# VW Golf Edition 30 BBS Pescara Wheel Refurb - Day One! Day Two will follow...



## MidlandsCarCare

As part of the expanding service offerings from MCC/SS we are offering wheel refurbishment. We have chosen to not offer powder coating as we believe the best possible finish can be achieved from a paint/clearcoat route.

As a flavour of the work we'll be doing I thought I'd share a mini write up to show the step by step process we go through to get a wheel perfect again. These are my own wheels from my Golf Edition 30, with some very minor cosmetic damage and I also fancy a colour change - so an ideal candidate for this write up.

This first part covers Day 1 which is up to the point of applying the primer. Tomorrow I'll add Day 2 which will show the painting process and also the finishing touches. I hope some of you find this useful and insightful.

So we started off at MCC HQ where my Golf was sat looking a little sorry for itself! We initially cleaned the wheels on the car to remove the excessive amount of dirt and brake dust build up, ahead of removing the tyres and beginning the refurb process.

Some befores:


DSC01063 by RussZS, on Flickr

(I've still not had the crack repaired which will be featured in a future write up!):


DSC01064 by RussZS, on Flickr

Cosmetic damage on the wheels:


DSC01066 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01067 by RussZS, on Flickr

The wheels were cleansed with IronX and AutoSmart Smart Wheels and various brushes:


DSC01068 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01069 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01071 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next the Golf was moved into my unit, jacked up and the wheels were removed:


DSC01072 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next the wheels were transported to SS HQ where they were cleansed further after being removed from the car.

**At this point the wheels would normally be passed across for chemical stripping meaning that some of the following processes would not normally apply but we were unable to do this today as the contract goes live from tomorrow so we progressed 'manually' for today**


DSC01076 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01077 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01080 by RussZS, on Flickr

Once cleansed as much as we could, the wheels were moved inside to have the wheel weights removed and any further marking present ahead of the sanding stages:


DSC01086 by RussZS, on Flickr

Surprising to see this bubbling from the OEM paint:


DSC01091 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01094 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next we began flatting and keying the surface with various things including 180 and 240 grit paper:


DSC01097 by RussZS, on Flickr

Via DA Sander and by hand:


DSC01099 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01100 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01102 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01103 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01104 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01105 by RussZS, on Flickr

Bubbling and corrosion removed:


DSC01106 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01108 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01110 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01112 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01116 by RussZS, on Flickr

Full flattened and ready for priming:


DSC01117 by RussZS, on Flickr

Meanwhile, I was busy selecting a colour. I wanted to go original OEM colour initially but I always liked darker wheels on a black car, so went for...


DSC01118 by RussZS, on Flickr

LOTS to choose from!!


DSC01098 by RussZS, on Flickr

All 4 ready for priming.


DSC01122 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next the wheels were wiped down with U-Pol Degreaser to ensure that they are completely clean:


DSC01123 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01124 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01126 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next Etch primer, followed by 2k primer:


DSC01128 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01129 by RussZS, on Flickr

Etch primer:


DSC01133 by RussZS, on Flickr

Finished:


DSC01134 by RussZS, on Flickr

Followed with 2k Primer:


DSC01137 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01140 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01142 by RussZS, on Flickr

That's it for Day One!

Tomorrow we will flatten the primer with 1200, then the painting will continue...

I hope someone has found this useful.

Thanks for reading.

Thoughts on the colour??

Update in Post 79:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=3715822&postcount=79

Russ.


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## phil_m_rob

BMW Sepang bronze!


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## ay4alex

Love the Anthracite colour, I'm sure I'll look great against your Black ED30. The finish does look superior to powdercoating even at the primed stage, but will it be as strong e.g curbing causing flaking etc? 

Alex


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## MidlandsCarCare

phil_m_rob said:


> BMW Sepang bronze!


I'll have a look for that tomorrow. I do quite fancy that Bentley colour though. It's great having thousands to choose from!


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## MidlandsCarCare

ay4alex said:


> Love the Anthracite colour, I'm sure I'll look great against your Black ED30. The finish does look superior to powdercoating even at the primed stage, but will it be as strong e.g curbing causing flaking etc?
> 
> Alex


From what I've seen of the white OZ's on Mick's Evo6 - yes! They have been used HARD and clean up like new after 5 years.


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## dodd87

Great to see the process that a wheel refurb goes through, really looking forward to seeing Day 2. That's a good choice on colour in my opinion, really looking forward to seeing some photos up soon Russ.


