wheels afterwards?

 

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Hi Craig,[align=center]I hope the below site gives you some information[/align][align=center]for your desired project.[/align][align=center]I would check with your auto body shop for [/align][align=center]information/products also.[/align][align=center]Good Luck `Space[/align]AN INTRODUCTION TO BUFFING & POLISHING[align=center]http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/buffman.htm[/align][align=center][/align][/align][align=center]Site also contains their products to do the job.[/align]

 

Craig.. it wouldn't be a bad idea, but if they're not already somewhat polished it will be a bear of a time. I had some stainless tips that I've probably put 12 hours of labor into, and they're still not that perfect mirror shine I've been after.

Aluminium is much easier to work, it's softer, but still it's not going to be a walk in the park.

Once you have them mirror polished getting them coated (immediately... patina will develop quickly, especially while on the car/in use)

Will be as simple as taking them to your local friendly powder-coat shop. (they COOK that stuff on, so remove the TPS sensor/valve stem/tires, obviously)

No power coat shop? A paint place can clear, but it won't be as durable and requires work once it's on.

Powder coating or painting... your finish will suffer. A reallyreallygood professional body shop using clear coat can do a better job of allowing your shine through, but it still is going to lose some of it's clarity. It's better, because they buff it out to make it shine. But, this will require much more work/time down the road, as you will have to wax regularly to keep brake dust from being embedded in the clearcoat. Powdercoating is more durable, and easier to clean than the paint when it gets down to it, and it doesn't require as much work (no buffing once it's baked on, so it should be cheaper, even if slightly so)

You wanna know more about polishing the aluminium ask me, I've got the stuff not 20 feet away. Only thing deterring me is the fact that for about double (ok, maybe triple)the cost of the powdercoat alone I can get new polished wheels already with the coating.
Plus I have my stockers as spares for winter use or whatever else I may need.

There's actually a guy where I work that owns a chrome shop, and then maybe one mile away there's a place that can do powdercoating.

 

I say take the wheels off the 08 Impala, Install your wheels...... BINGO problem solved

 

Thanks Mike!

Mrrench... I have thought about that a lot, but I just can't bring myself to do it...