How to make your polished Y2K C5 wheels (or others) shine again

[bbquer]

I`m goin to try to apply LOADs of Connolly hide food in my leather seats and leave it for 1.5-2 days. ( hope my leather seats do`t rot !hehe)

I want to find out if longer times have an effect on how the leather looks and feels compared to just one night of soaking it with conditioner.



I`ve been using Lexol for about 1.5 yrs now and i like it. The connolly hide food is harder to apply and thicker. It gives the leather a more oily shiney look but smells better than lexol.

I`ve just got my hide food last week from my local bentley dealership.

But i`m still using the lexol leather cleaner since a bottle lasts almost forever!



The last time i applied conditioner was in early dec. I hope i`m not applying too much too often :)

Does that stuff make the car smell like leather? I`ve heard it does but I`ve never used it. Thanks!

[Chuckmotor]

I`ve always had trouble applying leather conditioner, partly because I think I apply too much. My butt slips around on the seat like it were on wheels or something.

[bbquer]

actually... the stuff smells lilke Kiwi shoe polish to me.

It feels more sticky than slicky on the seats.

[Bob Post]

initially. I re-apply leather conditioner every week, as it is absorbed quickly. I like to keep the leather conditioned!

[idamanjax75]

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by Irvin [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>The last time i applied conditioner was in early dec. I hope i`m not applying too much too often :) [/b]</blockquote>
The best recommendation is to warm up the car to aid the absorbing process. Some say park it in the sun (tough up north in January) or run the heater (good for a short period -- outside only).

When I used too much Leatherique oil (two coats, 15 minutes apart -- overloaded intentionally), I followed it with their cleaner three hours later. It got rid of the surface residue. The seats (and entire leather interior) looked and felt great. The slightly improved smell faded in a few days.

I plan to repeat the process a few times in the coming month(s).

E

[kiltman]

Any conditioner/oil when heated absorbes faster into the leather then leaving it cold/room temp. A better idea may be to warm the conditioner/oil before applying. It doesn`t hurt that the leather is warm also. When we oil our holsters , we used to put the oil in a crock pot and heat it but found it absorbed way to much into the leather and darkened the holster to much. We use it room temp now.

[GoFast908Z]

This works for any wheels with clearcoat on them, which is 90% of wheels out there. Polished wheels tend to look dull after a while. Why? Well they have clear coat just like your paint, but most people never wax or seal them, so the clear oxidizes. And people use a wheel polish (designed for metal) on the wheel`s clear coat. You wouldn`t use wheel polish on your hood would you? Sadly many people do and it severly dulls the finish.

Method:

(Done properly, this should take 1-2 hours)
First clean the wheel with an APC or safe wheel cleaner. After cleaning them, claybar them with an OLD claybar and some detail spray. You can use a new bar, but if you do, never ever use it on your cars paint after this. Now that you`ve prepped the wheel, this is what you`ll need. A rotary buffer (Makita, Hitachi, DeWalt, etc), a 2 7/8" or 3" backing plate, a few 4" Lake Country orange pads, and Meguiars #105. (Add 4" Lake Country white pads and Meguiars #205 if you want even more gloss). Using a small amount of the #105, work it into the wheel face/spokes/lips with even and light pressure. 900-1000 rpm is ideal. Use no more than 1200 rpm. After you`re happy with the gloss, wipe it off and wash it again. Once its freshly cleaned again, seal it or wax it with your favorite wax or sealant. And remember to maintain them by putting a fresh coat on every 1-2 months.



Befores:

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb71/immaculate_reflections_showcase/Corrections%202010%20pt2/BonitasC523.jpg

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb71/immaculate_reflections_showcase/Corrections%202010%20pt2/BonitasC524.jpg

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb71/immaculate_reflections_showcase/Corrections%202010%20pt2/BonitasC525.jpg





AFTER

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb71/immaculate_reflections_showcase/Corrections%202010%20pt2/BonitasC526.jpg

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb71/immaculate_reflections_showcase/Corrections%202010%20pt2/BonitasC527.jpg

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb71/immaculate_reflections_showcase/Corrections%202010%20pt2/BonitasC528.jpg

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb71/immaculate_reflections_showcase/Corrections%202010%20pt2/BonitasC529.jpg





And now another wheel, before...

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb71/immaculate_reflections_showcase/Corrections%202010%20pt2/BonitasC532.jpg


AFTERS

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb71/immaculate_reflections_showcase/Corrections%202010%20pt2/BonitasC537.jpg

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb71/immaculate_reflections_showcase/Corrections%202010%20pt2/BonitasC541.jpg

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb71/immaculate_reflections_showcase/Corrections%202010%20pt2/BonitasC540.jpg



Hope that helps some of you guys!!

[bmw5541]

Great post Jeff.

I`m not really sure why so many people neglect their wheels. I had a customer who purchased a used car. The original owner spent a boat load of money on custom rims, and never took care of them. They were trashed. Unfortunately, they are so far gone, there is nothing that I could do for him. He needs to get them referbished or buy new rims.

Polishing makes a huge difference.:thumbup:

[grungy]

Sadly the Sable is not recovering like the vette rims.. some of the clear is compromised from years of salt and tunnel washing in the NE :banghead:

[michakaveli]

Nice resto!

[imported_Flash Gordon]

Nice how to article Jeff. I`m sure this will be helpfull to many. Myself included :)

[imported_Luster]

Excellent work... I`ve used the same products and technique many times. Nice write up!:Dancing Dot: