355 Current market pricing for 355 challenge speedline wheels

Apparently, restoring magnesium speed lines is this guy’s specialty. I reached out to him late last year about doing a project, And if I recall, the price was quite high. $2500 a set is what sticks in my mind, but now I’m not clear if that price is per wheel or set.

https://www.instagram.com/autofanatic_cars?igsh=bXY0YzJxd3Y0Z3gy

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I'd say 5k for a decent set needing refinishing, 6-7k for a clean set ready to go. Anything less would be a good deal in my eyes.

 

For any set that has been raced, I would budget for either x-ray or dye penetration testing for cracks and hidden corrosion before refinishing.

Those wheels can lead a hard life!

 

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/wheels-136/


Painting is more proper imo. Less orange peel and you can preserve the original primer if still intact.

 

Very very very few Speedline Challenge wheels have been restored properly. Most have been powdercoated. Once powdercoated, I’m not sure they can be restored by painting.

I’d almost rather look for a set which has never been powdercoated and still good enough to prep for paint without re-applying primer.


I purchased my wheels brand new for roughly $5500 shipped in 2013 and repainted them. $7k wouldn’t be enough to take them off my hands because that’s what I have in them 12 years ago and I was fortunate to pick up one of the last sets.

 

Direct advice from Speedline UK.

When I sanded down my wheels, I made sure to keep the original primer intact. I only applied paint + matte clear.

*Wheels were only sold in white. I wanted black.


The key mistake I made was I did not remove the lug seats. I should’ve as it would’ve been a cleaner and more thorough job. I was new to the game . I would like to re-do them someday when time permits.

You’ll see tons of people simply paint/powdercoat over the silver lug seats.


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Are the black ones painted or powdercoated?

 

I always thought powdercoating would be stronger and longer lasting and not cracking over time as with painting, that's what one of the wheel restorers said to me and heard it from many others as well?

 

Some say magnesium shouldn’t be heated up (required for powder coating). Magnesium can burn easily. Others say it’s fine. All this drama - the painting, the X-rays - is why I don’t own a set.

 

Generally speaking, I think powdercoating is stronger/more durable than paint. However, with magnesium, it’s a slightly different animal as there is a powdercoating process for magnesium and how durable I am going to assume depends how good the prep work was and perhaps maybe even the underlying condition of the wheels. The worse condition, the more tedious the prep work needed with little room for error.


My beef specifically with powdercoating these particular wheels is orange peel. Some colors more noticeable than others. Challenge wheel spokes have a larger surface area vs thin spokey type wheels, so any orange peel tends to stand out. Harder to see on white though. Not all powdercoating places perform the same level of work of course. Powdercoat at your own risk .

 

Shouldn’t be any different from the standard 355 wheels.

 

Having said that, Chips Wheel Repair in FL did a great job restoring standard 355 wheels. They are painted, but have a powdercoat clear … I assume for durability. Minimal orange peel. I wouldn’t mind restoring my standard wheels this way. I’m pickier when it comes to challenge wheels as they are much harder to come by … and more beat up when you do find them.


https://chipswheelrepair.com/



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Here’s a shop in Japan which documented a powdercoating process for the challenge wheels. I think they did a great job for powdercoating, but as you can see, it is a tedious process. Just use Google translate if curious.

https://www.do-blog.jp/otaru-radiator/article/2431/


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So yea… What’s a really good set done correctly worth?? You tell me .


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I don’t own those either. 30 year old mag wheels worry me. Just my level of risk-tolerance.

 

Here’s another shop in Japan, which also “specializes” in magnesium wheel restoration.



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Powdercoat at your own risk .



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Here’s a brand new 355 wheel (painted from factory for comparison.)


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Knowing everything I know about challenge wheels (… and know quite a bit), anyone selling a perfectly restored painted set for $7k is getting jipped. At $5-6k, he’s officially insane.


Considering the difficulty in finding a good set, the knowledge involved in how to properly restore them, finding a good shop who can actually perform the work, the risk involved in how they turn out… no way I’m selling for $7k. I’d sell for $5-6k if I knew they were restored half-ass, which is most of the time. A properly restored set will show. A whatever restored set will look meh. Standard wheels in whatever condition already go for $4-5k and those are everywhere.

 

Anyone wanting a period-correct mag wheel for a 348/55 should really consider thee SL915 and SL916. I think they look better, fit better, and are much more rare. Plus when they come up for sale they’re much cheaper.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/speedline-corsa-magnesium-five-spoke-wheels/

 

…. and you bowed out at $1700 because ??

 

Current market pricing for 355 challenge speedline wheels

 

Been here for 2 decades and have yet to see mag wheels primarily on a street driven car blow up. Even ones on challenge cars racing bumper to bumper are still going strong. I’m sure there are some bad cases, but rare.