Old School Aluminum Slotted Mag Wheels - Extreme Makeover

[Mike Phillips]

Old School Aluminum Slotted Mag Wheels - Extreme Makeover
 
 
I recently picked up a set of 4 old school Aluminum Slotted Mag Wheels for my truck and today they're getting and extreme makeover...
 
 

 
 
These are in about the same shape as the wheel that Oley from Flitz and I restored in this thread...
 
Show Car Garage Video: How to clean and polish aluminum wheels by machine with Flitz Metal Polish
 

 
 
 
Oley from Flitz calls this "White Rust"

 
 
First up... wash with Flitz Aluminum Pre-Clean. In the link above there's a video where we used this product and the results were truly amazing...

 
 
Next up will be putting the Wolfgang MetallWerk Aluminum Polishing System to the test...

 
 
Lake Country Wool-Ball 3 inch & 5 inch Wool Polishing Balls

 
 
Nitrile Gloves to keep your hands clean and shielded from chemicals...

 
 
Even though the backs and insides of the wheels are not seen I'm going do my best to clean them up a little bit...

 

 
 
First up is washing and cleaning with the Pre-Clean... I'll be back in a few hours...
 
 
Here's the time stamp from the start of this thread...
 
08-14-2010, 11:13 AM
 
 
Here's the time stamp for the update to this thread with after pictures...
 
08-14-2010, 06:22 PM
 
 
 
Took a short lunch break and a second break to run over to Robert's "Impressions Detailing" to pick up my spare, which is the slotted mag Oley and I polished out with a 35" Bogger on it...
 
And here are the results after about 5 hours of work; first a reminder as to how the backs of the wheels looked before starting. You can see the Flitz Aluminum Pre-Clean soaking in and going to work.
 
 

 
 
Here's the back of the wheels now...

 
 
Fronts after polishing...

 

 
 
And cleaned up the insides too...

 
 
 
These rims are now ready for tires... :xyxthumbs:
 
 
 
Process Comments
After investing the majority of my time restoring these wheels by first cleaning off the "White Rust" and oxidation using the Flitz Industrial Strength Aluminum PreClean with the 1500 Grit Flitz Mini ScuffPads.
 
I've polished out a lot of aluminum in my life as the owner of a full race Sanger Drag Boat for 20 years and all the running gear, engine mounts and many of the engine components were polished aluminum. Unlike a car with the engine usually out of site, the engine and running gear in the Sanger was completely open to view so as a "Car Guy" or a "Boat Guy" and a detailer I kept the aluminum polished to the hilt.
 
Also I've owned probably close to 5 sets of aluminum slotted mags on my trucks, cars and the trailer for my drag boat over the years, so again, I'm pretty familiar with restoring dull, oxidized aluminum and then maintaining a brilliant shine.
 
The wheels used in this extreme makeover were severely neglected and I knew that just like creating a show car finish on automotive paints, the end-results were going to be dependent upon the prep-work performed before the actual polishing work and this is where the Flitz Pre-Clean and #1500 Grit ScuffPads enter into the picture.
 
 
 
I didn't do a quickie when I did the washing step using the Flitz product, completely opposite, I meticulously rubbed the aluminum clean, putting a lot of passion behind the Flitz Scuff Pads and repeating the process over each wheel 2-3 times and of course with most of the emphasis on the face of the wheels.
 
The Fitz Scuff Pads are NOT just simple steel wool, instead they are non-metallic resin coated fibers with a cut equivalent to approximately #1500 grit sand paper but without using abrasive particles like sandpapers.
 
Sanding with sanding papers will also remove years of neglect but low grit papers will also leave behind sanding scratches which will then have to be worked out.


IMPORTANT NOTE
Even though the Flitz ScuffPads are not made from a metallic fiber and don't use abrasive particles for their cutting action they WILL scratch smooth, high shine aluminum surfaces so do not use or scrub with ScuffPads on high shine, smooth aluminum surfaces or you will then have to remove the scratches. In this extreme wheel makeover, the face of these wheels have machining marks and pitting from extensive corrosion, so in this example they were safe to use as they improved the surface because the surface was so far gone to start with. If you're unsure of the aluminum surface you're working on is a good candidate for this kind of process first test in an inconspicuous area or take some in focus pictures and start a thread and ask for guidance on our detailing discussion forum.


The Flitz Pre-Clean by the way is an amazing cleaner for aluminum in that it will rapidly dissolve built-up oxidation and what is referred to as "White Rust" all by itself and then rinse off and this is key... it will do it without dulling the aluminum. There are other chemical cleaners on the market that will dissolve and remove white rust and oxidation but many of these and especially anything with acid in it will dull and even gray the aluminum.
 
 
After the wheels were thoroughly cleaned using the ScuffPads and Pre-Clean the plan was to polish the aluminum with the wool polishing balls inserted into an electric drill. After a few minutes of using this system it was plain to see that the finish on the aluminum although clean would require more power to restore a shine, mostly because the overall quality of this particular brand of wheel was lower than hoped for and much lower as compared to higher quality aluminum slotted mags.
 
