Aluminum rim ?

[NEK5]

aluminum rim ?....not really truck related but here`s the story...my buddy has a 1980 trans am turbo and some of him rims were pretty badly damaged...well when we went to a swat meet in CT last year he found 3 or 4 i cant remember turbo rims that came off of a turbo pace car so they were painted white from the factory..so off came the white paint and cleaned them up but they have a rough look/texture to them..so my question is, what can be used to smooth them out a little bit....maybe not as much as the regular polished turbo rims but better than they are???? what have you guys had luck using?

 

[diesel4me]

maybe...

You could try bead blasting them with glass beads ,or fine sand like beach sand (but dont use actual sand from the beach,the salt will be imbedded into the pores of the aluminum or magesium,and cause them to chalk up badly)...

Sanding them by hand is tedious work,but gives good results...then buff them with some "Mothers" polish and a buffing wheel..I should do the mags on my 79,but I'm lazy,and they have been neglected a long time.. ..I'm tending to only do things that keep my trucks running good mostly,no money to do "cosmetics" right now..

BTW--the Stafford Springs Raceway's swap meet is this sunday in CT!..
there is usually a lot of 4x4 stuff there...


--too bad I can't go....(no dough)..I'd like to bring my 79 C10 and try to sell it there,its always a great place to sell stuff,and I always left there with many bargains..but missed going the past 2 years because I always seem to be broke every time its held lately..

 

[wildmouse216]

Powder coat those things gold and paint a big bird on the hood. Get a girlfriend named Sally. Then go jump it.

 

[NEK5]

Powder coat those things gold and paint a big bird on the hood. Get a girlfriend named Sally. Then go jump it.

ok lol







hey isnt there another meet in CT at a raceway or is that the one...we went last year

 

[diesel4me]

@ different swap meets..

ok lol







hey isnt there another meet in CT at a raceway or is that the one...we went last year

Yes..Stafford Springs raceway has 2 swap meets,the "Spring" one in april (this sunday),and also another one in the Fall in october,the first or second week.....

Thompson Speedway has one huge one in November,usually held the second week ..


Ther is another big swap meet coming up in May in Mansfeild Mass,at the "Great Woods" performing arts arena..also known as the "Tweeter Center" nowadays..its on "Mother's Day" this year.. ..someone goofed,because a LOT of divorces were created by having it that day,and they DID change the date to another day in years past...

There is a neat swap meet held every last sunday of the month from april til october in Hollis NH too..(some call it the "Amherst" swap meet)..I used to sell stuff there,its not a huge place,but its a gold mine of parts and speed stuff..I made some good $$$$ there selling off leftovers from trucks I scrapped,and got some good deals there too.

....the CT swap meets have the most selection and lowest prices usually,but are huge,and you have to be in good shape to lug something like a 14 bolt FF axle all the way around the track,and to your truck in the parking lot!...

 

[NEK5]

Yes..Stafford Springs raceway has 2 swap meets,the "Spring" one in april (this sunday),and also another one in the Fall in october,the first or second week.....

Thompson Speedway has one huge one in November,usually held the second week ..


Ther is another big swap meet coming up in May in Mansfeild Mass,at the "Great Woods" performing arts arena..also known as the "Tweeter Center" nowadays..its on "Mother's Day" this year.. ..someone goofed,because a LOT of divorces were created by having it that day,and they DID change the date to another day in years past...

There is a neat swap meet held every last sunday of the month from april til october in Hollis NH too..(some call it the "Amherst" swap meet)..I used to sell stuff there,its not a huge place,but its a gold mine of parts and speed stuff..I made some good $$$$ there selling off leftovers from trucks I scrapped,and got some good deals there too.

....the CT swap meets have the most selection and lowest prices usually,but are huge,and you have to be in good shape to lug something like a 14 bolt FF axle all the way around the track,and to your truck in the parking lot!...

yep thats the one......i always go to the amhurst one...the last sunday of the month....it starts this month i believe

 

[NEK5]

Has anyone tried using the compound sticks to polish and smooth rims?
If so does it do a good job?

 

[dmanblazer]

Has anyone tried using the compound sticks to polish and smooth rims?
If so does it do a good job?

I polish the wheels at Halibrand Performance. Start with 400 grit orbital sand paper on an orbital until smooth then using that same paper ( no orbital ) by hand using WD-40 like wet sanding in one direction until orbital marks are gone, then use 700 grit wet dry and WD-40 and hand sand "against the grain let's say"of the 400 grit until the 400 grit sanding marks are gone.

If you want a mirror finish stop there and start using the "compound sticks" as you call them. Go get a stick of brown, a stick of dark green, and a stick of light green, you'll use them in that order with a yellow sewn mini buff and a die grinder keep the buff saturated with compound.

If you want a satin polished look mount the wheel on something like a potters wheel and keep wet sanding with finer grit sand paper and a block that will conform to the shape and divide the area in sections, hold the block in one place and let the wheel spin go around so many times and then stop move down and start again with the same revs. Don't move the block down while your sanding or it will look like a big swirl. Keep using finer and finer grit until you get the desired look you want, and spray the paper with WD-40 instead of the wheel it will keep your paper clean and it will last longer.