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I've got two sets of freshly minted diamond-cut alloys on two of my cars and wondered if anybody has any experience keeping the diamond-cut finish looking good without having to constantly work on them.
I've heard of using vaseline before... but that will dull the finish and I'd imagine they get dirty quickly with sticky stuff applied.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,251
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Protect diamond cut alloysChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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You could try a very good wax on the wheels. Something like Collinite 476S to do the trick. Or 915 if you want something easier to apply.
I think the main issue with Diamond cut wheels is the adhesion of the lacquer to what effectively is bare metal. Smooth surfaces never tend to have good adhesion properties.
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I have used Bilt Hamber auto balm for a while now. Avoid cleaning with acidic wheel cleaners too.
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just wash and polish /protect often
summer weekly washing with hot soapy water will do it , polish every now n then
for winter id suggest some cheap alloys/steels but if you did run them the salt wants washing off almost daily as they will really suffer
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91 golf g60, 89 golf 16v , 88 polo breadvan
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You could try a very good wax on the wheels. Something like Collinite 476S to do the trick. Or 915 if you want something easier to apply. I think the main issue with Diamond cut wheels is the adhesion of the lacquer to what effectively is bare metal. Smooth surfaces never tend to have good adhesion properties. Indeed. Water gets under the lacquer after the first stone chip, clouds the metal and lifts the rest of the lacquer. Mine are ruined.
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Are they even lacquered? If they are then perhaps the best solution is to apply a few more coats of lacquer. The people who refurbish wheels do the job down to a price and won't do too many coats. Probably only one. But I do wonder whether they are even lacquered in the first place?
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,251
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Protect diamond cut alloysChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Most do tend to be lacquered.
IMHO the best thing to do is to leave them unlacquered and use a very good metal wax/protectant, but to stay on top of keeping them clean.
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mk2cossie
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 3,031
Club RR Member Number: 77
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Protect diamond cut alloysmk2cossie
@mk2cossie
Club Retro Rides Member 77
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mine are unlacquered and have been on the car all year round. they don't get the attention they need and as said salt on the roads during winter makes them fur up for fun. However, autosol and if needed various grades of wet and dry used with wd40 or gt85 instead of water have kept them looking pretty bloody good when given a quick clean up
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Most do tend to be lacquered. IMHO the best thing to do is to leave them unlacquered and use a very good metal wax/protectant, but to stay on top of keeping them clean. Probably easier, then all you have to do is rectify any blemishes as they come up. I got mine reconditioned by Spit and Polish. Anybody know if that lot clear coat? I guess I could find out by looking closely to see if there is anything on them.
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mk2cossie
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 3,031
Club RR Member Number: 77
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Protect diamond cut alloysmk2cossie
@mk2cossie
Club Retro Rides Member 77
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Most do tend to be lacquered. IMHO the best thing to do is to leave them unlacquered and use a very good metal wax/protectant, but to stay on top of keeping them clean. Probably easier, then all you have to do is rectify any blemishes as they come up. I got mine reconditioned by Spit and Polish. Anybody know if that lot clear coat? I guess I could find out by looking closely to see if there is anything on them. They do normally clear coat diamond cut alloys. Mine were, and the coating went off within a week of getting the wheels home and just in the shed waiting to fit them So they took them back and recut the faces with the onus that there was no guarantee how long they would last
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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I use poor boys wheel sealant. It's a pink tub, cost me about £15/£20 if I remember correctly and my tub has lasted me years.
I apply around 6 to 8 layers of the stuff every 12 months and have never had any crazing, deterioration or clouding in any of my wheels. One year I swapped to a very expensive product called "Carbon Collective" wheel sealant, cost £25 for a very small bottle and it was a total load of junk. Poor boys is what I trust my very expensive wheels with.
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If you want something nice and easy to use with decent durability, Auto Finesse Mint Rims wheel wax is ideal.
Simply wash and dry the wheels, apply thinly with an applicator pad, buff off and your wheels will be protected for about 4 months.