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## bigmc

Nice to see you progressing your business Russ. Health and safety head on now you should invest in some ear defence for using the air tools as the frequency of the exhaust is really bad for your ears.


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## MidlandsCarCare

bigmc said:


> Nice to see you progressing your business Russ. Health and safety head on now you should invest in some ear defence for using the air tools as the frequency of the exhaust is really bad for your ears.


Thank you!

Indeed, I do have all of the stuff including safety goggles. They are the most uncomfortable things in the world but I have started wearing them!


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## David Proctor

Looking good Russ...


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## Trip tdi

This is a very useful service to have, I'm sure alot customers will have there wheel refurbished when there cars have been fully detailed, does make a massive difference having wheels refurbed, it's the last finishing touch for sure :thumb:

You've made the right choice Russ, as some professional detailers on here have this service to offer too there customers.

Russ will you be doing detailing as a full timer any soon, or no attentions so far; looks like a good step for you, as you are building your reputation quick :thumb:


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## Derekh929

Hi Russ great new service seems a lot more work than blasting inner, do you think you can achieve better cleaning buy this DA , and sander router?, thanks derek


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## MidlandsCarCare

Derekh929 said:


> Hi Russ great new service seems a lot more work than blasting inner, do you think you can achieve better cleaning buy this DA , and sander router?, thanks derek


Hi Derek,

This isn't the normal route we'd take as we'd have the wheels chemically stripped normally but were just unable to do this today unfortunately 

Russ.


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## xJay1337

Very nice and looking forward to the finished product but powdercoat for me 100% of the time... 
Especially on wheels which are more prone to receiving abuse.. especially chips.. 
My powdercoated wheels have done over 30k and still look brand new. Doubt that could be said for a wet spray.

But time will tell.


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## MidlandsCarCare

xJay1337 said:


> Very nice and looking forward to the finished product but powdercoat for me 100% of the time...
> Especially on wheels which are more prone to receiving abuse.. especially chips..
> My powdercoated wheels have done over 30k and still look brand new. Doubt that could be said for a wet spray.
> 
> But time will tell.


The powder coaters near you must be good then as every job I've seen from around me has been awful and not lasted at all.

I'll post up pics of these wet sprayed Evo6 wheels tomorrow


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## phill313

always been a fan of anthracite ! look forward to finished product ! :thumb:


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## xJay1337

MidlandsCarCare said:


> The powder coaters near you must be good then as every job I've seen from around me has been awful and not lasted at all.
> 
> I'll post up pics of these wet sprayed Evo6 wheels tomorrow


Company I use is MyAlloys. £55 a wheel + VAT.
Worth it though quality is brilliant. it's in my wheely good detail after a cleanup!


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## Scottland

Nice, I think the "Black Chrome" colour would look pretty nice on those wheels.


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## Wilo

how much do you charge per wheel for this type of service?


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## VenomUK

Looks good, love reading things like this and see how its all done.

What are you using here with the wire cup brush please? Is it air or electric powered?


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## MidlandsCarCare

Wilo said:


> how much do you charge per wheel for this type of service?


It will be around £70-75 inc VAT up to 19", with ANY choice of colour and Auto Finesse Mint Rims applied afterwards, with Nano Coatings being options too if required.



VenomUK said:


> Looks good, love reading things like this and see how its all done.
> 
> What are you using here with the wire cup brush please? Is it air or electric powered?


Hi Venom,

It's air powered. I'm unsure on the machine but will find out tomorrow for you and let you know.

Russ.


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## JBirchy

Looks mega Russ, and at that price I would say excellent value given the quality of work!


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## b9rgo1234

Nice job Russ. Have a look at Bentley Silver Tempest, the code is LK7S. Its not as dark as the anthracite, it might be a bit more OEM+ :thumb:


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## ford nut

BMW Dark Graphite Metalic (A90) would look great on the wheels as it changes colour slightly as the light falls on it...

1ST PIC http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=544726


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## danzo_m

Spray station is brilliant, the quality of the workmanship that went into what I sore today has more than converted me to use them now for any work I require on my car.

I sore various vehicles today that have been painted well over 5-10 years ago by Spray Station and there was hardly any orange peel in the finish which was brilliant considering they had not had any prep work after spraying. 

Russ the Bentley Grey looks top notch for your wheels, they will look well nice in the sun!!


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## MidlandsCarCare

I didn't realise you were on here! Good to catch up again today. 

That Evo is something else isn't it?


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## Soul Hudson

Nice little write up very interesting. Thanks for sharing.


