# DIY Audi alloy wheel refurb



## DeeTailer (Aug 13, 2009)

Decided that I wanted some winter wheels for my new A5 black edition.

So I got a set of 18" A5 wheels from eBay and refurbished them myself - using "Black Edition" audi paint colour.

These were the wheels as they arrived - in standard silver colour:










Unfortunately, they were rather more badly scuffed than I was expecting...










There was even bubble corrosion on the inside face of the wheels and on the inside of the wheel itself (the bit that the tyre covers!)

So I firstly cleaned them up using Tardis - it took many coats....

Followed by Decon-Gel... Followed by a good sand down using 180 grade wet & dry.










Then I used an etch-primer to provide a good base-coat and then filled in all the scuffs, using primer.

This took several iterations of filling, letting the paint dry and then sanding down again, until all the scuffs were filled.

Then I applied a coat of "ordinary" primer over the wheels to give a uniform base.

I used 400 grade and 800 grade wet & dry to finish the primer.

Then I baked the wheels in my own "oven":




























Not sure my wife really appreciated this, but the new bathroom's on order and I wanted to try and bake the wheels a bit, so thought a fan heater in the shower seemed a good idea....

Next I refurbished the centre-caps. I assume someone had used a wheel cleaner to clean the wheels and this had corroded the chrome-look plastic of the centre caps.










So I carefully separated all the brightwork off the centre caps and sprayed it with some chrome-look paint










But then I sprayed the plastic brightwork with clear lacquer and it lost all its chrome look and just looked dull silver - so I had to spray the bits again in chrome paint and then just leave them "bare".

Next, I got a "colour matched" aerosol made up in the Audi "titanium" colour used on the black edition wheels. Its actually called Granit Mat and its paint code L-8AU.

But - when I applied this, I got a reaction in several places...










So I read up and the main suggestion was that the primer coat wasn't fully cured despite my attempts in the shower.

So I tried to dry them some more....










Anyway, after letting the paint dry and sanding then wheels down again, I followed advice and just "misted" the paint on in several very light coats, allowing 15 mins between each to dry and using 800 & 1200 grade paper to flatten the surface before applying the final misting coat....

And here's the result...

On the face of it, I'm really pleased with the results. They look really well. We'll have to see how they stack up in use over the winter....














































all with refurbished centre-caps too...










Thanks for looking.....


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## jlw41 (Jun 5, 2011)

Great work bud


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## sparkey32 (Aug 11, 2012)

Very nice job there mate, looking mint. Totally p***ed myself seeing the pics of the wheels in the shower, reminds me of the time when i filled the bath with Tiger Nuts for my fishing, can't understand why that didn't go down too well, was only four days after all:doublesho


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## JBirchy (Oct 9, 2010)

That's a great job! Superb effort and i reckon they'll look superb on the car over winter!


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## VenomUK (Oct 13, 2011)

Great little read up there, I'm in the steps of stripping back my Evo alloys. Non are curbed so don't need to worry about filling in the marks. So far the back were corroded so got a wire cup brush at them on an angle grinder. Started the faces with some wire wheels but think I may finish them off with some 180 wet&dry as you did.


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## Bod42 (Jun 4, 2009)

Awesome work, its a great feeling when you complete works yourself and it comes out as good as many refurb companies.

What Chrome paint did you use as yours looks really good? I used some in the past and it just looks like dodgy silver.


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## iPlod999 (Jun 23, 2012)

Nice job. I always do my wheels myself. 

Did you put lacquer on as a top coat?


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## Ns1980 (Jun 29, 2011)

Thanks for sharing! Great results!


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## Bill58 (Jul 5, 2010)

That's an excellent job!


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## Grawschbags (Apr 15, 2010)

Nice work. Thanks for the writeup. 

Going to try this myself on some VW alloys for winter.


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## TigerUK (Apr 1, 2012)

haha. I was thinking you took it in the shower to give it a wash or something. LOL. Don't suppose the heaters power cut off got activated as the abient temp went up too high?


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## steveg (Jan 4, 2011)

Are you clear coating them? If not I would recommend it as otherwise they will easily chip and ruin all of your good work.

They turned out really well.

Steve


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## David Proctor (Mar 6, 2011)

great work..


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## mlgt (Apr 11, 2008)

Good turnaround. I need to refurb my winter set sometime soon


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## PooPer (Mar 26, 2011)

Really nice job


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## VenomUK (Oct 13, 2011)

Where did you get the paint mixed please mate? Not sure if I ready halfords or did you get it mixed else where?


