Wheel Refinishing Feedback

[etr2016]

Has anyone had their wheels refinished? Two of mine have some minor scuffing and I was wondering if this would be worth it, or should I look at something else. My only other option is just to buy a set of new wheels as use these for track purposes on my other car or sell them.

[ayao]

I was washing one of mine in the driveway and scuffed it up when it fell on its face. I had it refinished and was reasonably pleased with it. It is a challenging color match but I can’t say I could really tell a difference between the original and one that was refinished.

[etr2016]

is the whole wheel repainted or just the scuffed area?

[seis-speed]

Hard to tell w/o knowing the damage and your acceptance of blemishes. I have no issues with a little wheel damage, because it is almost impossible to keep wheels perfect.

What about going with a dark grey finish on all 4? My wife thrashes her wheels all the time, so I always get dark wheels and touch up with paint pens. A little brake dust and you can not tell at all. The polished wheels are much more difficult to accomplish my above tactics.

Good luck from a fellow Golf R owner!

[ayao]

The whole wheel is stripped and redone, usually ~ $150 +/-. If there are massive chunks missing from curb rash or something I’ve seen these guys do pretty impressive work on other people’s wheels.

[nachob]

Originally Posted by ayao

The whole wheel is stripped and redone, usually ~ $150 +/-. If there are massive chunks missing from curb rash or something I’ve seen these guys do pretty impressive work on other people’s wheels.

I had a set done and was not happy. The color never had the shine of the original, after a year the paint came off and they also painted the hubs which made the wheels hard to take off. I went to supposedly a good place. There might be better places but I wasn't happy with it. One of my wheels on the 1M had also been repainted and when I was cleaning with car shampoo and water the silver was rubbing off. I would say get a new set and keep the others as spares.

[ayao]

I would agree that if you are expecting a 100% return to OEM perfection, that it will not happen. It all depends on your budget and how picky you are.

[champignon]

Originally Posted by seis-speed

Good luck from a fellow Golf R owner!

So that makes at least 3 of us 1M owners who also have Rs.

[IndyMike]

Originally Posted by champignon

So that makes at least 3 of us 1M owners who also have Rs.

Make that four, as I also have an 'R' although of an earlier vintage. Original owner with almost 120k on the odo. It's been my trusty daily steed for the past 12 plus years. Pretty much stock, with the exception of VMR V710 wheels and tweaked exhaust system. I've considered getting a modernized R several times, but I prefer the linear delivery from the VR6 powerplant, plus the exhaust note when standing on it gives me the same kind of giggles I get when driving the 1 M. Plus it's paid for, and I don't relish forking over $40k even for the benefits of having a new car with accompanying warranty. Although each succeeding year seems to bring with it maintenance bills north of $1k, but as long as the motor and tranny holds out, and I don't total it I think it's with me for a good long while to come.

Getting the thread back on track, I've also considered having my two front wheels refinished that have been curbed, but if it's in the $150 - $200 range I think I will just buy two news. Anybody know what are the 359's going for these days?

[E30 Racer]

Originally Posted by ayao

I would agree that if you are expecting a 100% return to OEM perfection, that it will not happen. It all depends on your budget and how picky you are.

Agree on all points. Honestly, outright replacement isn't that bad if you sell the original wheel(s) to offset the cost. There's still a strong demand for used.