Got a hand-me-down '90 300 E (124) from my mom with 195k on it. As you would imagine, she hasn't taken great care of it, especially the rims and her likeness for curbs . They're covered with brake dust, and the finish is dull, and the outer edges are scratched up from some bad parallel parking . Any tips on how to restore these rims? Thanks in advance! Paul

There are many companies specialising in refurbishing damaged alloys. They can generally work miracles with wheels that have been curbed or have left to get badly pitted.

Staining and pitting from brake dust is usually removed by either dipping the wheel in something nasty or bead blasting it. The wheel then needs to be repainted.

For curb scars, the wheel is placed on a lathe.

It should cost about $50 per wheel and your car will be off the road for about 3 days. A good bodyshop will offer this service or recommend someone, as will a dealer. Remember, though, that brand new Mercedes wheels are actually quite cheap (about $140 - $170 each).

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JJ Rodger
1999 SL 500
1993 320 TE
1986 500 SEC