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## danzo_m

MidlandsCarCare said:


> I didn't realise you were on here! Good to catch up again today.
> 
> That Evo is something else isn't it?


Hi,

Yeh the finish for just under neath the car is better than some cars that come out of a factory fresh


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## Marky-G-66

Nice write up...Bit of a change... looking forward to part two:thumb:
Wheels should look great in that colour, similar colour to the wheels on my S2000... which also need a bit of pampering (kerb damage, Blistering etc)


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## Ross

Nice Russ,I really need to get my alloys refurbed as the are fairly knackered.


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## North east Car Care

Loving this Russ


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## Ross

I really like Shadow chrome for alloys.


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## b9rgo1234

Russ, can your guy fix buckled wheels?


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## Magic Detail

Shadow chrome is an effect rather than a colour. IIRC it's black primer with silver final coat to gain the desired effect (normally you would use a light primer for silver..)

This is a great thread Russ and I also believe a proper sprayed finish not only looks better than powdercoating but it is also more durable. The turnaround is longer but quality is far superior, there's not much in the price either! Good work my san!


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## edthedrummer

Another vote for dirty bronze! Like a golden gunmetal.


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## Dave182

Great work already, keep em coming!


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## MidlandsCarCare

JBirchy said:


> Looks mega Russ, and at that price I would say excellent value given the quality of work!





Dave182 said:


> Great work already, keep em coming!


Thanks!!

We have booked in a few sets already including 335i 19's, 18's from an R32 Mk5 and R35 GTR wheels.

Brake calipers are up next.


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## xJay1337

Brake calipers I would be interested in.


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## Tom_watts

MidlandsCarCare said:


> Thanks!!
> 
> We have booked in a few sets already including 335i 19's, 18's from an R32 Mk5 and R35 GTR wheels.
> 
> Brake calipers are up next.


Are you keeping the Golf a bit longer then Russ?


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## MidlandsCarCare

Tom_watts said:


> Are you keeping the Golf a bit longer then Russ?


Hi Tom,

For now yes. I never drive it anyway and haven't had time to go car shopping 

Russ.


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## DetailMyCar

Looks great, but a very time consuming way so even better value at £70! What about the damage, how did they repair it?

I use MyAlloys locally to me too, I get them at £50 each through a bodyshop as they send van loads over but they powdercoat them.

I think painting is fine if they're baked properly and a decent lacquer but powdercoating (imo) is always a superior finish in terms of durability, the guys at MyAlloys do all of our cars here, incl an RS6 and after 40k with some VERY hard braking (the car is remapped to over 700bhp and does 200mph) they are still like new.

I think the main benefit with somewhere like that is they do it all day and that's all they do so they have the huge machines to chemically strip & clean them and then shot blast them too before powdercoating so the finish is very very good...

They did mine:









Also my Wife's Leon:

Before









After









Close up


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## Magic Detail

The high curing temps required for powder coating weakens the alloy structure. OEM wheels are wet sprayed - so Russ is offering a factory finish, and £70 is great value.


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## DetailMyCar

Paragon said:


> The high curing temps required for powder coating weakens the alloy structure. OEM wheels are wet sprayed - so Russ is offering a factory finish, and £70 is great value.


£70 is definitely good value, but I've never heard of issues with weakening the alloy structure, that can't be good!!

I thought they were just cured around 180deg, isn't that the same as curing lacquer would be anyway?


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## xJay1337

Paragon said:


> The high curing temps required for powder coating weakens the alloy structure. OEM wheels are wet sprayed - so Russ is offering a factory finish, and £70 is great value.


While this is technically true (that is wheels exposed to high temps in an oven _can _damage the structure) in a good quality powdercoating shop (especially ones that specialize in alloy wheel refurbishments) this is not going to happen as the temperatures are not high enough (200 degree C max) or duration long enough.

In addition many OEM wheels are actually powdercoated and not wet sprayed.

Edit: Considering brakes get up to 400-500 degrees from fast/heavy road use I think they are fine with that. I know loads of people with powdercoated wheels and they've never had a problem.


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## Magic Detail

DetailMyCar said:


> £70 is definitely good value, but I've never heard of issues with weakening the alloy structure, that can't be good!!
> 
> I thought they were just cured around 180deg, isn't that the same as curing lacquer would be anyway?


200deg Celcius for powdercoating, vs 70deg Celcius for wet spraying mate. The higher temps can sometimes cause structural weaknesses but it really depends on the layout of the spokes. Loads of Rota wheels have sheered at the hub, often due to having a powdercoated refurb previously. It's not just limited to those wheels though, others have had problems too.


