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Refurbing wheels?

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Keskin KT5's need some love.

These Keskin KT5's came with the car when i bought it and they were unloved and have seen a curb once, twice or twenty times:'(. Anyway, at first i thought they were hideous but after running with them for a couple of months i have warmed to them, and you don't see them too often on a MK1. They currently have the centres coloured matched to the car with the lip still 'polished'. I want to refurb them myself but they are going to be a bit of a task.There's obviously polishing kits available and plenty of tutorials on youtube, but they seem to be able to refurb a wheel in 10 minutes with the magic of editing. Is it that easy? I spoke to someone in the know, and he thought they would need to be remachined? At what cost, i don't know. What would these wheels be worth as they are? and what would they be worth when refurbed? this would probably determine the route i decide to take, whether to try and refurb them myself for cheap, or to send them away to be professionally looked at.

Many Thanks :thumbs:Max

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'85 MK1 Golf Cabriolet GTI
 

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Can't help much with the refurb tips as never done a polished rim, but these wheels have got to be worth saving - never seen them before - but look great.

Golf GTI Campaign 1983 Mars Red, Ford S-Max 2015, Audi TT 180 quattro 2003, Fiat 500C 2013, Golf GTE MK7.5

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I imagine a reputable company in south East exists. Was one in Essex at Basildon. Defo one in Rochester area. But names I have forgotten.  

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Whatcha mate,

I've done a few sets over the years.

Nope it ain't easy, nope it doesn't take ten minutes.

it's a pain in the tbh.

I use an angle grinder, 2 different types of pads and two different types of rouge. this seems to work best. I've tried drill kits (take even longer, but useful for fiddly bits and I even have a bench polisher but still takes ages and ages.

Remove all the tyres and all the valves from the wheels. It can be donw with them on but it's a nightmare and you risk damaging the tyres and vales so you might as well just get them removed. Most tyre places will do it for you but will charge around £7.50 to put them back on again for you.

First you need to strip all the original paint/powder coat.
Depending on whether it's paint or powdercoat you'll either need paint stripper (takes a couple of days tbh) or grit blast or some serious. serious, dangerous acid based stripper. If it's pain then cover the wheels in stripper and wrap them in cling film and leave for 24 hrs. This way the stripper really gets going and gets it off.
For powder coat I'd recommend you get them acid dipped by a wheel refurber (my local guy charges £20 per wheel). I have used a grit blast gun and some small grit to a set but it took about 3 days and I needed 4 bags of grit (at £15 a bag) as I was doing it outside not in a cabinet. The other way is evil acid based stripper, which can be purchased off Ebay. WARNING - it's dangerous stuff and I wouldn't recommend it tbh unless you really know what your doing!!!!!!!!!!!  O_oOnce you've done the stripping (ooh err missus! :lol:) then it's on the hard work

First use one of these to regulate the surface of the wheel ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silverline-105872-Bevel-Brush-115mm-/112175923302?hash=item1a1e34c066:g:nw8AAOSwA3dYCm1W )


Now one of these (  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115mm-Bevelled-Felt-Buffing-Wheel-Silverline-Angle-Grinder-Polishing-Disc-/361776637810?hash=item543b916772:g:Y2QAAOSwmLlYBpig ) with brown rouge ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brown-Buffing-polishing-compound-500g-brown-copper-alu-new-polish-/231482137130?hash=item35e5691a2a:m:mhQ-7qnn49GG-Eli51ul5FQ )   followed by another one with red rouge ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silverline-107883-500g-Red-Polishing-Compound-Buffing-Gold-Silver-Jewellery-/311130540990?hash=item4870d34bbe:g:uBMAAOSwyjBW3vUk )

I'd recommend at least 6 bevel brushes and at least 4 felt wheels.

Now you can etch prime, prime and then paint the rest of the wheels. Your biggest problem will be the fake bolt holes and how you go about detailing them!

This is a set I did

After stripping




After bevel brush



After polishing



and finished




it takes about a day to complete the poilishing of the lips per wheel. Then however long you need to spend on the paint and the final finishing.

The wheels are probably worth between £300 and £400 when done. They were still availiable new till about a year ago. Just found a set on ebay but too big for me!! ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4x-Alufelgen-Keskin-KT5-9-5J-x-18-4-100-108-ET25-63-4-SLP-Neu-/262685323085?hash=item3d2943ef4d:g:-xoAAOSwe7BWxbgc )

I've been looking for a set of 15's for ages. If you're willing to sell them I'd be willing to give you a decent offer on them. Lots of people don't like them, lots of people have never seen them! But I love em!!! :wub:If you want anymore advice give me a yell, or better still just sell them to me and go buy something else! :P:thumbs::lol: 

Cornish Host.
1980 VW Derby
Clive the Cabby
Ujum the Invisible
Mynx the  Tintop

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borednow said

Whatcha mate,

I've done a few sets over the years.

