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Jim Kenney	We've been considering upgrading our OEM wheels and wonder if anyone has had the original painted wheels polished or sand blasted and polished? Was it worth the effort? If you have, please post some pictures of the finished wheel.
Ray	Jim - This probably belonges under Appearance, but will reply here for your review. Yes, when I purchased my early '99 yellow it had the painted rims. Without so much as putting mile 1 on the car, I attended SEMA in '98 and sought out "alternate rims" as I prefer a "slightly different" look to stock on all of my cars and usually do that through wheels. American Racing was to have a "nice" wheel out but couldn't commit to time frame. Long story short ... I found a guy here locally (Harley independant that does polishing / chrome work) and ended up purchasing a second set of wheels and tires for him to strip and polish. The end result looks very nice. I used the factory chrome center caps as the pained ones are plastic and can not be polished. The match is exact. He spent lots o ftime taking out the machine lines in the "barrel" of each wheel which makes a HUGE difference specially when cleaning. I have tried to post pictures on here but can't for whatever reason. Other's have seen the car and after it is pointed out that the wheels ARE polished and not chrome, they are usually impressed. I will say this though, the guy that did mine said they were WAY MORE WORK than he anticipated or even charged me for and would NOT do another set ... oh well. I love them and would NOT go with the factory chrome, specially given all the "issues" surrpounding their lasting condition. Long reply, but hope it helps with your decission.
BeWare	According to Wildcat Larry Mayes the painted rims are easier to have chromed than to have the chromed rims rechromed. I purchased a set of painted wheels that have only been chromed on the outside. I then had the inside painted again. Most people do not notice. Now if I had a chromed front end I would want the entire wheel chromed. This message has been edited by BeWare on 10-19-2004 at 11:09 AM
WildCat	quote: Originally posted by Jim Kenney: We've been considering upgrading our OEM wheels and wonder if anyone has had the original painted wheels polished or sand blasted and polished? Was it worth the effort? If you have, please post some pictures of the finished wheel. Mine were chromed and I believe Ray in Chicago area had his polished. Polishing with the spinners like on Larry Bells car would look good, but with polished aluminum you have more upkeep then chrome I have a factory set of chrome wheels I would trade for a full set of silver if interested
Ray	Larry ... Went round and round on the "upkeep" issue way back when I had this done, may even have been on the PPC, can't recall. And while my rims could look even better if I were fanatical about 'em, I honstly just wash and dry the car and whipe down the wheels with a terry towel at the end. No polishing and they still look great (in my opinion, others who have seen, feel free to comment). So, just so he knows, and NOT to queer any deal to trade wheels for you, but I happen to think the polished look is a fine alternative with zero to little upkeep. Heck, there are lots of really nice, but expensive after market wheels now available ... give CNote a PM and he'll tell you! Again, happy shopping.
Want one	Ray is correct, until it was pointed out to me by Jesse I had no idea the wheels were polished rather than chromed. I have thought about doing this since I now have my first small inner blister.
RPL	If you do go the polished route, invest a few dollars and Zoop's them. This dramatically slows the oxidation process down. If you drive the car often, you'll appreciate the reduced maintenance.
Ray	Bob ... Have no idea what Zoop is but since my annual mileage is very minimal, I really don't have a maintnance issue. Haven't even bothered with the ceramic pads yet either. I bet though, if one were to drive polished wheels regularly, you are right about the porosity you mentioned on Buck Nekked's thread (strange how we have two very similiar threads going at the same time) and the need to perhaps clean them for vigerously. Thanks Want One ... I really prefer the polished to chrome myself, but to each their own ... ya know.
Jim Kenney	Thanks for the tips, very helpful. Would still love to see a photo of the polished wheel before proceeding. P.S. Got a price here locally and it looks like the cost will be in the $200-$250 range, per wheel.
RPL	If you have them polished for even $250 per wheel, jump on it. Ray indicates that you'll have to purchase the chrome center caps and they match very well. Spend a few dollar and have Zoop's applied as soon as they're polished. Should last for a couple of years minimum. I believe Phil Genet has used it on his polished front suspension so he may have an opinion.
Ray	I agree with Bob ... good prices so long as the "quality" is up to your expectations ... I treid to load a photo but was told too large, don't know how to make smaller ... sorry.
CJ	Ray email it to me and I'll fix it for you!
CJ	Here it is:
Ray	Thank you CJ ... now mind you that this car hasn't been washed since the Beloit show or the Naperville show but you can still see by the back wheel that with the chrome centers, its really hard to tell the wheels themselves are not chrome BUT ARE Polished. If I can get the hang of resizing photos, I might be able to post some when it was washed last!
CJ	Here's a better one........
Jim Kenney	They look great! Thanks for the post.