just how hard is it to maintain polished wheels??
06-19-2006, 03:06 PM
#21
One thing I didn't really think too much about before going with my chrome Z06's... is how hard the geometry of a given wheel is to clean.
I think polished wheels are very subjective, because everyeone's opinion of "clean" is different. I don't want to spend as much time cleaning my wheels as I do the rest of the car, and in this respect polished was not an option for me. To be honest I'm not even terribly fond of chrome because it shows dirt so much faster than painted wheels.
To me, polished wheels are like stainless steel finishes. If you can deal with smudges on stainless steel, then you can probably live happily enough with polished wheels. If you are a bit **** about things then polished wheels will probably be maddening.
But the current problem I have with the Z06's is just how much geometry and corners there are to deal with. The wheels require hand cleaning because of all the corners and edges.
If I could go back I would probably get classic 2000 vette 5 spokes or ZR1's, even.
But then again my car is a daily driver, in Detroit. Not exactly the most friendly environment for anything you want to keep lookin' good.
Just be honest about how you use and want to care for the car.
I think polished wheels are very subjective, because everyeone's opinion of "clean" is different. I don't want to spend as much time cleaning my wheels as I do the rest of the car, and in this respect polished was not an option for me. To be honest I'm not even terribly fond of chrome because it shows dirt so much faster than painted wheels.
To me, polished wheels are like stainless steel finishes. If you can deal with smudges on stainless steel, then you can probably live happily enough with polished wheels. If you are a bit **** about things then polished wheels will probably be maddening.
But the current problem I have with the Z06's is just how much geometry and corners there are to deal with. The wheels require hand cleaning because of all the corners and edges.
If I could go back I would probably get classic 2000 vette 5 spokes or ZR1's, even.
But then again my car is a daily driver, in Detroit. Not exactly the most friendly environment for anything you want to keep lookin' good.
Just be honest about how you use and want to care for the car.
Last edited by todddchi; 06-19-2006 at 03:11 PM.
06-19-2006, 04:13 PM
#22
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I've had polished aluminum wheels for about 3 years. They are indeed a pain to keep highly polished, but they aren't so bad to keep clean and shiny. Since the release of the Powerball, I have found it to be a little easier.
My best advise is to avoid driving it in the rain, because that is what kills the polish job.
About once a year, I will break out the heavy duty polishing wheels and compounds. When I do that, it takes about 2 hours per wheel to clean and polish. Then I use the Powerball to maintain the polish throughout the year.
My best advise is to avoid driving it in the rain, because that is what kills the polish job.
About once a year, I will break out the heavy duty polishing wheels and compounds. When I do that, it takes about 2 hours per wheel to clean and polish. Then I use the Powerball to maintain the polish throughout the year.
06-20-2006, 01:17 PM
#23
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major pain in the rear! my fronts are tough to keep clean because the high brake dust from my pads. also, i have to keep the car away from any curbs that have grass due to the sprinklers, they could turn on any time! water on a polished wheel, like stated above, is the devil! i have the big powerball, and it took me two hours to polish all four wheels. granted, they were in poor condition, but man i wish i went chrome!
