Restoring XF Ghia Snowflake Alloy Rims - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

BRING_BACK_XF · 07-01-2002, 04:56

Hi All,

Rather than spend big bucks on new wheels (and of course the hidden cost of new tyres to go on them) I'd like to restore my standard snowflake alloys. They look good on the car, especially since it's lowered.

I've heard you can get them restored somehow, where they repaint the black on the sides of the spokes and recoat them in that plastic stuff. My black has gone a powdery grey and the plastic is peeling off in places.

Has anyone else heard of this, and is it common to get done on other wheels?

07-01-2002, 05:09

you can get them polished to a very nice shine,almost chrome like,ring a few metal polishers from the yellow pages and get some quotes

XD 351 Ute · 07-02-2002, 04:17

XF, apart from getting them polished as above, (which would clean up the faded clear coat), would be to then get a spray painter mate to paint the spokes black. Then you'd need to sit down and carefully clean the outside face of the spokes with some paint thinners. You'd probably then have to hand polish them to match the actual rim surface. I'm presuming you have the 'Ghia' spec snowflakes. After that, then get your spray painter mate to do the lot in clear coat, or just polish them up on a regular basis. My cousin reconditioned a set of hot wires for me a number of years ago. Took a lot of work, but it was worth it. Oh, he was a spray painter by the way....

Ed :)

xr6wgn · 07-02-2002, 06:01

You could always paint them gold - ala XE ESP - If the avatar is a piccy of your car - gold wheels on a Burgundy car - schmikk.

Paul B
XR6WGN

BRING_BACK_XF · 07-02-2002, 16:14

xr6wgn,

Yeah, the avatar is my baby. Well half of it anyway. The full piccy is here:

http://www.fordforums.com/gallery/index.php?photo=499

I must admit I hadn't considered painting them gold, that's something I must have a think about....the outer rim stays polished and the entire interior is gold? You need the special centre cap with spokes on it, I have the sticking-out type with a ghia badge.

Good idea though.

Kenaz · 07-02-2002, 17:53

Beautiful looking XF you've got there mate. The gold would look fantastic, but I reckon restoring the wheels to the polished finish would look better.

xr6wgn · 07-03-2002, 03:23

Yeah if they're in good nick they still look good don't they. When i was in Canberra (around 89/90) there was a guy at work who brought a 87 5speed Ghia. This was white, with lowered suspension and 16x7 16x8 simmons mags, sheesh she was a nice car. He beat me to it (unfortunately) and I then had to watch him slowly destroy it.

Anyway as i said this one had the Simmons wheels painted white with the ghia caps and they looked really good. I doubt you would find a decent set of ESP gold caps now anyway.

Cheers

Paul B
XR6WGN