teardrop bling

[Rennen]

I remember someone asking a while ago about cleaning up the teardrop alloys on 89 and 90 240s. Well, I was bored this week, and decided to do mine.


The process is real simple, and you end up with the shiny look of the 91+ alloys rather than the silver painted look.

First you need 3 things
-some sort of chemical stripper that is safe for Aluminum( I used Klean Strip KS-3 Premium Stripper from Lowes, about $6)
-A hose, preferably with a high pressure jet nozzle, to rinse the stripper off
-Lastly, Aluminum polish( I used Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish about another $6)

stuffs:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/p9ec22a0954420262b5d2c1b71a88a97f/fb9557b7.jpg

1) Just apply the stripper real thick on each wheel, don't brush it on as much as just slop it on there. You will see the the paint start to wrinkle up after a couple mins. Apply thicker to parts that aren't wrinkling.

2) Come back in about 15-20 mins and rinse off with high pressure water

2.5) The wheels won't come clean the first try, it took me 2 or 3 applications to get the face clean and another couple to get all the paint out of the "teardrops"

3) Dry off and polish with Aluminum poilsh


Thats it! It takes a couple hours, but is not very hard work, you just have to spray it with a hose.

I didnt clearcoat them or anything for all weather use, because these will become my "track" wheels, once I finally get about $300 saved away for Azenis

Impressions,

MUCH better looking IMO, the wheels now have the shiny look of the 91+ alloys. Chemical stripper is def the way to go with this too, I have tried sandblasting wheels before and its a pain in the ***, and took forever.

This may make the "teardrop" sections more dull by removing the silver paint, but over all it looks better.

Im not sure I would recommend using this stripper with tires mounted, it seems to eat everything that wasn't metal, although my valve stems made it through ok :confused: I guess it would be ok, if you watched it carefully.

anyways, enough rambling, heres the pics from my wheels:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/pedd349c7875d651b07e5fed218fd4289/fb9557c2.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/p5bb710fc173076d1bc5124756231d5d3/fb9557b0.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/p483a40e03773b6a8e0a6be2fd36051f7/fb9557bb.jpg

this is my first attempt at a halfassed writeup, so lemme know what you think.

-Matt

[transient]

Nice, they look brand new. Now if there was only some way to make them 16x8 and about 10 pounds lighter per wheel we'd be set :D

[Chikara]

that paint stripper you used is the best...
I used the red bottle version of it to take off the paint from my bumper...the bumper was almost destroyed but it was quicker then me slowly peeling it off(some idiot put stoopid primer that was cracking and it sat for a year so it was tough...)

[KiDyNomiTe]

WOW, those look nice. Much better than mine. I got mine pretty clean but not shiny. Cleaning em is a pain, requires a lot more work. You should clean them all the time now. Or else the dirt and grime will build up and then it'll be a pain to clean.

Get some pics on the car.

[Bill Roberts]

Looking really nice...but WTF to do about the center plastic caps? I want to leave my caps on (unless drifting, then I would use BS rims and drift tires, or rallying, another set)...last time I checked, I could not find a place to "chrome" plastic..

The Chrom paint loos like a$$

Ideas?

[Rennen]

transient -- yeah, 16X8, 13 lbs each, and under $20:D

KiDyNomiTe -- I seriously doubt I will have tires to mount on them anytime soon, so no on car pics for a while. They are waiting for some 205/50/15 Azenis, which are waiting on me to come up with an extra $300.

Bill -- I dunno about the centercaps. Personally I have always hated them. With the silver paint and center caps on, teardrop wheels look just like hubcaps:rolleyes: I don't think there is anyway to polish plastic, so chrome spray paint would be your best bet.

-Matt

[method2833]

SCHWEEEETTT bro im gonna use this on my 200sx meshies i just picked up. the bastard who i saved them from (she was gonna donate the car for tax puposes so i traded her the wheels for 4 donuts hehe im bad) had painted them silver but i plan on using your technique to revive their gonna be hot!!!

[DRFT]

Nice write up:D the rims look good. What i did w/mines to brighten it upa bit, was i sprayed them gunmetal since my car is dark blue. Whenever i have a boring weekend i'll probably do the same to mine to have some bling bling!

[ca18guy]

Did you wash it off on concrete or grass? I wouldn't want it discoloring my driveway or killing my lawn if I ever did have to do it :o

[AutoDestruct]

The guy in my junkyard said he would sell me all 4 with crap no tread tires for a Hundred bucks. The 200sx mesh. I think I am just going to pick them up for spares, or just to have around. Probably polish them.. At least I hope.

[Rennen]

ca18guy -- I rinsed mine off on concrete next to my house. I didnt really discolor it, If anything it cleaned the dirt off. The only problem I could see is that the silver paint flaked off, but you could always just rinse that down to the gutter with a hose.

Not sure what it would do to grass but it sure as hell burns if it gets on your hands:)

-Matt