 

 
 
Enter the Rotary Buffer
After a few minutes of using the drill with the wool buffing balls, I switched over to using a Flex 3403 Lightweight Rotary Buffer with a combination of a Optimum Double-Sided Rotary Adapter and a 3M Quick Release Adapter attached together to extend the reach of the buffing pad when using the rotary buffer.
 
 
From left to right...
Optimum Double-Sided Rotary Adapter - 3M Quick Release Adapter

 

 
 

 

 
 
I started with the Edge 6" Medium Cut Wool Buffing pad, the unique center system reduces/removes vibration while buffing.

 
 

 
 

 
 
Note I have removed the handle options from the Flex 3403 Lightweight Rotary Buffer, this gets them out of the way for intricate work in tight spaces and is my own personal preference.
 
 
 
 
Below are the Wolfgang Metallwerks Compound and Polish, I did some testing with the compound and found it to be too aggressive for this aluminum so switched over to the polish for the first step.
 
 
From left to right...
Wolfgang Metallwerks Aluminum Compound, (green), and Wolfgang Metallwerks Aluminum Polish, (pinkish).

 
 
 
After using the aluminum polish I switched over to the Concours Polish... note that before using you want to stir the product up as it's normal to see some separation after the product has sit still on a shelf....
 
Stir your jar of Concours Polish with a clean utensil before using for a uniform consistency...

 
 
To apply the Concourse polish I switched over to an Edge 6" blue finishing pad.

 
 

 
 
 
 
After removing most of any leftover polishing residue I hand applied a coating of the Wolfgang Metallwerks Concours Metal Sealant.

 
 
 
In case you have never polished bare aluminum, it's completely normal to see a lot of blackish residue coming off onto your pads...
 

 
 

[Mike Phillips]

Just to note... these 4 wheels are going on my Jimmy as soon as the lug nuts get here.  These have a thinner flange than the two I bought back in California and brought with me to Florida and they also don't have the extra rib for strength in-between the slotted holes.  The finish on this set of 4 is no where near as nice as this one...

The two mags I bought in California


I'm looking for either 2 more "good" aluminum slotted mags or a set of 4 if anyone has any leads...

Whatever it takes to get some nice slotted mags on the Jimmy...

Here's me and my son Rand, this picture was taken about a week ago... he already told me he gets the truck in 5 years when he turns 16

[choptop]

Awesome write up, thank you!

[bake74]

  That helps me a lot.  I got 4 of the same mag's on 81 I got a couple of months ago and wanted to keep the rims, now I know how to go about cleaning them.  Thanks.            Tom

[Mike Phillips]

  That helps me a lot.  I got 4 of the same mag's on 81 I got a couple of months ago and wanted to keep the rims, now I know how to go about cleaning them.  Thanks.            Tom

What I demonstrated is just one way to do it... when it comes to aluminum there are lots of way to remove oxidation and restore the shine, from my experience, (and I have a lot of experience), just about any reputable brand of aluminum polish works well, it's just not rocket science...

The rotary buffer with the extensions and small wool buffing pads do take all the elbow grease out of the job though...

Keep in mind, while these wheels look a zillion times better, the factory finish was/is horrible to start with; that's why I'm still looking for some "good quality" slotted mags.  I didn't think the overall quality of this set of wheels was worth investing hours of sanding and buffing to create "good quality" finish when instead I want a heavier duty design/build for wheels on my truck.

I also want to move the Jimmy to 44" tires, so I want to find a second good quality set that's 12" wide or 14 wide, if such animals exist.

[Mike Phillips]

Once these black American Racing Rims come off... they're NEVER going back on... I don't really care if I sell them or give them away...

Never liked them when I bought the truck, like them even less today... never understood the fascination with black wheels...

UGLY....

[bake74]

  I think black wheels to some plp are wheels they never really have to mess with.  You don't always have to be shining them up to keep them looking good.  For others, they like black and blacked everything out.   Tom

[Mike Phillips]

  I think black wheels to some plp are wheels they never really have to mess with.  You don't always have to be shining them up to keep them looking good.  For others, they like black and blacked everything out.   Tom

I appreciate that opinion and hold nothing against anyone that likes black wheels and understand it's been the trend for a number of years...

My opinion, for what it's worth is I like aluminum because "I can work on it", no matter how bad it gets, knowing if I take care of it, then it won't ever get that bad.  Modern wheel paints are much harder than car paint and car paint is already hard enough to work on... I like a visual separation between the wheel and the tire, so a black wheel and a black tire are the extreme opposite of what I like.  I guess since I grew up with slotted mags on just about everything I owned, there's a certain amount of nostalgia on my part...

That's why on on the detailing discussion forums I use this in my Sig Line,

"Find something you like and use it often"

In fact I have an article for that topic...

