'Diamond cut' wheels - what a pain!
Discussion
My new car came with wheels that have the outer face machined and polished, so called 'diamond cut'. They are BMW 598M's. After 3 weeks I've managed to scuff the edge of the rim of one of the rears.
I'm told that there is no way to touch up scuffs.
I can get the whole wheel refurbished, but that involves stripping the whole wheel back to bare metal and starting again, so I'd worry that the internal paint colour didn't quite match the others. My original plan was that once I'd collected a few scuffs and scratches I'd consider getting all four done, maybe to a different base colour. That was the contingency plan for a year or two down the road, not three weeks...
I'm inclined to leave it for now on the basis that you have to look quite close to see the marring (the pic above is from an angle where the light accentuates the scratches), but on the other hand the scratches will tend to pick up brake dust and look worse as time goes on.
So, has anyone found a way to have minor scuffing retouched with shiny paint?
Leave it until there's more to rectify?
Get it fixed now because it is a new car and it spoils it?
Opinions please.
I'm told that there is no way to touch up scuffs.
I can get the whole wheel refurbished, but that involves stripping the whole wheel back to bare metal and starting again, so I'd worry that the internal paint colour didn't quite match the others. My original plan was that once I'd collected a few scuffs and scratches I'd consider getting all four done, maybe to a different base colour. That was the contingency plan for a year or two down the road, not three weeks...
I'm inclined to leave it for now on the basis that you have to look quite close to see the marring (the pic above is from an angle where the light accentuates the scratches), but on the other hand the scratches will tend to pick up brake dust and look worse as time goes on.
So, has anyone found a way to have minor scuffing retouched with shiny paint?
Leave it until there's more to rectify?
Get it fixed now because it is a new car and it spoils it?
Opinions please.
T-cut. Yes, I know tragic PH meme, but in this case a gentle application of a mild cutting compound could improve the appearance enough to take your eye off it. If you use a little lacquer afterwards you may slow down any corrosion setting in. At the very least you'll have bought yourself some time to contemplate your next move.
robdcfc said:
You can sand the damage out down to 1500-2000 grit paper and then polish it up to take your eye off it.
We normally do this on trade cars or paint them silver.
That's the odd thing, I would have thought that sanding off the scratchy bits and then laquering would look better than leaving it untouched, but nobody offers it. Of course I'd probably make it a lot worse, and then take the full set of wheels to be painted in gunmetal...We normally do this on trade cars or paint them silver.
Do what rob said, the scuff looks fairly small on my phone, so wet and dry 400/600/1200/2000 polish but then spray some rattle can lacquer over it to seal it. Polished wheels are a pain left open to the elements. My split rims are a nightmare to look after.
Leave it like that until you get them all refurbed.then get them all powdercoated gunmetal and forget about them!
Leave it like that until you get them all refurbed.then get them all powdercoated gunmetal and forget about them!
Seal it with something (some touch up kits have clear lacquer) to limit how much the aluminum underneath oxidises, but the inevitable is that it just keeps going under the lacquer around it.
I had a Fabia vRS with similar and they all looked terrible after 3 years, a mix of small stone damage to the spokes and some bits that just started oxidising of their own accord. Refurb to same finish would cost nearly as much as a new wheel via the parts counter. If I'd have kept it I'd just have got them all refurbed in regular silver paint.
I had a Fabia vRS with similar and they all looked terrible after 3 years, a mix of small stone damage to the spokes and some bits that just started oxidising of their own accord. Refurb to same finish would cost nearly as much as a new wheel via the parts counter. If I'd have kept it I'd just have got them all refurbed in regular silver paint.
If you are kerbing your wheels regardless of whether they are diamond cut you will still need a refurb to get them back to decent condition.
My wheels are factory diamond cut and when I bought my car they had some kerbing and corrosion so I got all 4 refurbed. Since then I've been very careful and so far they are spotless. I would have the same attitude with a car that looks as new as yours from the picture. Just take your time when near kerbs, I've even got out of the car a few times to make sure I'm not too close. I'd rather do that than spend another £100 per wheel to get them sorted.
If you want to get them refurbished by a good company, I can strongly recommend Pristine in Milton Keynes.
My wheels are factory diamond cut and when I bought my car they had some kerbing and corrosion so I got all 4 refurbed. Since then I've been very careful and so far they are spotless. I would have the same attitude with a car that looks as new as yours from the picture. Just take your time when near kerbs, I've even got out of the car a few times to make sure I'm not too close. I'd rather do that than spend another £100 per wheel to get them sorted.
If you want to get them refurbished by a good company, I can strongly recommend Pristine in Milton Keynes.
You need a better paint guy. 
I dinked the polished alloys on my MINI GP, to compound the problem they were polished in a sort of pinstripe around the edges & up the spokes.
My local guys offered the full polish up and laquar job, or for £50 a touch up (guess which I chose!).
By touching it up, he just matched a really bright silver paint and blended it in after sanding and filling. I could just about spot it when extremely close up, but once I swapped the alloys round it was impossible to find. Lasted me the two yeas until I sold it.
I dinked the polished alloys on my MINI GP, to compound the problem they were polished in a sort of pinstripe around the edges & up the spokes.
My local guys offered the full polish up and laquar job, or for £50 a touch up (guess which I chose!).
By touching it up, he just matched a really bright silver paint and blended it in after sanding and filling. I could just about spot it when extremely close up, but once I swapped the alloys round it was impossible to find. Lasted me the two yeas until I sold it.
Where are you based OP? Managed to kerb my diamond cut alloys after 2000 miles, after getting over the initial bit where I was f
king furious with myself I got them sanded down, can barely tell its there now.
I'm in Manchester and used Prestige Wheels, bloke turned up in a van, 30 mins and £70 later job jobbed.
king furious with myself I got them sanded down, can barely tell its there now. I'm in Manchester and used Prestige Wheels, bloke turned up in a van, 30 mins and £70 later job jobbed.
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