My alloys, what to do....

[J@mes]

hi there peeps!

just want some advice really!

right... I have decided to get my LCR rims refurbished and I decided a long time ago that I wanted to get them polished, as I think they would look wicked on my black LCR!

I have started to do some research and have approached a fair few wheel referb companies but with not much luck!


basically no one wants to polish my alloys because it is apparently VERY hard to get a good finish on modern alloys because of the crap (different metals) they are made of! (this is wat everyone has told me!)

Option 1:
the closet thing I can have done is to get the flat surfaces diamond cut, and the curved bits of the alloys sprayed a high silver and then lacquer the whole lot.

however I can only get a 6month warrantee on diamond cutting and I can get my 4 alloys done for £250. I have been to this company and seen the work... its ok, but tbh diamond cut isn’t the look im after! (I WANT POLISHED! )


Option 2:
the next option is to get the wheels powder coated a bright silver with a metallic silver flake in it... I went to the company today and saw their work... in the sun shine the metallic flake looks good and makes it look slightly brighter

having that done would cost me £200 for 4 alloys! (not bad!)


whilst I was at this company today they showed me something very special...

Option 3:

they pulled out this alloy wheel that they have SPRAYED in a chrome colour and lacquered!

it looks absolutely stunning!

it does NOT look like bling chrome alloys that ppl buy and put on their corsa or saxo... nothing like that!... it actually looks as if its been POLISHED!

exactly the look im after!


they said they sprayed this alloy about 4 months ago as a test... they got this special paint from Canada and it cost them £180 + VAT + import costs... so it isn’t cheap and its only a very small tin! (they showed me)

they said the Canadians have had "good results" with it (thats all the Canadians would say about it! ) but this company is a bit worried about using it in the UK climate. as a result they said they could not guarantee it at all and that I would actually be the ginnie pig for them!

they have tried to simulate a bit of curbing on the chrome rim (using a file) and they also hit it a few times just to see how it would fair against impact, and I must say its reacted just as you would expect any alloy to! (infact the curbage on it didnt look as bad as u would think! )

at first they said it would be £500 to have the chrome referb done, but after chatting about it and all the options available to me I got them down to £400 as il be the ginnie pig!


so what should I do?!

£250 for diamond cut (6 month guarantee)
£200 for bright silver powdercoat with metal flake (1 year guarantee)
£400 for chrome referb ((looks polished not chromed!) no guarantee!)


im not sure wat to do!

I mean I can afford the £400 no probs, but having no guarantee puts me off quite a bit and the fact its DOUBLE their powder coat price!

I should have taken a camera today! wished I had!


so wat are ppl's opinions?!



thanks,

james

 

[BEOWULF]

why dont u sell ya wheels and get a set what is already polished.
just a Option
really need pics to help u decide or if some kind person would photo shop ya car with the diffrent style of wheels on

 

[honeyman]

Option 2.

 

[m0rk]

the cast std wheels will have a lot of imperfections on teh surface, so be very careful as chroming/polishing may well just make them more obvious

 

[RickC]

powdercoated, mine have a silver flake in them and the wheels turn bright silver when the sun hits it, get them powdercoated mate it looks good, imo and safer.

 

[J@mes]

why dont u sell ya wheels and get a set what is already polished.

cos i look the LCR rims!!! and refurbed would make them a bit unique

 

[J@mes]

the cast std wheels will have a lot of imperfections on teh surface, so be very careful as chroming/polishing may well just make them more obvious

really?! oh right!

well their example alloy was very good!

if i went for this option i would speak to them about it, see what they say!

 

[jetsetjimbo]

If you want a guarantee you should go for no. 2 as it seems that polishing the wheels isn't doable.

If you can afford to 'try' option 3 and you're up for the risk then go for that. You'll just have to accept the fact that there isn't a guarantee.

To be honest I'd have thought that Canada has a much wider range of climatic extremes than the majority of the UK?

 

[J@mes]

powdercoated, mine have a silver flake in them and the wheels turn bright silver when the sun hits it, get them powdercoated mate it looks good, imo and safer.

powder coated, mine have a silver flake in them and the wheels turn bright silver when the sun hits it, get them powdercoated mate.

2 replies?!


yea i think powder coating is the safest option... and like u say when the sun hits the silver metal flake it looks good!


but really im after a polished look... and they chrome spray looked amazing!


im soo unsure at the mo!

i wont go out and do anything hasty so dont worry!

 

[J@mes]

If you want a guarantee you should go for no. 2 as it seems that polishing the wheels isn't doable.

If you can afford to 'try' option 3 and you're up for the risk then go for that. You'll just have to accept the fact that there isn't a guarantee.

To be honest I'd have thought that Canada has a much wider range of climatic extremes than the majority of the UK?

sound advice i think... thing is i dont want to find out that 6months down the line they need refurbing again! (thats wats worrying me! cos then it would be expensive! )


as for the climate change in Canada... ur right!

tho from how they were speaking it was if it doesnt get cold in the winter there!

 

[Si]

Option 3 is a paint called MirraChrome. Google it and your see how much it is.

It was MirraChrome that is on the Chrome M3.

I have been speaking to a mate who is going to spray mine but it costs £300 just for the paint.

I'm going to go dark grey (shade lighter than anthracite) and lots of lacquer.
Should look cool IMO

 

[Icecavern]

Well my bling Oettinger split rims might be up for swap with some LCR alloys in the very near future

 

[J@mes]

Option 3 is a paint called MirraChrome. Google it and your see how much it is.

It was MirraChrome that is on the Chrome M3.

I have been speaking to a mate who is going to spray mine but it costs £300 just for the paint.

I'm going to go dark grey (shade lighter than anthracite) and lots of lacquer.
Should look cool IMO

just googled mirrachrome... looks good.

i wonder if it the same stuff that was used on the alloy i say today?!

as for the polished M3 alloys... they are the alloys that made me decide that i wanted polished rims! i said to rochford tyres that was the look i was after nad they said they were not polished but A****** (i cant remember the word! )


as for spraying my alloys another colour... the main place i went to day (i dont want to say their name quite yet in case someone beats me to getting their LCR rims done! ) said why not have them powder coated black with a silver metal flake... they said they have done that before and it looks very good (and im sure it does!) its just i would have to see it on the car before deciding!


EDIT... maybe ur right about the m3 alloys si!.... "Ghost Chrome® can be found on a variety of OEM applications ranging from BMW wheels to Mercedes as well as Ford parts."

 

[J@mes]

Well my bling Oettinger split rims might be up for swap with some LCR alloys in the very near future

thanks but no thanks pete!

(i want referbed LCR alloys in a different colour to OE)

 

[J@mes]

oh yea si... wats this....

and i assume ur friend sprayed it with mirrachrome?

 

[Scotty_b]

Have you tried lab tab?
http://www.lap-tab.co.uk/alloywheels.php

 

[jetsetjimbo]

Have you tried lab tab?
http://www.lap-tab.co.uk/alloywheels.php

That place looks very good and they're in my neck of the woods too.

They do smoked chrome too.

 

[F2 Stu]

http://www.fatwheels.net

This lot used to be based in Sheerness, did a good job of my MO's when I had them done in black.

They also at the time did that dark chrome you see on them old Ford alloys

 

[F2 Stu]

Now that would look ace on a black car

 

[rst_cupra_r]

i had the high powered silver on mine with metal flake laquer looked ace i loved it but the polished look would also look sweet as m8