It's all good, I only want the best for everyone... including happiness with their wheels...

[78 Chevyrado]

That's why I like chrome, quality chrome that is...   I used to have the bare aluminum wheels a lot and liked the look of them, but not the work.   Chrome needs to be cleaned more often to look its best but there's no hard polishing involved...   that's my speed, I don't mind washing, I  like washing MY truck and wheels, its the elbow grease I don't wanna use up.

 I think black wheels to some plp are wheels they never really have to mess with.  You don't always have to be shining them up to keep them looking good.  For others, they like black and blacked everything out.   Tom

People do the same thing with white letters on tires, black-walls out so they don't look so dirty so fast.





The wheels look real good mike!   I remember doing the same thing on the old mustang.  I had the old us indy slots on it.  I always liked how after they were cleaned with the etching acid they almost looked white.   Pretty cool!

[VileZambonie]

I use wheel acid to clean mine. Then I hit all of the rough spots with some scotch brite. Once I get them all cleaned up I let the acid do all of the work from there polishing them is optional. I sometimes prefer the unpolished look. Yours look like they came out pretty good!

[Grover 1]

Great job!  Very helpful, thanks.

[fitz]

 Mike, thanks for the great write up.
 I fell in love with these rims in high school when I bought a set brand new for my Camaro. Hard to believe 14"s were cool back in the 80's.
 I now have 4 complete Set of these 16.5" rims for our trucks. I have found the cheapest way to get them is just to buy a parts truck with them on it.
 The set on my stepside have been painted with base coat/clearcoat and have held up well for the last 8+/- years. The other 3 sets are in good shape but should use a good cleaning. Now I just need to find a few cool trucks to put them on.
 It's great to see your Jimmy back on the road,

[Mike Phillips]

Hard to believe 14"s were cool back in the 80's.

I hear you.. I graduated from high school in 1979 so I lived through the 80's as much as anyone...  Right now I have 2 14" slotted mags in my garage for my Datsun 620 Pickup, so I'm looking for two more for it.



I had to build my own cup holder...

I now have 4 complete Set of these 16.5" rims for our trucks.

You're killing me...  have you bought or found any "wide" 16.5 rims?  Just looking for some hope... 

Back in the 80's, I had 9 cars, not really cars but actually things hot rods or things with big block Chevy's in them, and/or things destined for big block Chevy's, here's my truck, it had wide slotted mags.  I was the second guy in town to have 44" Monster Mudders when the first came out, my best friend Eric was the first guy... this truck actually started out with 44" tires and then Eric got out of control...



The great news is, we built this truck in 1981 and he still has it today, in fact he let his boys rebuild it, (the didn't exist back then), and it's bigger and badder than ever.

After we build his truck, we built my truck, Big Blue, I had a set of 44" Swampers on slotted mags and for long trips I had a set of 36" Swampers on slotted mags... when I sold the truck everything went with the truck...



I have more stories than would be good for my career to share with all the adventures and crime scenes these two trucks were involved in...

I typed up a thread about Metal Head Eric and his truck here,

http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=9311.0

Eric was a nerd in high school, but he introduced me to big block Chevy's, muscle cars that would pull the front wheels off the ground and drag boat that go over 100 mile per hour... he always had my back... he's a good guy and a heck of a welder...

It's great to see your Jimmy back on the road,

Just to note... the Jimmy was never off the road, it took a massive hit  when I was rear-ended.  The Jimmy and me were spun around 180 degrees... after I came to my senses and saw on-coming traffic heading straight at me I put it in reverse, (she was still running),  and backed into my driveway.  Been driving her ever since.  Old Detroit Iron can take a hit and keep going... it can save your life too... I laugh when I see the stupid Subaru commercial...

I should have never sold any of my toys... I've learned my lesson... this truck is getting handed down to my son... by the time he gets it, it will be bigger and badder, I don't know about faster... I might put a small block in it to help keep him out of trouble...

[fitz]

All of the ones I have are 16.5 x 9.25's (some people call them 10", but the catalogs call the 9.25").I've never seen any wider than this. They may have made them, but I have never run across them.

[Mike Phillips]

All of the ones I have are 16.5 x 9.25's (some people call them 10", but the catalogs call the 9.25").I've never seen any wider than this. They may have made them, but I have never run across them.

Ditto

All I've seen and own currently are 9.75" wide.

As a young buck of 21 I never paid attention to the slotted mags I owned for Big Blue, whatever they were, Les Schwab mounted 44" tall tires on them... twice... never had any problems...

My 1971 3/4 ton Chevy with the 44" tires was also a daily driver... after running through two sets of 44" tall tires with a 396 and then a 402, (don't ask about the engine swap), I have no clue as to how much money I spent on gas... through in a big block Chevy drag boat that I only ran 101 low lead Av Gas  and I probably supported OPEC in the 80's all on my own...