View Full Version : How to turn aluminum rims into mirror finish?
JLui83
09-16-2009, 06:31 PM
I have a 2009 civic Si. I want to polish the face of the rims so that they are mirror finish or close to it. The rims are mint and are currently on my car. I was going to try Meguiars Hot rim mag andaluminum polish to see if this will get me what I want. The rims again are MINT. I`m skeptical about sanding them down first then polish... Maybe with a 1500grit wet sand? Or JUSt the polish?
vtec92civic
09-16-2009, 06:33 PM
post pics of the rims. most likely you will need to sand and polish, but pics will help. You could prob. step it up to like 2,000 grit sand paper and ****t wet sanding there.
JLui83
09-16-2009, 06:38 PM
I want to ****t by trying the face of the rims.. then maybe the rest if its easy...
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i47/JLui83/Civic%20Si/IMG_2193.jpg
Also tempted to paint the insides black and leave the face polished/mirror like
YoMike
09-16-2009, 07:25 PM
Use wool when you get to the polish step. The wool balls work better than any of those foam deals.
Lake Country Wool-Ball 3 inch & 5 inch Polishing Balls Combo (http://www.autogeek.net/lake-country-wool-ball-combo.html)
and for the polish use Flitz this is their 2lb can don`t bother with 5oz tubes. 2lbs will last you forever!
Flitz Metal Polish, Fiberglass & Paint Restorer will clean, polish, and protect any non-porous surface safely. Flitz Metal Polish, Fiberglass & Paint (http://www.autogeek.net/flpamepo2lbc.html)
salty
09-16-2009, 11:32 PM
Your rims are clear coated, so don`t mess with them, or you will be asking for trouble. Just keep them clean and use a reflective sealant like Z2.
shadow85
09-17-2009, 01:56 PM
+1 to sealant. Gives a bright look.
toxin440
09-18-2009, 02:51 AM
honestly it would probably be easier/more cost effective to send them off to a polisher. If you don`t want to go that route, be prepared to invest a LOT of time.
JLui83
09-18-2009, 06:22 AM
Thanks all for the info.
I think I`ll stick with the Sealant... Will save me the time/$$$ since these rims are mint and have nothing wrong with them!
Thanks!:goodjob
Rcracin
09-18-2009, 07:26 AM
You havent had your car long since its an 09. Trust me, you`ll get bored with the wheels and want a change. Plus you`ll want better tires so your stock wheels will probably become your winter beater wheels.
GeorgesBlazah
09-18-2009, 09:22 AM
It takes forever to polish the wheels. A member on another forum I am on spent roughly 8 hours or more PER WHEEL. Granted they do look awesome, I dont know if I would spend that much time.
Before
http://paceperformance.com/images/products/manufacturer/GM/images/12498299.gif
After
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o130/tt85_GM/newrims071.jpg
I just recently for the first time waxed the wheels on my 4runner. I couldnt believe the difference it made on them. I thought they looked good just being clean, but the wax made them look so much better. They are stock clearcoated so my thought was to treat them somewhat like the paint clearcoat....i actually just used some nxt2.0 that I had.