chris singleton

Is it just me or are these really s**t quality.

The fronts are ok but the inside doesn't even look to be alloy, more like steel jobies.

The wheels are only one year old but there's so much brake dust and crap on the inside it's welded on. Tried jetwash, polish, wonder wheels but nothing budges it.

Its starting to creep through the sides of the spokes onto the front, anything I can do?

Chris

Apple

Buy a new set of something else?

Only the fronts are finished off / gloss coated, the insides are left matt as nobody is supposed to see 'em there the matt finish is great at picking up the brake dust and it eventually eats it's way into the surface

I looked at some gold my02 std rims when I got my scoob but was put of by the exceedingly cheap & nasty paint job as they only spray them half way down in gold - the rest is left silver-ish and looks a right bodge job

Apple

chris singleton

I've had a second crack with Wonder Wheels which has removed some more of the crap.

Any idea who sprayed the gold wheels you refer to, I was thinking of having this done, presumably if they're done by a reputable company the original alloys will sufice (if they're actually dipped/recoated as opposed to being sprayed).

Thanks

Chris

Apple

I think the my01 gold wheels were done as a job lot by Subaru (Japan?) for shipping over here (European wheels are the same AFAIR). It was done as a quick way of getting gold wheels onto the market but you don't see many around so not that popular.

I looked at having my 02 wheels sprayed at something like 35 quid a wheel or less if you supplied your own paint (which was in the region of 120 quid for a 1/2 litre with all the rest of the gubbins - lacquer, basecoat etc) - see thread started by Burr a couple of weeks ago for more details.

If you go to a respectable place for having them done, they should prepare the wheels OK before they paint so shouldn't have a problem. It's when they just spray over the top of all the crap already on the wheel you get grief later on.

I semi-sorted the problem by buying some gold speedlines that are a proper coating / spraying job. Have a look at the display stand in the dealers with a my01/2 wheel next to a compomotive or speedline and see how sh*tty the subaru one looks. Somebody will probably correct me but aren't the STi wheels only sprayed part way through as well?

Apple

STI MAN

Yup, the STi wheels are sprayed/painted gold for the outer ~3" the rest is silver looking. Still, never mind, should be replacing those soon