Tale of the cursed rims…
Discussion
Join me in engaging tale of the cursed rims. My new Vantage has the 10 spoke diamond cut rims. When delivered one of the rear rims had a slight surface scuff. Being afflicted with car
OCD, I asked for a new one. After the perfect wheel was attached,I decided to buy the original for a spare. OCD car people never know what evil lurks around the cosmetic bend.
Time speeds on. Our 6 month old Irish setter joins me in the garage as I caress and detail
my perfect car. I suddenly hear a munching sound as the teething cur makes a meal of my
front left rim.
Discouraged but not deterred on my mission of perfection,I purchase a new one from DC
and have it sent to my home in Florida. The price was much less then the dealer price but
still the $1,000 spent lodged in my wife’s throat. I assured her it was worth the donation to
Obtain perfection.
Only one tire firm in my county has a touch less tire mounting unit. When that exalted
$35,000 unit had completed its task, there was a 7 inch rash in the rim’s edge. Being sad
for DC and myself as well as offending goddess of perfection,I research the best place to have if refurbished.
Of course I say to myself this is the time to send the scuffed rear rim along with the tasty front
rim sent along too. The recommended reconditioned is a few states away. They specialize in
these diamond turned jewels. As each rim is 34 pounds,UPS with tracking and speedy
delivery charges me the same price that DC charged me for the new front rim (I don’t think
the 2 had plotted this out).
The 2 day service delivery is made! The OCD man can rest his head on his pillow. I call the
referb man after deliver for his estimated cost. What rims he asks? UPS had decided to make
a drop off to a location never before seen on a GPS device.. the two rims are now lost in time
and space.
I see the sad once perfect rim with the gouge on my perfect Vantage. How will it all end?
How much will it cost? How much time will fly by before this is all resolved?
Stay tuned.
OCD, I asked for a new one. After the perfect wheel was attached,I decided to buy the original for a spare. OCD car people never know what evil lurks around the cosmetic bend.
Time speeds on. Our 6 month old Irish setter joins me in the garage as I caress and detail
my perfect car. I suddenly hear a munching sound as the teething cur makes a meal of my
front left rim.
Discouraged but not deterred on my mission of perfection,I purchase a new one from DC
and have it sent to my home in Florida. The price was much less then the dealer price but
still the $1,000 spent lodged in my wife’s throat. I assured her it was worth the donation to
Obtain perfection.
Only one tire firm in my county has a touch less tire mounting unit. When that exalted
$35,000 unit had completed its task, there was a 7 inch rash in the rim’s edge. Being sad
for DC and myself as well as offending goddess of perfection,I research the best place to have if refurbished.
Of course I say to myself this is the time to send the scuffed rear rim along with the tasty front
rim sent along too. The recommended reconditioned is a few states away. They specialize in
these diamond turned jewels. As each rim is 34 pounds,UPS with tracking and speedy
delivery charges me the same price that DC charged me for the new front rim (I don’t think
the 2 had plotted this out).
The 2 day service delivery is made! The OCD man can rest his head on his pillow. I call the
referb man after deliver for his estimated cost. What rims he asks? UPS had decided to make
a drop off to a location never before seen on a GPS device.. the two rims are now lost in time
and space.
I see the sad once perfect rim with the gouge on my perfect Vantage. How will it all end?
How much will it cost? How much time will fly by before this is all resolved?
Stay tuned.
I feel your pain having had a similar issue with my rear oil cooler pipes which went missing in the post. Turned up a couple of months later I'm pleased to advise (and after the courier had coughed up).
Just on the subject of diamond cut wheels, they will always end up with the lacquer going milky around any slight chip, scuff etc. The problem is that the lacquer is being applied to a bare alloy surface which hasn't been etched to provide adherence. In addition, the lacquer at the edges of the spokes is extremely thin, and therefore the slightest damage will result in penetration of the lacquer.
As you can only re-do diamond cut wheels a couple of times, you have to ask the question as to whether it's worth spending 80% or so more for a diamond cut finish, to achieve a result that's half as long lasting as full paint/powder. In addition, if one wheel gets damaged, you have to have all 4 re-done, otherwise you risk a different shade of silver on the non cut part of the wheel.
I had this exact dilemma this week and ended up with going with non diamond cut for my Sportspack wheels. £200 for all for 4, powered coated, rather than £360 with a diamond cut. This comes with 12 month warranty compared to none if they do diamond cut.
On the subject of OCD, my rims will be treated to 3 coats of wheel wax, on top of the Gtechniq C5 ceramic wheel coating - that includes the centre caps and valve stems. Paddy will be proud !
https://www.birkenheadpowdercoatings.co.uk/wheel-r... Used them many times and highly recommended if you're local (ish). (Apols to OP)
Just on the subject of diamond cut wheels, they will always end up with the lacquer going milky around any slight chip, scuff etc. The problem is that the lacquer is being applied to a bare alloy surface which hasn't been etched to provide adherence. In addition, the lacquer at the edges of the spokes is extremely thin, and therefore the slightest damage will result in penetration of the lacquer.
