Cleaning up some Boyd Coddington Smoothie 2's...?
#1
Cleaning up some Boyd Coddington Smoothie 2's...?
Heres a few pics of what they looked like when i got them. I didnt pay any money for them, they were a simple trade for my stock WS6 rims w/tires, these also came with tires on them aswell...
the above pic is after about an hour of work...it's gotten better after working on the LF this weekend aswell...but still not perfect.
and of course, heres what they looked like on the previous owners car brand new....
any ideas? ive been using a few different things...the best thing so far has been the Mothers BILLET Polish...but still doesnt get the tiny **** and the shine just isnt there like new...
the above pic is after about an hour of work...it's gotten better after working on the LF this weekend aswell...but still not perfect.
and of course, heres what they looked like on the previous owners car brand new....
any ideas? ive been using a few different things...the best thing so far has been the Mothers BILLET Polish...but still doesnt get the tiny **** and the shine just isnt there like new...
#3
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Well It Looks Like They Where Sprayed With A Acid Based Liquid Of Some Type ( Not Good) Anyways Believe It Or Not I Think There Is Something You Can Try Though Dont Know The Exact Name Of It But You Could Ask Around But Ive Seen Truckers Use I On The 18 Wheelers Gas Tanks And Wheels Makes Them Look Brand New Too And Im Betting It Last For Awhile Cause Their On The Road Most Their Lives And All Maybe This Stuff Would Help ....good Luck ....p.s. sorry didnt realize the caps was on my bad!!!!
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It looks like it will require some work to get them looking great again, but stick with it and you will be happy with the results. Aluminum is a very easy metal to polish, you just have to use the right products for the job.
First you'll have to clean off ALL of the brake dust. It looks like there is a ton built up on there. I like Meguiar's Gold Class All Wheel Cleaner for cleaning uncoated, polished aluminum wheels (like my ZR1s). It will probably require multiple cleanings, just be sure to follow the directions. Be careful using stronger cleaners, because the highly acidic products might do more harm to your wheels than good. Be careful of bottles that say "safe for ALL wheels" because sometimes you will find fine print on the back that says otherwise. If this doesn't get them clean, you could also try a clay bar but I haven't had to try this step on my wheels so I'm not sure how well it would work for you.
After they are clean, you will most likely need a more abrasive polish to get them to shine up nice again. Mother's Billet polish is more fine than even their Mag & Aluminum, so it's a nice final step product. You might need something like Heavy Metal's green (medium) or maybe even red (coarse) polish first though to cut through the neglected surfaces better. Boyd recommends the Heavy Metal polish for his wheels, and it has a very good reputation. You could also get a buffing wheel for your drill and use some Tripoli compound as an alternative.
Good luck, and let us know how it comes out!
First you'll have to clean off ALL of the brake dust. It looks like there is a ton built up on there. I like Meguiar's Gold Class All Wheel Cleaner for cleaning uncoated, polished aluminum wheels (like my ZR1s). It will probably require multiple cleanings, just be sure to follow the directions. Be careful using stronger cleaners, because the highly acidic products might do more harm to your wheels than good. Be careful of bottles that say "safe for ALL wheels" because sometimes you will find fine print on the back that says otherwise. If this doesn't get them clean, you could also try a clay bar but I haven't had to try this step on my wheels so I'm not sure how well it would work for you.
After they are clean, you will most likely need a more abrasive polish to get them to shine up nice again. Mother's Billet polish is more fine than even their Mag & Aluminum, so it's a nice final step product. You might need something like Heavy Metal's green (medium) or maybe even red (coarse) polish first though to cut through the neglected surfaces better. Boyd recommends the Heavy Metal polish for his wheels, and it has a very good reputation. You could also get a buffing wheel for your drill and use some Tripoli compound as an alternative.
Good luck, and let us know how it comes out!