alloy wheel refurbishment

[mercmanuk]

ive booked my car in the have the alloys redone in a smoked chrome effect.the place i'm using is www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk .ive been and had a look at their setup in manchester and its very state of the art,all the latest equipment.
they shot blast the alloy to remove all the old paint,then powdercoat the finish and laquer on in high bake ovens,depending on the finish they may wet spray a paint over the base coat before powdercoating the laquer.
ive seen the finished items being fitted back on cars and the quality is second to none,better than new mercedes benz finish.they had a set of split rim amg alloys seperated and the finish was like glass,very smooth and shiny.
they offer a 25% DISCOUNT to anyone from the mbclub who uses them,just mention when getting a price.
ill post a few pics when they are done next week.

 

[television]

I have heard that they are OK and a much better alternative than clear lacquer

 

[mercmanuk]

I can 100% recommend them better finish than the origional mb wheels and managed to negociate a 25% discount

 

[rf065]

Mercedes Enthusiast (Feb) has an article on a London company who do wheels to a very high standard. (Diamond Styling)

They do not use powder coating as they say it cannot produce as fine a finish as paint. It is used by other companies for quickness and cost. Apparently you cannot get a powder coated finish as flat and level as well applied wet paint can. And as the powder coating is recycled it can become contaminated.

I also learned chemical stripper baths make steel wheels go brittle and putting an old magnesium alloy wheel in can cause a mini explosion!

No mention of costs though, I suspect they will not be cheap, workshop was full of Brabus, AMG, Aston & Bentley wheels.

Russ

 

[mercmanuk]

i must admit the finish is very very smooth,they do work for bmw,porsche,aston martin but cant compete against the vans that charge £25 per wheel but you get what you pay for.they had a set of 3 piece amg alloys waiting to be assembled and the finish was glass

 

[ibrar]

Any pics mercman??

 

[stats007]

Mercedes Enthusiast (Feb) has an article on a London company who do wheels to a very high standard. (Diamond Styling)

They do not use powder coating as they say it cannot produce as fine a finish as paint. It is used by other companies for quickness and cost. Apparently you cannot get a powder coated finish as flat and level as well applied wet paint can. And as the powder coating is recycled it can become contaminated.

I also learned chemical stripper baths make steel wheels go brittle and putting an old magnesium alloy wheel in can cause a mini explosion!

No mention of costs though, I suspect they will not be cheap, workshop was full of Brabus, AMG, Aston & Bentley wheels.

Russ

I got a quote for the Maser from Diamond Styling - £75 + VAT each.

 

[mercmanuk]

for the four wheels ,stripped,powder coated black,then wet sprayed silver then powder coated laquer this gives the black chrome effect £220+vat.
that includes just leaving the car they remove tyres then refit,balance with new valves and repair any damage to the rim with alloy filler.£55+vat per wheel with the mbclub discount of 25%.A BARGAIN

 

[Ratz]

Any pics mercman??

I second this request, have fancied a smoke effect rather than the bright silver for a while.

 

[mercmanuk]

im having them done on wednesday next week so ill post pics thursday

 

[crockers]

Mercman - what alloys do you have on what car?

 

[ibrar]

im having them done on wednesday next week so ill post pics thursday

mercmanuk before and after pics would be great!

 

[KLP 92]

Mercedes Enthusiast (Feb) has an article on a London company who do wheels to a very high standard. (Diamond Styling)

They do not use powder coating as they say it cannot produce as fine a finish as paint. It is used by other companies for quickness and cost. Apparently you cannot get a powder coated finish as flat and level as well applied wet paint can. And as the powder coating is recycled it can become contaminated.

I also learned chemical stripper baths make steel wheels go brittle and putting an old magnesium alloy wheel in can cause a mini explosion!

No mention of costs though, I suspect they will not be cheap, workshop was full of Brabus, AMG, Aston & Bentley wheels.

Russ

I agree with you to a point. The wet finish is a smoother finish than powder coated but in no way is it as durable.

Wet paint simply will not last a long time, i had a few wheels done a year back, i grazed a kerb and next time i had the car washed the paint began to lift and flake.

More importantly who's going to see how smooth the finish is on the wheels once fitted onto the car? I would rather go for durability than a smoother finish.

The chap i use for powder coating does an excellent finish, not much difference between a wet paint and certianly not noticable on a car.

 

[Flash]

More importantly who's going to see how smooth the finish is on the wheels once fitted onto the car? I would rather go for durability than a smoother finish.

The smoother the finish is on a wheel the easier it is to wash/hose of the dirt with just shampoo!

 

[Will]

I think that the powder coat finish is very smooth, but the sheen is maybe not quite as glossy as a wet painted finish with several coats of lacquer.

Shouldn't be a problem washing either finish, just keep them clean and polish/wax the finish from time to time

Will

 

[rajinder_1]

im having them done on wednesday next week so ill post pics thursday

So they will do the lot in a day?????
thats not bad as you dont have to mess about removing and repalcing the tyres etc....

raj

 

[mercmanuk]

well i had the wheels done and they are spot on,the finish and quality is smoother and better than mb have on their factory wheels,will post pics over the weekend .very highly recommended and the service and attitude to the job is second to none,if your not happy they get redone!

 

[C43AMG]

I agree with you to a point. The wet finish is a smoother finish than powder coated but in no way is it as durable.

Wet paint simply will not last a long time, i had a few wheels done a year back, i grazed a kerb and next time i had the car washed the paint began to lift and flake.

More importantly who's going to see how smooth the finish is on the wheels once fitted onto the car? I would rather go for durability than a smoother finish.

The chap i use for powder coating does an excellent finish, not much difference between a wet paint and certianly not noticable on a car.

Who do use ?

 

[stayluckydave]

Any pics yet?

 

[ibrar]

I've been waiting for these pics for a long time mercman can't wait to see the finish on those wheels