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## xJay1337

Paragon do you mean this?
Which is related to rust and cracking (not the powdercoating process!)


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## Magic Detail

I can't see any pics mate and not got time to sit reading through pages and pages of that thread. Problem with the internet is person a says one thing, person b-f agree then person g says something else which gets people b-f arguin over which is right and wrong then the rest of the alphabet follows and a free for all starts.. 

Brakes getting up to 500 is great. I have taken wheels off a car with my bare hands when said brakes have been cooling down. They are just warm. Heat transferring from one surface to another is one thing, but heat being applied directly to a surface is completely different.


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## MidlandsCarCare

Sneak peek of the finished article

Finished in Lechler Macrofan HS2000:


DSC01188 by RussZS, on Flickr


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## xJay1337

Well on the other hand I have burnt my fingers on brake discs.. can be painful!! 10 minutes later after stopping from a hard drive and washing my car steam comes off the discs when sprayed! 

I'm only talking from what I've seen and my experiences. That thread is only 3 pages long, took me 2 minutes. :S

But okie bud.


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## xJay1337

That is a fantastic finish Russ!!


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## MidlandsCarCare

Mick's the man!


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## Scrim-1-

Stunning finish, how much will you charge Russ


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## david_pupu

nice on russ


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## mistryn

Russ - thats very very very similar to the colour I was telling you yesterday of how I want mine done

Is that the bentley anthracite or did you change your mind?


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## georgeandpeppa

Great finish, bet it will look sweet on the car.


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## AaronGTi

What an awesome finish!


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## yetizone

Absolutely superb thread and great to see the new service Russ - what a finish you guys have achieved ! STUNNING ! :thumb:


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## VenomUK

Russ - That colour is stunning mate, cant wait to see them back on the car 

Also did you find out that tool too please?


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## bigmc

To tool looks like a standard in-line drill, a die grinder will do the same job but they're quite expensive.


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## n_d_fox

Finished wheels look the nuts Russ... very very nice :thumb:

Would have been nice to have known about the potential in this service a few months back (granted it may not have been sorted then)... my brother had a set of 19" Helios' refurbed and would have waited and been all over this if he'd known.


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## organisys

MidlandsCarCare said:


> The powder coaters near you must be good then as every job I've seen from around me has been awful and not lasted at all.
> 
> I'll post up pics of these wet sprayed Evo6 wheels tomorrow


Quality does vary, but the best coaters can get a finish close to a spray and the durability is much better imho.

The wheels on my daily were done more than two years ago now and there are no problems, despite some kerb rash.

Poor Quality phone photo, but Anthracite powder coat.


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## alexskord

Absolutely fantastic work there

Well done


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## b9rgo1234

C'mon Russ, lets see the final results :thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare

I'll get the pics up tonight hopefully, there is one a few pages back after the clearcoat has been added.


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## b9rgo1234

:thumb: Very nice, i wouldn't want to put them back on the car now.


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## MidlandsCarCare

I wince when I brake now  I need to get them coated ASAP!


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## Focusaddict

Anyone know a good wheel refurb company closer to me, will need to get spare wheels for this.

Fantastic job.:thumb::thumb::thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare

Focusaddict said:


> Anyone know a good wheel refurb company closer to me, will need to get spare wheels for this.
> 
> Fantastic job.:thumb::thumb::thumb:


Lepsons are about the best - in Gillingham, Kent


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## Focusaddict

Too far from me,  by the time I pay for petrol it's just gonna be too much.


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## b9rgo1234

MidlandsCarCare said:


> I wince when I brake now  I need to get them coated ASAP!


Are you going with Gtechniq c5 or something different?


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## O`Neil

b9rgo1234 said:


> Are you going with Gtechniq c5 or something different?


This is what I`d like to know too Russ


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## Nanolex

Great work, I like the color a lot!


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## ianFRST

Pics fitted?? Lol

I'd go for nanolex. Of all the ones I've tried, that lasted the longesr


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## O`Neil

ianFRST said:


> Pics fitted?? Lol
> 
> I'd go for nanolex. Of all the ones I've tried, that lasted the longesr


I`ve never tried Nanolex, I`m looking for a new wheel sealant, but want something that adds some bling too.


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## AaronGTi

O`Neil said:


> I`ve never tried Nanolex, I`m looking for a new wheel sealant, but want something that adds some bling too.