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## pogo6636 (Jan 18, 2009)

nice finish.


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## DeeTailer (Aug 13, 2009)

VenomUK said:


> Where did you get the paint mixed please mate? Not sure if I ready halfords or did you get it mixed else where?


Got the paint made up at Martin Brown Paints in Blackpool. They're local to me so I could visit and collect, but they do mail order too.

Its known as a "colour matched aerosol". I also got a pot of touch up paint made in the same colour in an earlier visit because my daughter kerbed her TTS alloys, so you can get a touch up paint pot too if thats all you want....

I also got the etch primer from them too - but they didn't stock a matt lacquer so I've left the wheels unlacquered. But then the whole of my car body paint is unlacquered anyway (as its a solid paint colour) so they're not really missing out....

They're a lovely matt finish at the moment and I'm just going to run them like that for the winter and see how they end up in the spring.

I can always give them a quick rub and apply another coat of paint in the spring now that I know what I'm doing....


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## JMorty (Apr 25, 2011)

They look really good man, well done!


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## Chrissyronald (Jan 15, 2012)

Great turnaround bud!


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## Demetrios72 (Jun 27, 2011)

Great work mate , they look ace :thumb:


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## cleaningfreak (Sep 3, 2011)

looks very nice... and just out of curiosity ... how did u filled those kerbed marks ?


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## WP-UK (Apr 24, 2011)

Fantastic job and they look great.. 

Just a thought and not sure the profit margin would work out but if you purchased damaged alloys, refurbed them to the standard you have and resold online could you potentially make a bit of money? But obviously depends on costings and your time taken but worth a thought :thumb:

Great work!


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## DeeTailer (Aug 13, 2009)

cleaningfreak said:


> looks very nice... and just out of curiosity ... how did u filled those kerbed marks ?


I used a touchup primer pot from an old touchup kit.

I just kept filling in with the touchup brush, letting it dry and sanding it down, until I'd got the rim smooth again....

Took some time and lots of layers but I found that easier than using a filler, getting it everywhere and struggling to get it all smooth again....

There are a couple of places on one of the rims where I really should have built up the rim with filler to restore the original shape completely, but I just sanded the rim until it was smooth and painted it over and it looks fine unless you really go looking for it....


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## Buckweed (Aug 27, 2012)

Wheels in the shower..classic... Only just stopped laughing . Great work by the way.


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## Bod42 (Jun 4, 2009)

DeeTailer said:


> I used a touchup primer pot from an old touchup kit.
> 
> I just kept filling in with the touchup brush, letting it dry and sanding it down, until I'd got the rim smooth again....
> 
> ...


I havent personally tried it but I seen some people use a type of super glue to fill damage instead of the classic filler. Less messy and dries quicker. I think some of the smart repair people use this for alloys.


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## dancoupe (May 8, 2012)

Good job  a++


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## DeeTailer (Aug 13, 2009)

Bod42 said:


> Awesome work, its a great feeling when you complete works yourself and it comes out as good as many refurb companies.
> 
> What Chrome paint did you use as yours looks really good? I used some in the past and it just looks like dodgy silver.


I just used a spare can I had on the shelf. It was called Mr Christmas Silver Metallic Lacquer Spray.....


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## id_doug (Apr 6, 2011)

Great finish bud. I done my winter wheels last year and got that reaction on one of my wheels and it bummed me out, that and the fact I drop something on one of them before I got them on the car and chipped the finish.

Will be interested to see how yours fair. Unfortunately I had a little lacquer peel on mine but they went on the car quite soon after they were finished so probably down to that.

BTW the shower pics are genius, my other half wasn't as impressed when I showed her though :thumb:


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## MEH4N (Mar 15, 2012)

looks like a job well done. great work done by yourself on them


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## Mumbles (Nov 7, 2011)

Looks ace! Great job! :thumb:


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Great job there mate :thumb:


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## DOBE (May 4, 2012)

Great job mate!
Nothing better than saving yourself a few quid doing a job yourself.



cleaningfreak said:


> looks very nice... and just out of curiosity ... how did u filled those kerbed marks ?


I done one of my wheels after a disagreement with a pothole and used a steel stick from eBay.

It dries rock solid and is quite easy to sand.


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## mxb74 (Sep 25, 2009)

I bought some 14" rims for my Cavalier many years ago they fitted in the dishwasher nicely before I sprayed them up!

Good work!


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

Looking very pro...:thumb:


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