[Gunny]

I tried and tried, but the Chrome Plating of my wheels was just not meant to be. Between the limited people that I could find that would even try it, to the 6 - 8 weeks without my wheels, to the $1000 plush shipping cost, to the fact that no one would even say that the crome would sitck, I decided not to chrome. I have however, decided that I can get pretty much the same look by polishing my wheels. I also thought this would make a pretty good DIY.

Project - Polish Wheels, and Paint eyelets black (from stock gray).

I purchased most of what I needed tonight for the job, and have it staged to begin tomorrow.

Purchase List (~$200)
Wenol Polishing Compound (Blue and Red)
Polishing Wheels
Polishing Brick
Zoops Seal (on order, not pictured)
300, 600, 1200, and 1500 grit sandpaper
Plenty of rags
Aluminum Clearcoat Remover
Painters Tape

By gunnygtipics, shot with DSC-T10 at 2007-10-01

Step One - Tomorrow (pics to follow): Remove one wheel, tape gray eyelets to prevent damage to paint (Body shop guy tells me that even though I am painting these sections black, he would rather I bring in the wheel with the paint in these sections intact). Remove clear coat, get through 300, and 600 sanding with Wenol red compound, and begin on wheel and polishing brick. Not sure how long this will take, but the goal anyway, is to get on the wheel tomorrow.

 

[kryptonkid07]

So you're polishing your wheels and blacking the gray?

Hmmm... I wanna see the finished product.

 

[matrim22]

Wait, on another thread weren't you complaining about someone else who painted their Huffs, and you wanted to chrome yours? ???

 

[uncle dude]

Two points:

1. I am glad the chrome didn't work out.
2. You forgot beer in your list. So depending on how much you drink, that could put it over $200.

 

[Gunny]

Wait, on another thread weren't you complaining about someone else who painted their Huffs, and you wanted to chrome yours? ???

Chrome is classy. Paint (as in paint the whole whell with a 3$ can of spray paint) is not. Are you going to tell me you like the red huffs posted in the past few days? The dull blacked out look where you can't tell where the tire ends and the wheel begins? Chroming is different. Adding a black accent to it is different too. By hey, just my oinion, if you like the look, spray away (even if it does make your GTI lok like a cheap ghetto mobile).

 

[Gunny]

Update, and warning to all. Check to see if you have the right tool for removing your llugs included in your car. The tool that is included in mine might fit something, I'm just not sure what that would be. My lugs look like typical start heads, but they are not. I can't find anything to fit them. Don't wait till you have a flat to find this out the hard way...

Project postponed until I can get the wheels off.

 

[matrim22]

Chrome is classy. Paint (as in paint the whole whell with a 3$ can of spray paint) is not. Are you going to tell me you like the red huffs posted in the past few days? The dull blacked out look where you can't tell where the tire ends and the wheel begins? Chroming is different. Adding a black accent to it is different too. By hey, just my oinion, if you like the look, spray away (even if it does make your GTI lok like a cheap ghetto mobile).

I agree with you that the red looks awful. They were ruined. But chrome being classy is just your opinion. Mine is that it would also ruin them. Although not nearly in such a spectacular way as painting them red.

 

[matrim22]

Update, and warning to all. Check to see if you have the right tool for removing your llugs included in your car. The tool that is included in mine might fit something, I'm just not sure what that would be. My lugs look like typical start heads, but they are not. I can't find anything to fit them. Don't wait till you have a flat to find this out the hard way...

Project postponed until I can get the wheels off.

I haven't had to look back there since I bought the car, but I remember the sales rep showing me a special little connector deal in the kit by the spare for those lugs. Anyone else know for sure?

 

[Gunny]

Yeah, I have a "special little connector" included in the kit in back too. It just doesn't fit. You might want to try yours.

Not the the lug caps. My issue is the key for the locking lug did not fit.

 

[Gunny]

I got in some time on the project last night. I spent 2 tedious hours taping the wheel to protect the eyelet color. In the end, it was pointless the tape would not stick. I found out that multiple applications of the clear coat remover are required, and that you needed to spray the wheel off between coats. :'( I am going to try to get on another wheel tonight, and plan to save the two hours skipping the taping. Make sure to get ALL of the clear coat off. I left a few small spots on thinking "hell I can just sand those off as I go", it took forever... I spent two hours sanding first with the 320 grit and red Wenol, and then with 600 and red Wenol. I am not yet to the 1200 and 1500 stage, but the wheel already is starting to look like a mirror. Right now the wheel looks like very shinny stainless (you can cleary see yoursefl in the wheel). I exect another 2 hours to complete the 1200, 1500, and polish woud get the chrome look. Rather than have one really shinny wheel stand out like that, I will bring the other three to this stage before going to the next step.

I will post a shot for you later, but it is raining here for the fist time in what seems like months.

 

[uncle dude]

Gunny, how are you going to protect the aluminum from weathering and pitting after it is polished?

 

[Gunny]

Zoop Seal. It claims to stop oxidation and allow you to go two years between polishing. It was $100 of the total $200 I spent on supplies to do this. The guys that are into polishing that I know swear by it. You can find it at Summit Racing.

 

[uncle dude]

Zoop Seal. It claims to stop oxidation and allow you to go two years between polishing. It was $100 of the total $200 I spent on supplies to do this. The guys that are into polishing that I know swear by it. You can find it at Summit Racing.

Great, sounds like you have it figured. I look forward to the pics!

 

[Gunny]

Two shots of the progress. The first is the huff we know and love. The second if about halfway through the process of polishing. It still needs a lot of work, but I think you can see the difference already.

By gunnygtipics, shot with DSC-T10 at 2007-10-04

By gunnygtipics, shot with DSC-T10 at 2007-10-04