What's up "Fit"ters


I recently bought a flat black 17' rims with red linings on the lip. I just wondering,
how can you clean them since you can't wax nor polish it on such painted surface?

Thank's alot for your help




J

 

I wash mine with soap and water (actually car was places do it for me, since I do not have ability to was my cars where I live) and dry them up with a soft cloth.
If paint is not gloss type it needs even more nurishment to keep it looking good since it is more porous! It is just like human skin, leather seats,......
Since paint I used is a semi gloss wheel paint from DupliColor, I use small applicator wax pad and Zumol (cleaner wax). I mainly get a pad very moist, so I do not throw blobs of wax on the paint. Zumol is greenesh blue in color. Clear liquid wax would work even easier without issues of colored wax. I buff it with a polishing mit until it is completely dry to the touch since greasy surface will make dirt stick like glue. You can see wax geting absorbed by the paint.
I like Zumol and have been using it for a decade. It smels great since it contains carnuba, coconut, banana, almond extract,...... We just clay bar-ed and Zumol-ed my friends WRX. He was so impresed and proceded to Zumol exposed interior paint areas. Zumol is so gentle and nurishing on your own skin, he wonted to use it on plastic and other interior materials! LOL! He likes it as interior fregrance too!

Try doing it on inside part of the wheel where it is not visible. If you like the results you can always do entire painted surface.

 

Thank's for your reply ciburri, seriously you have done a great job on your wheelies .


I do understand that you mentioned the paint that you are using was duplicolor semigloss. My question is does the surface is slick to the touch (like satin paint) or a bit scratchy/coarse (like mine does)?

When I compare both of your wheels and mine, I think thare are no
significant difference in paint wise (visually) except yours a bit more glossier.

Since mine is flat black painted, are sure that waxing them is safe enough ?

At this moment I only wash it with car shampoo and dry em' with a soft cloth


J

 

Shampoo will keep "drying" the paint. Going from glossy to flat, the paint just gets more porous! Dirt just gets easier in the paint.
You have couple of choices to help you in your decision:
1. contact wheel manufacturer and ask them about waxing them (if they are painted by wheel manufacturer), or contact paint manufacturer if you painted them yourself.
2. apply wax on back side of the wheel and buff it out good and see what comes out of it.
IMO, they will just end up more shiny even after good buffing under worst circumstances. Dull, dried up surface will come off and stay on the aplicatot/buffing pad because of shampoo and weather elements, on first application only! No, it won't take all the paint off, just very first microscopic surface layer. Same as when you wax your slightly dull, weathered paint surface on a few years old car that had washes, but no wax applied before.
Ivan