Excellent wheel refurb!

[Windymiller]

Thought I'd post this as it may be of interest to a fair few people.

There's a place local to where my parents live called National Alloys, in Widnes, Cheshire. They must have refurbed more than 10 sets of wheels for me over the years, and always do an excellent job for a good price. In fact, they've got a set of Porsche Turbo alloys in from me that I've had hanging round for a bit.

I've just had my 19" M3 alloys refurbed for £100, though that may be a 'regular customer' price. No before images, but 2 were badly kerbed (as in bits of metal missing) and all 4 had flaking lacquer all round the rim. These wheels are a bugger to get repaired as a lot of wheel places won't/can't touch them. I went to a place off Oldham Road, Manchester who told me that they paint them and the look just the same mate. They don't as I have a set of painted ones on my car at the moment...



My polished OEM-style ones are totally mint now! All damage gone, polished then lacquered.







Anyway, if anyone wants theirs done, call Dave on 0151 495 1880 and mention me - Paul with the black M3.

Their website is www.nationalalloys.co.uk

I've nothing to do with them, but am always willing to pass on tales of good service for anyone I use.

[jackwood]

Thanks for this. I need sets doing on my Cayman and Audi.

But I keep coming up with the same dilema! What do you do with the car with no wheels on? Do you put them on jacks, or on blocks? Or axle stands?

The car would be outside with no wheels on it for the time it took to do the work.

Any advice?

[cw42]

Sorry to thread hi-jack, but you should read this Jack
http://forums.amita.uk.net/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7692
Graham will come to you and do the work on the spot, 1 wheel at a time

[jackwood]

Cheers Chris. Posted a question. Want the wheels black, but if they do the job with the tyres and weights on to avoid re-balance, what happens when you change the rubber and pull off the old weights for re-balancing? Silver patches inside the wheel?

[Windymiller]

Jack, they do a same-day on the car, so you drop it off with them in the morning, then they put it up on stands, take the wheels off, do their stuff, then put them back on for you to collect. They're opposite an ATS or something so pop over their to get all the balancing and stuff done.

Personally I wouldn't use one of those companies that just paint the face of the wheel as I'd always be worried that they hadn't keyed the entire surface for the paint to take to. I'd always rather have the entire wheel stripped back to the alloy before priming and painting.

I've had a few rims 'repaired' by the likes of chips-away when I've been selling a car on, and always been disappointed by the results.

[sider]

Just been on their site.

I'd been recommended Pro-clean - who appear to have closed down. So was good to see 'National Alloys - the former 'Pro-clean' lads'!

So, cheers for that Windymiller.

Will give them a call this week about getting mine all nice for summer again.