Advice/Direction!

[Tom McMenamin]

The wheels on my 1988 560 SL are shabby!

I am considering having my existing wheels stripped and Powder coated! That is if I can find someone in Maryland who does Powder coating for wheels!

Has anyone done this before? Does anyone know anyone?

Does anyone know anyone who will take my wheels in trade for a refinished set at a moderate price who is honest?

Thanks to all who respond!

Hi Tom,
There is a place in the Washington D.C./Maryland area that chromes wheels on an exchange basis 4 wheels $595.The business is called East Coast Plating. I haven't used them but the pricing seems very reasonable. There web address is www.4chromewheels.com Telephone number is 877-66 chrome.
Hope this helps.
Larry '86 560 SL

[maheath]

Griot's Garage has a wheel restoration kit http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog.jsp?L1=L1_1000&L2=L2_1007&L3=L3_1500&SKU=11570

I've purchased one of these, but I haven't yet used it. Hopefully within the next month. The prevailing advice I've gotten is to take your time in the preparation stage.

[Tom McMenamin]

the more it appears that the wheels are not the problem but the fact that the clear coat has broken down. Now if someone knows a way to remove the clear coat and then i clen the wheels real good and re-clear coat, i might have something!

Any advice?

[Greg Fragano]

money for more important things. You'll probably want to paint them and then clear coat them, they will look great! Prep work is the key, 180 grit paper to start to get the heavy stuff off. Make sure they're CLEAN before applying the paint and clear. It's a good project that you can really admire after completion. I do all of my own mechanicals and paint, so I'm partial to who works on my vehicle.

Greg Fragano

83 500SL (148K) Euro, Auto, Just starting to appreciate it's potential! Effortless power, smooth as silk and very comfortable! Amazed at how well it performs with as many miles it has logged.

86 BMW Cinnebar Red 635Csi, 5 speed, Conforti chip, 3.71 diff, definitely a great adrenaline boost! Super car and not afraid to take it on long road trips! Drove it from Dallas TX to Cape Cod MA earlier this summer with my 5 year old son, I really had a blast!

I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to enjoy two great German motor cars, their similarities and differences! Will send a picture of the SL when it is available. German engineering kicks some serious booty!

Ciao!

Greg

Not sure if you can find someone to do this, but I've heard here in AZ of autobody shops who can "spin" the aluminum wheels and get them to a polished finish just as mirror-like as chrome. From what I've been told, it's something like $50 per wheel. Might want to try that if you like the chrome look and your wheels are perfectly good. I'm thinking of getting it done myself.

[ctaylor738]

I used a place called Wheelworx in MD twice before with excellent results. He charged $125 per wheel, which is kind of pricey, but it included removal and pickup at your location, sandblasting, paint and clearcoat, rebalancing, delivery and installation. He will also clean up any curb marks.

They did a superb job on some old-style MB and Porsche 928 alloys.

They advertise in the local MBCA magazine.

You can also buy the "wheel silver" paint and clearcoat from www.paintscratch.com and do it yourself if you are so inclined.

[sublettd]

Or, you can call 1-800-WURTHUSA and order the spray can paint for $14.50 and the clearcoat for about $6.50 each. Only catch is you have to order a minimum of three cans each to be able to order.