Nope it ain't easy, nope it doesn't take ten minutes.

it's a pain in the tbh.

I use an angle grinder, 2 different types of pads and two different types of rouge. this seems to work best. I've tried drill kits (take even longer, but useful for fiddly bits and I even have a bench polisher but still takes ages and ages.

Remove all the tyres and all the valves from the wheels. It can be donw with them on but it's a nightmare and you risk damaging the tyres and vales so you might as well just get them removed. Most tyre places will do it for you but will charge around £7.50 to put them back on again for you.

First you need to strip all the original paint/powder coat.
Depending on whether it's paint or powdercoat you'll either need paint stripper (takes a couple of days tbh) or grit blast or some serious. serious, dangerous acid based stripper. If it's pain then cover the wheels in stripper and wrap them in cling film and leave for 24 hrs. This way the stripper really gets going and gets it off.
For powder coat I'd recommend you get them acid dipped by a wheel refurber (my local guy charges £20 per wheel). I have used a grit blast gun and some small grit to a set but it took about 3 days and I needed 4 bags of grit (at £15 a bag) as I was doing it outside not in a cabinet. The other way is evil acid based stripper, which can be purchased off Ebay. WARNING - it's dangerous stuff and I wouldn't recommend it tbh unless you really know what your doing!!!!!!!!!!!  O_oOnce you've done the stripping (ooh err missus! :lol:) then it's on the hard work

First use one of these to regulate the surface of the wheel ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silverline-105872-Bevel-Brush-115mm-/112175923302?hash=item1a1e34c066:g:nw8AAOSwA3dYCm1W )


Now one of these (  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115mm-Bevelled-Felt-Buffing-Wheel-Silverline-Angle-Grinder-Polishing-Disc-/361776637810?hash=item543b916772:g:Y2QAAOSwmLlYBpig ) with brown rouge ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brown-Buffing-polishing-compound-500g-brown-copper-alu-new-polish-/231482137130?hash=item35e5691a2a:m:mhQ-7qnn49GG-Eli51ul5FQ )   followed by another one with red rouge ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silverline-107883-500g-Red-Polishing-Compound-Buffing-Gold-Silver-Jewellery-/311130540990?hash=item4870d34bbe:g:uBMAAOSwyjBW3vUk )

I'd recommend at least 6 bevel brushes and at least 4 felt wheels.

Now you can etch prime, prime and then paint the rest of the wheels. Your biggest problem will be the fake bolt holes and how you go about detailing them!

This is a set I did

After stripping




After bevel brush



After polishing



and finished




it takes about a day to complete the poilishing of the lips per wheel. Then however long you need to spend on the paint and the final finishing.

The wheels are probably worth between £300 and £400 when done. They were still availiable new till about a year ago. Just found a set on ebay but too big for me!! ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4x-Alufelgen-Keskin-KT5-9-5J-x-18-4-100-108-ET25-63-4-SLP-Neu-/262685323085?hash=item3d2943ef4d:g:-xoAAOSwe7BWxbgc )

I've been looking for a set of 15's for ages. If you're willing to sell them I'd be willing to give you a decent offer on them. Lots of people don't like them, lots of people have never seen them! But I love em!!! :wub:If you want anymore advice give me a yell, or better still just sell them to me and go buy something else! :P:thumbs::lol:
Thanks for your detailed response! Much appreciated :thumbs:I have since had a couple of wheel 'specialists' look at them. Both recommended I just paint the whole thing and forget the polished lip. One said they wouldn't be able to improve the polished section and the other would remachine them and replace the bolt heads for £110 per wheel  :oSo I think I'm going o give it a go myself and use some of your techniques. I might be able to use the sand blaster at work as it is a cabinet that will fit the wheels in easily and go from there. I just have a feeling it is filled with silicon carbide which might eat my wheels.

Yes, they are 15's which I am finding hard to come across. Seems as though the larger wheels are move readily available  :P

Last edit: by MaxWillem


'85 MK1 Golf Cabriolet GTI
 

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Kenneth Cartwright said

I imagine a reputable company in south East exists. Was one in Essex at Basildon. Defo one in Rochester area. But names I have forgotten.  

Lepsoms is in Gillingham.
Used them quite a few times and they've always been superb.

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I have a set of Tear Drops that I stripped and polished…
It was time consuming, not as big of a Pain in the Keister as say, a power steering rack…

Thank goodness for power tools, and a good stripper.

Wait that didn't sound right did it?

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They all start with GOOD Grounds.

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Briano1234 said

I have a set of Tear Drops that I stripped and polished…
It was time consuming, not as big of a Pain in the Keister as say, a power steering rack…

Thank goodness for power tools, and a good stripper.

Wait that didn't sound right did it?

Yup, sounds about right  :lol:

Cornish Host.
1980 VW Derby
Clive the Cabby
Ujum the Invisible
Mynx the  Tintop
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