Rim Restoration?

Where are you located?

Why not fill out your profile?

Welcome to FChat.

Oh, and see if you can come up with $15.00 to register and to help Rob support this site.

 

it would help if you filled out your profile

 

Welcome...I'm sure you'll find this board very helpful and answer many of your questions. Also check the "Search" function (upper left) as there is a wealth of info there on just about everything including wheel restoration.

 

Actually, just about any decent body shop should have the knowledge and expertise to repair/refinish your wheels for you.

 

Please check the search info as there is much discussion about the proper way to prep (seal) the wheels to avoid "out gassing" of the magnesium and possible bubbles in the finish. You might ask whoever is painting the wheels if they are aware of this potential problem. Good luck.

 

There is a fabulous one in Walnut Creek, California.

Rite-Way Wire & wheel Specialists
1119 Alpine Road
Walnut Creek, Ca 94595

925-933-4046

Speak with Sharon.

Their work is exceptional and I can speak from experience. They cannot do chrome but almost anything else. An FChat member from Colorado is sending her his wheels.

$90.00 to polish; $150.00 to straighten, true, and correct most other issues.

If you have serious lip damage, I have another who can fix it. I do not have his info here. They have a larger press.

I hit something recently that nearly killed my 19" front wheel lip. Sharon cannot do it and referred me. She will check the wheel Friday after the other is done.

She will ensure it's running true and make sure the lip is properly polished.

Highly recommended.

For your benefit, she can "doctor" up your wheels.

Welcome and thanks for filling out your profile.

Send Rob $50.00. We need the $ for faster access speeds.

 

You are worse than a bad cough!

 

Would you happen to know if Borrani Wire Wheel Service is still operating in Venice?

 

Maybe some prep H, an epsom salt bath might help. More fiber in your diet.







(sorry, couldn't resist)

 

328 wheels are aluminum, not magnesium.

To the original poster -- Ferrari UK has original 328 wheels in stock. Register with the Ferrari Owner site and you'll be able to link to the Ferrari UK parts site.

I've heard good things about Wheels America, and they have a location in Houston

http://www.fixrim.com/

 

Something I just did for a friend of mine.

BBS wheel rim (aluminum) & center (magnesuim) were damaged in a collision. The rim was straightened and proved to run true by a wheel repair shop but he had never welded magnesium.

This particular magnesium was extremely clean and relatively free of impurities. Welding was easily done with fairly low amperage, given the thickness of the webs, and there was no porosity at the weld interface. I was very pleased at the (alloy's) color match, even though the center will be painted.

I'm not interested in hearing all the "what if?" comments regarding the working of magnesium (already been crucified on that subject a couple months ago), I just put this up for the general interest of anyone with a damaged magnesium wheel.
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I had my local mechanic re-finish my wheels while my car was in his shop for a suspension overhaul. The finish was Orange-Peel wrinkled, at best. When the wheels came back from being re-finished, my mechanic noted that there must have been serious pitting going on, and that could not be fully corrected. The wheels looked very good, but not perfect. They are stock 308 QV rims....is this a common problem from this type of material?

 

USA Wheels in Fairfield, NJ. They take in wheels from all over the country. I had a set of Corvette wheels done by them. Came back beautiful. They straightened a couple of alloy Gotti rims for me, cleaned them up. They have also redone a set of wheels from a friend's F355 that came out perfect. Excellent reputation around here with the track folks and the restoration shops.

 

IIRC, which is a big if these days or so it seems, cost to repair and refinish was around $125 to $150 per wheel. I'm local, so I did not have any shipping costs. But you can call them up, tell them what type of wheels you have, what you want done, and they can give you a ball park figure. The cost came in right at their estimate for me and others I know who have used them. Nice guys to deal with and do quality work.

 

Randy...thank you for all of your help!

 

My pleasure, it's what I do.

 

I do not know as I am in N. Calif.

The shop I mentioned does do wire wheels. Try asking them or putting a request in the So. Cal section for the shop you mentioned. Someone there would probably know for sure.

 

No, they were either not prepped properly or not sealed....something is not right. Common problem when the wheels are completely stripped of finish, and then repainted. As previously mentioned, there are threads on the proper way to prep and seal magnesium on the QV wheels. I have seen several QV's with this severe "orange peel" effect...must be some folks that are unfamiliar with dealing with that material.

 

For Borrani wire wheels, send them to Valley Wire Wheels in Southern California (Van Nuys). Mike's wheels have been on the last three Best of Shows at Pebble Beach. I've tried Cork Adams, Ted/Bob Gates, and Mike for my wire wheels. All did a competent job and all the wheels looked good. Mike's wheels just were slightly better. (Better here means things like getting the wheel stampings perfect, not just close. Or using wire around the spokes to balance a wheel (like they did back in the day) instead of lead weights. Etc.)

Steve

 

Said friend brought the wheel back over today after he'd filed & sanded the repaired area. I would've spent a little more time blending it in, but I probably have more abrasive tools at my disposal.

All in all, the repair turned out better than either of us expected.
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Muy bien. Danke, mon ami.

 

Let us know how you make out.