Sorry to hijack but 1:52 of this video for bling


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## MidlandsCarCare

Sorry for the delay folks, I should have the second part and fitted pics up later today - I'm a bit behind on my write ups too.

We've also been working on a set of Evo9 Speedline's today so will add those pics too.

Cheers,
Russ.


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## yetizone

Looking forward to seeing the second write up Russ :thumb:


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## SteveTDCi

They look good, is the£70/75 inclusive of removing the tyre, refitting and balancing it ?


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## O`Neil

How`s things Russ, any updates on the wheels?


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## MidlandsCarCare

Sorry for the delay folks, here's Day2 and another set we've been working on in a different colour from an Evo9.

My car desperately needs a clean so when it next gets some love I'll get a load more decent pics....

So after the 2 stage priming was completed and baked we moved onto flatting the wheels to ensure the best possible overall finish:


DSC01144 by RussZS, on Flickr

1000 grade used:


DSC01146 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01148 by RussZS, on Flickr

Venom asked about this tool - some more pics for you, sorry for the delay...


DSC01153 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01154 by RussZS, on Flickr

After sanding was completed, the colour I selected was mixed up ready for application:


DSC01169 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01170 by RussZS, on Flickr

As flat as can be:


DSC01173 by RussZS, on Flickr

Here is the finish after the first layer of colour, no lacquer as yet:


DSC01175 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01177 by RussZS, on Flickr

2 layers of lacquer were applied, the second of which included some of this:


DSC01180 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01182 by RussZS, on Flickr

The flake pop in the Sun is incredible... pics will follow!

and finally, some afters...


DSC01185 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01186 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01187 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01188 by RussZS, on Flickr

I've not had a chance to clean them up properly yet or indeed wax them but when I do, I'll add further pics, but the finish is stunning. Here's the only pic of them clean on the car that I have but some tyre paste remains:


DSC01306 by RussZS, on Flickr

Also, alongside a number of other sets of wheels, I managed to get some pics of the process for these Evo9 wheels - the brief of which was to match the OEM finish as closely as possible:

This set was chemically stripped by a local company then work began at Spray Station by priming:


DSC01479 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01481 by RussZS, on Flickr

Again they were fully wet sanded to achieve the best possible finish:


DSC01490 by RussZS, on Flickr

Then wiped down with UPOL to prepare the surface for painting:


DSC01493 by RussZS, on Flickr

Bright metallic silver was used on these to match the original colour:


DSC01494 by RussZS, on Flickr

First coat, no lacquer yet:


DSC01495 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01496 by RussZS, on Flickr

Final pics:


DSC01499 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01501 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01502 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01505 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01507 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01512 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC01513 by RussZS, on Flickr

I'll add further write ups as we do interesting wheels and colours. Gloss black next...

Thanks for reading,
Russ.


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## AaronGTi

Wheels look ace mate :thumb:


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## jlw41

Wow great work Russ :thumb:


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## Breakable?

Finish looks amazing


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## The_Bouncer

Nice work Russ - :thumb: - Great colour fleck in those, real smooth finish. Like a lot


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## DJ X-Ray

..enjoyable read.nice work.


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## theshrew

Great work mate


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## paranoid73

Very nice :thumb:


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## yetizone

Superb finish on the Golf & Evo wheels :thumb:


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## JBirchy

Stunning Russ, the depth of colour on yours is brilliant!


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## Ns1980

Really like what you've achieved here Russ.


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## Ryan Hughes

WOW Really impressed with the finish on them wheels.

Top Job


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## CleanDetail

Nice write up mate!


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## hudson0804

Had a quick chat with Russ in PM and will definately be getting my wheels done.

Just need to sorce me a spare set of wheels so i can keep the car moving .

Think i mite start abusiness up that has standard wheels for all makes and models and rent them out on a daily charge for these exact situations. 

Mite pop down next time i'm at Mozzo Russ mate, i'll bring the bickies if you make the brew .


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## spirocheter

Very nice work indeed, both sets of wheels look superb. I've recently had three sets of wheels done, one set spray painted for £225, not a good job, could see coarse sanding marks, dull paint finish and too thin in places. I had another set powder coated by laptab, with a pretty good quality result but I hate driving into central Birmingham, I can't recall the price, then I've had another set of BMW rims / MV3 powder coated locally, and whilst £35 per wheel was great value (I had types removed and refitted), and the work was excellent, the anthracite color I had is very flat and not nearly as nice as yours.... They need redoing.


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