As you can only re-do diamond cut wheels a couple of times, you have to ask the question as to whether it's worth spending 80% or so more for a diamond cut finish, to achieve a result that's half as long lasting as full paint/powder. In addition, if one wheel gets damaged, you have to have all 4 re-done, otherwise you risk a different shade of silver on the non cut part of the wheel.
I had this exact dilemma this week and ended up with going with non diamond cut for my Sportspack wheels. £200 for all for 4, powered coated, rather than £360 with a diamond cut. This comes with 12 month warranty compared to none if they do diamond cut.
On the subject of OCD, my rims will be treated to 3 coats of wheel wax, on top of the Gtechniq C5 ceramic wheel coating - that includes the centre caps and valve stems. Paddy will be proud !
https://www.birkenheadpowdercoatings.co.uk/wheel-r... Used them many times and highly recommended if you're local (ish). (Apols to OP)
Edited by JonnyCJ on Wednesday 19th January 13:39
Sorry to read your unfortunate tale. What else could possibly go wrong next?
Anyway, after what your dog did, I think I might have a treatment for your OCD condition.
You must be very positive and think that it might have been far worse.
Painted rims are not so fashionable now, but perhaps they are not a bad choice after all.
JonnyCJ said:
... As you can only re-do diamond cut wheels a couple of times, you have to ask the question as to whether it's worth spending 80% or so more for a diamond cut finish ...
... I had this exact dilemma this week and ended up with going with non diamond cut for my Sportspack wheels. £200 for all for 4, powered coated, rather than £360 with a diamond cut. This comes with 12 month warranty compared to none if they do diamond cut.
... I had this exact dilemma this week and ended up with going with non diamond cut for my Sportspack wheels. £200 for all for 4, powered coated, rather than £360 with a diamond cut. This comes with 12 month warranty compared to none if they do diamond cut.
Just to clarify my understanding Jonny.
Were your wheels originally diamond cut, but you have now had those powder coated for a longer lasting finish ?
I thought the diamond cut version had more pronounced 90 degree edges to the spokes.
I am always on the lookout for a set of Sportspack (not easy to find), but realised the standards ones (what are they called?) would be better for me.
Edited by Dewi 2 on Wednesday 19th January 13:39
Dewi 2 said:
Just to clarify my understanding Jonny.
Were your wheels originally diamond cut, but you have now had those powder coated for a longer lasting finish ?
I thought the diamond cut version had more pronounced 90 degree edges to the spokes.
I am always on the lookout for a set of Sportspack (not easy to find), but realised the standards ones (what are they called?) would be better for me.
Edited by Dewi 2 on Wednesday 19th January 13:39
I know of a seller of some Sportspack wheels - PM me and I'll put you in touch. Think they need a refurb, but he's not too far from you, neither is Birkenhead Powder Coating !
k!!!
I've tried a different approach with my 10-spoke diamond-cut sportpack wheels. The ones in the pic above are the early sportpack ones, mine are the later ones have the very thin spokes.
I bought the car new in 2010 and after 12 months had them all replaced under warranty because they had all failed under the clear lacquer. The new ones lasted much better, but the front ones started to look quite shabby after a few years.
As a lockdown project I took off the wheels, stripped off the clear lacquer, and polished the shiny parts to remove all the corrosion, then protected them with three coats of wheel wax. They looked like new, but without the fine lines that the diamond cutting process leaves. Last year was their debut out on the road, and they lost a bit of their shine, but I'll repolish them this winter and that should get them back looking new again.
This approach has retained the original look of the car, and hasn't removed any appreciable amount of metal, which is what recutting would have done, so it looks like it might work. Two downsides are it took days of work to do just the front ones, and now I need to get started on the back ones, the second problem is that the painted part is now looking a bit shabby, so maybe I'll have to get them sprayed
I bought the car new in 2010 and after 12 months had them all replaced under warranty because they had all failed under the clear lacquer. The new ones lasted much better, but the front ones started to look quite shabby after a few years.
As a lockdown project I took off the wheels, stripped off the clear lacquer, and polished the shiny parts to remove all the corrosion, then protected them with three coats of wheel wax. They looked like new, but without the fine lines that the diamond cutting process leaves. Last year was their debut out on the road, and they lost a bit of their shine, but I'll repolish them this winter and that should get them back looking new again.
This approach has retained the original look of the car, and hasn't removed any appreciable amount of metal, which is what recutting would have done, so it looks like it might work. Two downsides are it took days of work to do just the front ones, and now I need to get started on the back ones, the second problem is that the painted part is now looking a bit shabby, so maybe I'll have to get them sprayed
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