Poorboy's was good back in the day but things have moved on and become a lot more durable.
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I use belgom alu, it contains a wax and authough ive not had wheels to use it on, other items ive used it on really do seem to stay brighter for longer, and it brings up a much better shine than a paste like autosol, authough its not as abrasive as autosol so its a good idea to use it after autosol. Did a bmx frame with it a couple of months back and it still looks fresh.
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I had a set of RS wheels done by a company down powder mill lane in Dartford about 97/98 and they powdercoated the clear. Lasted really well despite daily abuse even in winter.
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1988 DUTTON LEGERRA MK1 - SPARES DONOR 1989 DUTTON LEGERRA MK2 - CURRENT PROJECT 1990 DUTTON LEGERRA ZS MK2 1990 DUTTON LEGERRA ZS MK2 DUTTON PHAETON S2 - Resting DUTTON PHAETON S4 - Resting DUTTON PHAETON S4 - PROJECT X DUTTON SIERRA S2 - Resting
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turbom
Part of things
Posts: 393
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white diamond alloy and metal polish is good as recomended to me by a lorry driven friend what he uses on his alloys and fuel tanks. Good stuff
N.B not poorboys white diamond.
Available on ebay for £16 a bottle..
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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If you want something nice and easy to use with decent durability, Auto Finesse Mint Rims wheel wax is ideal. Simply wash and dry the wheels, apply thinly with an applicator pad, buff off and your wheels will be protected for about 4 months. Poorboy's was good back in the day but things have moved on and become a lot more durable. I was just thinking, I cant have used it that long ago, must have been fairly recently I bought it. Turns out it was 2010/2011 that I got mine. I did find poor boys quite time consuming. Although effective. I may have to have a go at your recommendation. Despite having nearly a full tub of poor boys left.
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If you want something nice and easy to use with decent durability, Auto Finesse Mint Rims wheel wax is ideal. Simply wash and dry the wheels, apply thinly with an applicator pad, buff off and your wheels will be protected for about 4 months. Poorboy's was good back in the day but things have moved on and become a lot more durable. I was just thinking, I cant have used it that long ago, must have been fairly recently I bought it. Turns out it was 2010/2011 that I got mine. I did find poor boys quite time consuming. Although effective. I may have to have a go at your recommendation. Despite having nearly a full tub of poor boys left. I have the exactly same combo just got my revs done by spit and polish went for no lacquer on the diamond cut lip. didn't really seal them for a few weeks and they were dulling , so used some autosol and then sealed with poorboys wax the pink stuff. done 2 coats all over the wheels , so far has been about 2 weeks held its shine water runs off and seems to be all good. wish I tried the auto finesse mint rims now but got a big tub of poorboys to use for now . it does the job
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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I don't claim to be a detailer, have any experience of detailing or even claimed to keep a clean car, so a lot of this is very new and basic to me. I've personally always struggled with binding brake dust. I don't always have the chance to get straight on them as soon as possible, some times I end up storing the car for a few weeks and then when I try to clean it off it has stuck itself down pretty good and is very stubborn to remove.
I had a set of polished wheels brand new on my old mini, I spent a good week on them and applied about 5/6 coats of poorboys, I did the London to brighton run in that car on them wheels, must have been around about 250 miles and I had the night before the run installed a new set of brakes, pads, discs the lot. The amount of brake dust that collected on the wheels did bother me quite a bit. A few days later at work I got the wheel brush and the hose out on my lunch break expecting to scrub the wheels for a solid half hour. I got the hose out and all of the brake dust just ran off, nothing was stuck, none of it was hard work to remove, just rinsed off in no more than 5 minutes!
I was well chuffed with the stuff.
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using poorboys black hole as well on my daily golf and it seems to be good stuff at a good price! I'm not complaining one bit. bilt hamber is another good brand also British and developed and made here in Britain so I think I will start to try their products when I run out next
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