Saving Classic Wheels

[undertaker81]

Good afternoon fellow hearse owners. I recently came across a set of classic cadillac spoke wheels. And I was wondering if some could help me find a way to remove the rust without damaging the wheel to much. I know they will have to be replated or painted but I need to get the rust off first. Does anyone know the easiest way to remove rust. I talked a couple of classic car guys I worked with and they told me to try naval jelly. Can any one help me. The first is the worst of the set and the second is the best of the set.


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[Dickey]

Least hassle method I'm aware of:

http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/rust/electrolytic_derusting.htm

[R U INJRD]

You won't be able to "save" something that far gone, but if you have the time and want to start with the least invasive process and go from there, I would try chemicals first before going to actual abrasives. I have recently discovered Oxalic Acid, which seems to work well. You can get it in large quantities on ebay, or you can sometimes find it at a hardware or paint store, where it is called "wood bleach". From what I have been told, the small container you can buy at Ace Hardware is enough to mix with five gallons of water. Then you need to find a container big enough to immerse the wheel completely in. Leave it soak overnight, and most if not all of the rust will just wipe away. Of course, anywhere the rust has bubbled up the chrome will be blemished afterwards, but there is no way to save the finish in those areas anyway.

If you're going to repaint or replate the wheels anyway, you're better off just having the wheels media blasted. It will insure the removal of all the rust and give you the best finish to start with for your refinishing. Replating is expensive, but is probably the only way to make them look original.

http://www.amazon.com/Savogran-10501-Wood-Bleach/dp/B002NZWY4A

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[undertaker81]

I appreciate the info. I was just trying to get them looking half way decent til i can get them replated. Cause there is no place close to to me that does replating that I know of. I talked to a gentleman today that does media blasting and powder coating. He said he would blasted and powder coat for about $220 at the most $300. and he has what he calls a chrome powder coat. Has anyone seen how a chrome powder coat looks?

[R U INJRD]

Chrome powder coating looks good, but it doesn't look like chrome unless you're 50 feet away. You might fool someone as you're driving by, but if you're standing next to the vehicle it doesn't really look like chrome. It's like a more durable version of the chrome spray paint they sell in stores.

[LMS]

That's a lot of work, just save a little and go this route...

http://www.cokertire.com/wheels/cadillac-wire-wheel-16x6.html

[R U INJRD]

That's a lot of work, just save a little and go this route...

http://www.cokertire.com/wheels/cadi...heel-16x6.html

You do realize $528 is the EACH price, not the price for a set of 4, right?

[LMS]

You do realize $528 is the EACH price, not the price for a set of 4, right?

Yeah, I have their catalog, been wanting those for a while.

[jesdmes]

the only way to get wire wheels replated is to have them taken apart which is easy enough to do. but you would have to get each spoke plated and the center hub and the rim it self. and then have them put back together and trued. if you went the powder coat "chrome" which looks alot like the chrome spray paint you can buy in the rattle cans that would be the most cost effective way of doing this. the wheels looks to be in pretty bad so there would most likely be spokes that would strip out when removeing them. so you may get them apart and find that you cant put them back together.