ABadMother1999

iTrader: (9)

I see the difference but to me... they both have a big "bling" factor! Is the difference the way u clean it? I understand the finish is different... but what are the exact differences?

Which would you suggest I get for my 1999 Pewter Camaro Z28? Polished or Chrome?

Sorry for the newbie question... but thanks in advance for all your help!

SLPCAMAROSS

Theres a pretty big difference. Two different types of metals. Chrome is like a coating on the rim and usually ends up peeling after a while. This happened on my stock 17" Chrome 10 spoke wheels. I now have 5 spoke Torque Thrust II (Polished Aluminum) wheels.

It's not hard to tell the difference .. usually chrome is much more "bling" & shiny. Aluminum is also shiny when "polished" but a little harder to keep clean and a little more "dull" looking. It has to be polished once in a while to maintain the shine. Where as with Chrome, all you have to do is wash em and dry em.

Chrome also costs more $.

Not really good pics but you can kinda get an idea from these pics of my old chrome wheels and new polished aluminum ones.

(CHROME)


(POLISHED ALUMINUM)


hope this helps a little!

ABadMother1999

iTrader: (9)

It helps but im still undecided! I like the bling my chrome rims have now... but polished looks close to the same and costs like 150 less for a set of 4 rims... Money is an issue for me.

I want to do z06 rims just to give it a lil bling and style change but money doesnt permit for fiskes or id be doing those!

What do u suggest for my pewter camaro... polished or chrome?

Also with polished rims... how much harder is it to keep clean? What kinda products should or would i use?

Thanks again in advance!

donkee

I have had both chrome and polished wheels. I will never go back to polished. If you get a nice chrome rim usually aftermarket, they will not flake or rust. All the cleaning you have to do is use some ammonia free windex and a shop towel and bling bling. Polished rims on the other hand look great when polished. Every time that it rains you will need to polish the rims or clean as soon as you get through driving, because they will spot up, and that means a lot of elbow grease and polish to get the spots off, so that you can wait for the next rain and repeat the process.

LSUxBlake

iTrader: (3)

Don't get polished unless you have 2-3 hours to add on to your typical detailing time in order to make your rims look right. It really does take me 30-45 minutes/wheel to do it properly. I hate my wheels.........with a passion. And its only because they're polished, I love the way they look on the car. I'd really suggest chrome.

NBM7278

I've had chrome on both my birds with no flaking or anything. Had one of the cars since 97. Really easy to make chrome shine like new. I don't care for the extra care needed with polished. The extra bucks for the chrome would be worth it for me. But some people dont like the "bling" look of them. The polished is more of a toned down shine, kind of a "old school muscle" look. I'd go with whatever you like the look of. If its a close call, the chrome are almost hastle free.

Charging TA

You can always have Polished rims clear coated...

Scotty-Z

iTrader: (5)

Polished rims look great when clean, but if you don't have the time to polish them back up after every time it rains or gets dirty, then forget about it. A friend of mine had polished Torque Thrust II's and didn't clean them for a few months. The wheels were beyond cleaning and he had to have them refinished.

Pretty much only the hardcore cleaning guys buy the polished ones to keep them looking nice. If you don't clean them, they begin to look very dull, dusty, and cloudy.

The best way to differentiate them is that chrome looks like a glassy mirror: very vibrant and smooth. On the other hand, polished looks like just that: polished, buffed metal. It basically has no finish on it, so any little dirt will get to it.

If you want hassle-free and a more bling look, go chrome. If you can put in LOTS of time and like the classic look, go polished.

ABadMother1999

iTrader: (9)

Thanks for all the advice guys... I think im going to be going with chrome... I spend enough time on my car and the detailing process!

Jeremiah

iTrader: (5)

Keep in mind a Forged or Billet wheel will hold its polish several times longer than a cast. My Iforged wheels have been polished once in the past seven or so months I have had them and they still look new. I have had chrome and yes they started peeling in less than a year, of coarse I got screwed by SLP on that deal. I also had the Torque thrust II and they had to be polished every other week, they looked great but I hated them because of all the work involved.