I'm considering having my fugly chrome 5-bolt Fuchs powder coated.

Anyone done it?

Do you like it?

Can you show me pictures?

someone here posted these a while ago
I like it

R. W. Little in San Diego charges about $60 per wheel, got all kinds of colors including metalics. I've used them for years, always excellent work.

good luck, Don

QUOTE (DonTraver @ Dec 12 2005, 04:19 PM)

R. W. Little in San Diego charges about $60 per wheel, got all kinds of colors including metalics. I've used them for years, always excellent work. good luck, Don

Don, youre wheels are currently powder coated?

Can I see a picture of your wheels?

How long has your finish lasted?

My wheels aren't powder coated, a friend of mine asked about it and I told him about RW Little. He took his wheel in 1-2 years ago, they still look great. Had them done in white to match the car. I had the frame on my bike done in 1988, it still looks pretty good. Here's their phone number, great bunch of guys.

619-291-0790

Take Care, Don

Luck's former 911:

Not Fuchs, but:

Nice looking finish on those wheels Joe.

I don't suppose any of you de-chromed aluminum before powder coating?

They were sandblasted to remove the old finish (not chrome).

Can chrome be media blasted off without causing damage to the aluminum under it?

Most powder coat guys really hate to powder coat chrome parts. It doesn't always stay on too well. So, take them to a chrome shop and have them stripped. Then off to the powder coaters.

I have been working on doing my own as it cost about $215.00 each to restore them correctly. Here is an example...I am close to your car (Napa), I live in Fairfield. De-chroming is an electrochemical process. A guy I work with Father owns a plating shop in Redding Ca (Walkers Plating), and explained the entire process to me. Not cheap. If you are running 7s and 8s it may be cheaper to buy other wheels.

This is the one I like the best...3rd attempt. This is close to what one of the real RSR wheels I had a chance to see looked like. The petals are not fully finished out before aniodizing. They have a machined look to them. These will be my Auto Cross wheels...

and this is one of my 8X15 RSR Fuchs by Harvey Wiedman. This finish will cost you $215.00 per wheel. They are museum quality finish. About a 2-3 month wait. I have a set of 6X15 deeps waiting to go to Harvey at the moment.

Wow! Those Harvey Wiedman's look new. I wonder if he's the same person McMark talked to recently about my wheels. The wait is about the same

Ya, I already got the $215 per wheel price quote for anodizing. $175 per wheel to paint & polish.

But the first hurdle is the de-chroming

I have gotten a quote of $75 per wheel to de-chrome, but since it's aluminum, there is a 5% chance the process will ruin the structural integrity of the rim So I risk having to buy a new rim

I haven't found out if it's possible to media blast the chrome off and successfully polish.

I do not think its possble. As I wrote in the prior post, its a process to put it on, and the reverse to remove, and the plating resist the blasting very well. Harvey is in Oroville Ca.

QUOTE (North Bay 914 @ Dec 13 2005, 05:16 PM)

I do not think its possble. As I wrote in the prior post, its a process to put it on, and the reverse to remove, and the plating resist the blasting very well. Harvey is in Oroville Ca.

QUOTE

De-chroming is an electrochemical process

So I wonder why the process can cause the aluminum to crack and ruin the whole rim?

As far as I'm aware, chrome can be sand blasted and removed.

As for the prices to polish, anodize or powder coat, those sound like CA prices to me.

isnt al reed only 75 a wheel for polish and paint?????

(way more for RSR finish)

QUOTE (914RS @ Dec 13 2005, 06:22 PM)

those sound like CA prices to me.

we have enviro nazi's here.....

QUOTE (GTeener @ Dec 13 2005, 05:19 PM)

QUOTE (North Bay 914 @ Dec 13 2005, 05:16 PM) I do not think its possble. As I wrote in the prior post, its a process to put it on, and the reverse to remove, and the plating resist the blasting very well. Harvey is in Oroville Ca. QUOTE De-chroming is an electrochemical process So I wonder why the process can cause the aluminum to crack and ruin the whole rim?

Blasting won't do anything but dull the chrome. As for the danger in stripping, it is probably a concern of the chemicals eating away at the aluminum, not the wheel simply cracking apart.Just my semi-educated guess

QUOTE (914RS @ Dec 12 2005, 06:10 PM)

Luck's former 911:

Joe,

did Lauren's car sell?
good for her
(good for you Lauren!)

brant

Media blasting won't take off the chrome even if the chrome is already bubbling off around the edge of the rim?

Yeah, Harvey is the guy I talked to. I actually stumbled across him randomly. The 5% chance of failure is not due to the stripping process. The guy Harvey uses is very meticulous and apparently the wheels are watched the whole time to make sure it comes out at the right time. The 5% refers to the percentage of wheels that are already dead but don't really show it. Sometimes when you start to strip the problem just gets worse and worse and that's your 5% he quoted. He said mostly that's east coast cars that have been in the salt and such, or if anyone has put the tire sealant in previously. Apparently that stuff attacks aluminum pretty bad. I talked with Harvey a couple times and he knows his stuff. Very knowledgeable.

OK then. Ya'll sold me.

I'll keep my 15" Fuchs and get them de-chromed & polished.

Jackstand club here we come...till Spring...

QUOTE (McMark @ Dec 15 2005, 04:39 PM)

He said mostly that's east coast cars that have been in the salt and such, or if anyone has put the tire sealant in previously. Apparently that stuff attacks aluminum pretty bad.

Hmm, I would guess there are different types of the fix-a-flat stuff you're talking about since don't the new P-cars come with it instead of a spare?

Still, good to know.