Wheel Repair

[Esprit]

Grrr... was just driving up to Newmarket to pick my now fully-repaired hood up from the upholsterers and had to drive through some roadworks.... coming out of it, I ran through a pothole big enough to eat my Elise (going slowly) but caught it at an awkward angle and the result is a couple of nasty scuffs on my wheel rim. The metal itself isn't too gouged at all, but the paint is well knackered.

Can anyone reccommend a good mag wheel repairer? I'll need to have it stripped, any metal repair taken care of and then remainted/coated. Anyone reccommend anyone good?

Kylie I know you've had some work done on your OZ wheels in the past and were happy with them, who did them?

I've also got a stonechip on my front wheel that I'd like to get done as well.... if I end up doing both of them I may end up repainting all of them as I've always wanted Anthracite-coloured rims for the Elise because I think they look the best.

Any leads anyone?

I'm well pissed off and definitely not having a good day!!! :(

[kylie]

Bugger sorry to hear of this.

No my rims are still almost perfect, but I got Simon to help me refurbish the alloy. They were orginally dull and non-polished. This of course is an insult to the Hotrodder in the family which he kindly asked to strip the clear laquer and polish all by hand using mops and elbow grease. I was hardly going to hold him back.

I remember Simon telling me theres a Auckland crowd who does fix scuffed rims, I shall find out and get back.

[Kiwi LE]

Yep give me a call, I have a panel repair mate who knows a compnay that does it full time or he can do it either way.

Call me - cheers Dean

[Esprit]

Cheers Kylie.

I've actually just spoken to James, who had the car before me, as he had the wheels painted to the colour they are now from the original gold and he's put me on to the guys who painted the wheels for him (Bay Car Painters). Given that there's bugger all actual metal damage to them, mainly just paint scuffing, I might take them up there and see how much it'll be to have the wheel re-done, at least then I know I'll be able to get the colour done right... last bloody thing I want is to have the wheel repaired only for it to be a shade or two off!

Also got a quote from Sharrock Engineering down in Manukau to fix it up for $80 per rim which is bloody good, so long as the paint finish at the end of it is good enough. I'll get in touch with the car painters first thing tomorrow and if they're not too overpriced I'll take them there.. they seem to have done a good job of it last time. I'll get them to touch up the stonechip on my front left too..... might even take the car up there and get a quote for respraying the front clam heh. At least it's not gonna cost the earth... you know how it is... when this sorta thing happens, you don'd mind paying $100 or so just to have it back the way it was... expensive little mistakes, but you just want your baby back perfect again :P

[Esprit]

Thanks Dean, I'll certainly give him a call. I'll take the wheel down first thing in the morning to have the tyre removed, then I'll give him a call and whip it over in my lunch break... good thing the weather's going to be nasty this weekend and the Elise would have been staying in the garage anyway, somehow I don't think she'd handle quite so well as a three-wheeler.

Thanks for your help thus far and I'll let you know how it all pans out

[jamieheasman]

Don't Arrow wheels still do refurbing? I think they normally have an advert in Classis Car magazine.

[Esprit]

Yeah I hear arrow do but they specialise more in rim construction and 3-piece repair... my damage is much more minor... just need a repaint more than anything Going to have a call around today and see who I can find to do it

[kylie]

Hi yes it was Arrow wheels who do repairs, wouldn't hurt to give them a bell and see what they will actually do.

[kylie]

How was the finish on the repaired wheel? Where did you go to get it done?

[Esprit]

Picking it up this lunchtime... will find out then. Took it to a place Dean reccommended out west... I just need to find someone who can put the tyre back on and balance the wheel now without damaging the new paint or putting it onto one of those machines that'll gouge the inner surface of the wheel (as they do!)

[Esprit]

Finish is pretty damned good... colour match is perfect... couple of tiny imperfections in the overall paintjob, but that's really only in-keeping with the finish on the other 3 wheels anyway and a pretty good price so I'm rather chuffed... just gotta bolt the wheel back on and clean her all up for sunday