Wheel Refinishing Service--We Have Liftoff

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Wheel Refinishing Service--We Have Liftoff

Postby h-bot » Wed Mar 12, 2003 3:21 am

From: img width=12 height=12 border=0 src="http://opi.yahoo.com/online?u=markarock&m=g&t=0" alt=""_REMOVE_885219_THIS_@yahoo.com

Wheel Medic, Inc. of Columbus will be added to the CVOA's Vendor
Listing. Wheel Medic's only business is repairing and refinishing
aluminum wheels. Owner Bob Boley refinished an ugly "test" wheel for
me to "prove" Wheel Medic's capability to accurately refinish
Cosworth Vega wheels. In a word, the result was IMPRESSIVE! Troy
McMorris, who accompanied me to view the final product and who
brought along his spare wheel that had never been out of the spare
tire well, was so impressed that he left 5 of his wheels with Bob to
be refinished. Tom Lippert, when he saw the refinished wheel this
past weekend, could only say "WOW!" as he ran his fingers over the
beautiful finish.

The silver edge was machine polished (a lathe is used to cut away a
few thousandths of the aluminum, leaving a bright, silver finish).
The Dupont Cosworth Gold glistened beneath the polyurethane clearcoat
finish.

A word of caution: On my test wheel, the silver edge had corroded
underneath a wheel weight. This corrosion ate deeper into the flange
than the cleanup cut of the lathe. The result was a series of
small "pits" that looked like tiny black specs under the clearcoat.
Wheel Medic cannot guarantee that your wheels will clean up
perfectly. However, the "problem" is not visible from a distance,
and I deem it an acceptable blemish for all but the most particular.

Another word of caution. The color of the wheel did not match the
color on the wheel that I had refinished more than 10 years ago, and
had used daily for several years. My wheel was about two shades
darker, and a bit greener. We then set Troy's wheel on the table.
The color of his wheel was in between the test wheel and my old
wheel.

Troy and I then spoke with Stump, the painter, at length. Stump is
quite familiar with Cosworth Vega wheels, and estimates that he has
refinished about 80 of them during his career, though none in the
past few years. He recalled contacting GM when he received his first
Cosworth wheel to obtain their paint code, and he assured us that the
color on the wheel he refinished for me was the correct Dupont
Cosworth Gold color. Stump explained the reason for the differences.
He said that over time gold paint tends to fade, exposing more of the
constituent colors. Since there was both green and black in the
Cosworth Gold formula, as the paint aged these colors would show
through more and the finish would darken. Stump then showed us the
drips on the can of Cosworth Gold that was mixed in 1996. The drips
were different shades, with the darkest being the oldest.

Satisfied with the color, we again talked with Bob who gave us a tour
of his shop and explained the procedure each Cosworth Vega wheel
would undergo.

Upon arrival each wheel will be carefully inspected and a work order
written. For "refinish only" wheels, the next step is the media
blast cabinet where all the old paint and corrosion are carefully
bead blasted away. Next come any necessary straightening or welding
procedures (extra cost items)(center hubs will not be repaired).
From there the wheel travels to the Alumiprep dip to clean the
aluminum and prepare it for the painting stages. Then comes a primer
coat, then the topcoat of Cosworth Gold lacquer--note that nothing is
masked.

Once the paint is dry, the wheel moves to the wheel lathe where a
fine cut is taken from the edge of the wheel, removing the paint and
a thin layer of aluminum. This leaves what is called a "machine
polished edge", and it looks exactly like the OEM wheel edges.

The wheel then moves to the metal prep room where Dupont Metalok is
applied to the newly cut edge. Once applied the wheel is dried and
the entire wheel is sprayed with a topcoat of Dupont clear
polyurethane. After the polyurethane is dry the wheel is carefully
packaged and shipped.

Now for the even better news. Bob has agreed to give CVOA members a
special price. For a "refinish only" wheel, that price is $85 plus
shipping. With an order of 4 or more wheels there will be an
additional 5% discount. (Normal pricing is $95 and up, depending
upon the condition of the wheel, and no quantity discount.) Wheel
Medic warrants its refinished wheels to be free of defects in
workmanship or materials for two years.

There you have it. If you want to see photos of Bob, Troy and the
Wheel Medic operation, check out
<a href="http://www.cosworthparts.com/cosworthparts/Wheels/Wheelmedic.html">http://www.cosworthparts.com/cosworthparts/Wheels/Wheelmedic.html</a> In
the photos, my old wheel is on the edge of the table.

Mark





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Wheel Refinishing Service--We Have Liftoff

Postby h-bot » Wed Mar 12, 2003 4:28 am

From: img width=12 height=12 border=0 src="http://opi.yahoo.com/online?u=theastre&m=g&t=0" alt=""_REMOVE_776074_THIS_@yahoo.com

I can only back up what Mark said. After seeing the sample, I went
home and took #3449 out of Winter wraps. That poor car is now sitting
up on blocks, as all 4 wheels and the spare are on their way to Wheel
Medic. Even the NOS wheel I purchased on e-bay is not quite as nice.
Tom,




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