Had mine done about 2 years ago... great when I first got them , however , the finish has ..greyed over time , sort of in between chrome , and shiny silver . They still look clean and neat though . Is there a way of restoring the original sparkly chrome finish , or is it just how it is with powder coating , in chrome ..??
Powder coating is just spray painting in another method.
The powder is just attracted to the metal by electro-static means, and then "fixed" with heat. (Same way as car booths use infra-red to dry the paint on the body). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powder_coating
Paint fades.....
You could try T-Cut or something, but basically that would be removing the top coat.
I am thinking about chroming or chrome powder coating my wheels. I have just looked at the pics in your album and yours do look good. Did you look at prices/practicality of real chroming them first?
A nice effect for wheels is a "Shadow Chrome".
This is not a shiny bright chrome, but a darker effect achieved by first painting the wheel black and lacquering, and then painting with a translucent silver paint and then lacquering again.
You end up when this is done right with a silver wheel that is a bit darker on the face where the sun catches it, and on the sides which are in shadow with a silvery-black colour. It appears like a two-tone finish, but it is not, it is the same all over, and the special effects come from sunlight, like some of the more unusual car colours
Hard to describe and to show in photos, but this is a good example:
This finish is a lot longer lasting then a true Chrome finish
Cheers all ..!! Yes they were really nice when first done ..!! Over time , the sparkle has gone , and they now look more like dull alloys , except in bright sunshine ..!! I,m not complaining , they still look neater , and cleaner than original, no rust , etc . I tried a little polish on rear light protectors , which I also had done , and felt it was if anything , worse ..!! So I simply wash them all .. Yes , genuine chrome , if yr a polishing tart ....but I,m not ..!! And the price difference ..!! Just wondered if anyone had practical expierience , on retaining original powder coating finish ...
You have a good point there that I had not thought about - 'polishing tart'! I had not even considered that chrome needs polishing to protect it! There is no way I am going to start polishing wheels so powder coating it is
One thing I would not use on alloy wheels is alloy wheel cleaner
If you wash your vehicle every week or two and don't let the brake dust settle on them and then burn it when hot, then a normal car shampoo is all that you need.
Something like carplan wonderwheels WILL get the wheels clean with virtually no effort, but you pay in the long term with the surface dulling over time.
I use shampoo, or sometimes AutoSmart G101 at a 5:1 mix if a little muckier, washing off throughly, and then apply some Colinite 476S, exactly the same wax as you would use on the bodywork to provide protection.
Spoke to the powder coaters ... its a natural occurrence with chrome powder coating ... it does go grey..(matches my hair !!) , But , they look neat , still , even so , and I am not complaining ..!!
Had my chrome banded steels on for over 5 years, have dulled a bit but still look good. My tip is to clean with non abrasive clothes and wax as you would the bodywork T:
The powder coaters that did my mine ,
When I collected them told me to only wash , clean them with warm water and not to any products on them
Especially any polishes ,
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