GM silver for Rally wheels.

[BULLITT65]

what is the best price you have gotten for this? I wasn't near my blasting cabinet and asked a local shop to bead blast or sand blast some wheels, the price guestimate was around $200??? second shop same thing???  ???I can't imagine the "tumbler" is any better in price. Less man hours, but I bet they quote about the same amount, way to much for me.

[HOT3O2]

Thanks for the info on the tumbling. Next question. A lot of the original wheels we have are date code senitive and some of the stamping can be very lite at times. Has anybody had problem with blasting or tumbling and loose any of the stamping? Also once your ready to powder coat and paint that coud make the stamping very hard to read and maybe not see it at all. Is anybody doing anything special to prevent this?

[69Z28-RS]

The only such tumbler I've personally seen was quite a large one which a friend of mine had in his auto electric repair shop (they did alternators, starters, generators,etc).    Their tumbler was pretty large and had a 'rotating bracketry inside it which made the media and the parts move around as it rotated.   Their tumbler used like steel shot (beads) and a solvent, and they used it mostly to clean aluminum housing parts.  He once volunteered to do an aluminum manifold for me, and what I remember most is that it made a hell of a racket as the manifold tumbled around in there, but I also recall the manifold coming out very clean and nice.   I think a manifold would be about the largest item that would have fit inside the one he had...

[69Z28-RS]

Thanks for the info on the tumbling. Next question. A lot of the original wheels we have are date code senitive and some of the stamping can be very lite at times. Has anybody had problem with blasting or tumbling and loose any of the stamping? Also once your ready to powder coat and paint that coud make the stamping very hard to read and maybe not see it at all. Is anybody doing anything special to prevent this?

I do my own sandblasting, using an old 'Truman/TIP' sandblaster (100 lb model), and at a pressure under 100 psi (typically maybe 75 to 80 lbs), and I've always found the stamped codes come out easier to read than before.  But I'm sure if the sandblaster were operated at higher pressure, OR if the operator concentrated on one area too long it might possibly harm an original surface (One should keep it moving continuously, and come back to an area if it needs more cleaning than a once over will do).  Even if the wheel were very rusty, to the point that you could not read the stampings before the blasting, I would believe that careful blasting would aide the legibility, not harm it.

[JohnZ]

The only such tumbler I've personally seen was quite a large one which a friend of mine had in his auto electric repair shop (they did alternators, starters, generators,etc).    Their tumbler was pretty large and had a 'rotating bracketry inside it which made the media and the parts move around as it rotated.   Their tumbler used like steel shot (beads) and a solvent, and they used it mostly to clean aluminum housing parts.  He once volunteered to do an aluminum manifold for me, and what I remember most is that it made a hell of a racket as the manifold tumbled around in there, but I also recall the manifold coming out very clean and nice.   I think a manifold would be about the largest item that would have fit inside the one he had...

That was a "Wheelabrator" machine, similar to the machines used by the restorers who "re-skin" aluminum parts - they require a significant investment and expensive proprietary media.

http://www.wheelabratorgroup.com/us/sites/wheelabrator/content/equipment/wheelblast/tumblast_machines.aspx

[68camaroz28]

BULLITT65     Have you tried soda blasting ? I've heard nothing but good , but would like to get some opinions from guys on this site before I pick a portable one up to do the rear end. Also heard if some of the media does find it's way in it will dissolve.

My DF wheels for our 68Z restoration became quite complicated as I had them soda blasted, then I neutralized the soda (wash/bath operation), then soaked in evaporust to assist with crevices soda could not reach, next up expoxy primer followed by Dupont hot rod black, and then finally face sprayed with an argent silver. Took both time and expense but wheels look great with no debris in crevices.

[BULLITT65]

WTG Chick, it takes some time and effort, but IMO well worth it than to have it done half assed.

[HOT3O2]

Chick,  When you were done with your wheels did you have any problems seeing the date codes. My problem is the stamping is so lite I feel a couple coats of paint will make them unreadable.

[BULLITT65]

When it comes to seeing the date codes, if they are faint to begin with and I was concerned with not being able to see them on the finished product, you would probably not want to powder coat them. Painting you have a little more flexibility with how heavy you go, powder coating seems to be pretty thick, (which I think adds to its strength).

[cook_dw]

Is the black on the back side of the wheels satin, semi-gloss, eggshell, gloss or....



Lol  Sorry I couldnt resist..  

[69Z28-RS]

*L*..  thanks Darrel!~     (IMO  GM Reconditioning black, which is a satiny, semi-glossy, semi-flatty black).. 

[JohnZ]

Here's an untouched original "YH" wheel.

[cook_dw]

*L*..  thanks Darrel!~     (IMO  GM Reconditioning black, which is a satiny, semi-glossy, semi-flatty black).. 

But did GM paint these wheels?

[69Z28-RS]

I suspect Kelsey painted the wheels prior to delivery to Chevrolet, but I also suspect they were painted to GM specs...

[BULLITT65]

Well I know, through a different thread, the wheels Kelsey delivered to the dealers parts departments were different and had grey on the inside of the wheel instead of black. So I would think chevrolet painted the wheels, at least the silver portion.