Subject: Repairing Porsche Wheels
                                      
   By Larry Reynolds
                                      
   Pierre Vezina has a problem with a cloudy finish on his phone dial
   wheels. "The wheels show whitish discoloration....and small streaks on
   the wheel".
   
   This problem is not unusual and may be the result of several factors.
   The most common cause is your friendly local car wash. Many automated
   car washes use an acid to clean the wheels and tires. This acid
   cleaner will rapidly remove dirt, but may also attack the clear coat
   on Porsche wheels. The result is a cloudy, whitish or dull appearance.
   
   Many times, this may be cleared up by using a paint glaze such as 3M
   Hand Glaze or Meguiar #09 or One Grand Omega Glaze to clean the
   affected paint. The OEM finish on many Porsche wheels is simply a
   silver paint with a clear top coat. This combination is not too
   different from the paint on the body.
   
   Clean the wheel throughly with a quality wheel cleaner and dry
   completely. Apply your choice of glaze to a soft cloth and rub out the
   clouding. If this does not do the trick, put a generous amount of 3M
   on your cloth and add a small amount (about the size of your pinkie
   nail) of Blue Magic Metal Polish. Rub out the clouding with this
   combination. The Blue Magic /3M combination will usually get the job
   done. If it has, follow up with a coat of quality wax. I use Sonax
   Spray Hard Wax on the wheels. It doesn't chalk and requires only light
   buffing.
   
   Some painted/clear coated wheels will "yellow" under hard use
   applications. This is fairly common with track wheels that are subject
   to hard braking. The tremendous heat generated affects the clear coat
   and causes it to turn yellow. The 3M/Blue Magic trick will help to
   some degree, but not usually restore them to original appearance.
   
   If the finish has not improved at this point, you may consider using a
   more abrasive cleaner such as Meguiar #02 Fine Cut Cleaner or Meguiar
   #01 Medium Cut Cleaner. Apply either one to a soft cloth and *GENTLY*
   rub into the wheel. Use carefully as you may put hairline scratches if
   you rub too hard. When the desired finish has been achieved, follow up
   with 3M Hand Glaze to "finish out" the surface and then wax. A wheel
   that has resisted all of the above, may require repainting. If the
   existing paint is in good condition, other than discolored, slightly
   rough up the paint with a 1200 grit sandpaper. Wash thoroughly with a
   Prepsol type product to remove all grease. Spray the wheel with a
   quality primer such as Wurth Rustop Primer and several *LIGHT* coats
   of Wurth Gloss Silver Wheel Paint, allowing each coat to dry for two
   hours, prior to the next coat. Allow to dry for a few days, clean
   thoroughly and spray several *LIGHT* coats of Wurth Gloss Clear Wheel
   Paint. The Wurth products match the OEM finish. The Wurth Gloss Gold
   Wheel Paint matches the BBS gold finish.
   
   If the surface of the wheel is pitted, or the paint has flaked off in
   patches, all paint should be removed prior to repainting, The easiest
   and in my opinion, the only way, is to have them blasted with a
   plastic media. Most blasting shops have the plastic media, but don't
   like to use it because it is relatively slow (time=$). Some people use
   glass bead. Other blasting media will dimple the wheels. Aluminum
   oxide leaves a distinct texture to the surface. Once all the old paint
   has been removed, clean the wheel with Prepsol, prime and then paint.
   
   One of the keys to maintaining your wheels is a coat of wax. The wax
   acts as a sacrificial protectant. The damaging effects of red hot
   brake dust, brake dust acids, pollution and ozone are unleashed upon
   the wax and not your wheel.
   
   If there are any questions, or areas that need amplification, please
   do not hesitate to contact me.
   
   Larry Reynolds Car Care Specialties, Inc. Distributors of Quality
   Porsche Care Products Post Office Box 535 Saddle Brook, NJ 07663-0535
   Phone (201) 796-8300 Fax (201) 791-9743 E-mail carcaresp_at_aol.com