Technical How To Un-Polish New Ansen Sprints?

Trying to get the right late 60's look for my 1960 Ranchero. I just bought 2 new 15x7 Ansen Sprints to go with my old 15x4 Sprints. The new ones are only available polished and it was hard to find a pair of 15x7's in a 5 on 4-1/2" bolt pattern. I don't like the shiny polished look on the new wheels and would like them to better match the cast look of the old wheels. What's the best way to knock the shine off and get them to look like the fronts?

 

Regular old EZ Off oven cleaner. You gotta be careful;l tho, it can tarnish them fast! Start with test test spot on the back. Also takes anodizing off

 

I'd glass bead all 4.....

 

Maybe run them for awhile . No washing or waxing . Eventually they will get the old look and you have fun driving all those miles. Everything eventually loses its newness. I wonder if fine still wool would soften the shine ? Or a least aggressive scotch bright pad .

 

Briefly sand w/80 then follow w/180 grit sandpaper.

 

The "cast look" you're referring to is oxidation, which is only properly achieved though exposure to the elements over time. Any attempt to "age" the new wheels will end in disappointment. The truth is that's a nice car, it deserves nice shiny wheels.

 

This may seem unorthodox, but I was a kid when I did this (similar wheels, OT vehicle). I jacked up the rear and put the vehicle in gear and let the wheel spin. Then I pretty much wet sanded them until it was "right".

It won't take much to knock the polish off and it will be uniform.

 

I'd do exactly as Brent said to all 4 wheels. Then polish the ever-living shit out them to even out the finish. THEN, for the REALLY unorthodox part... hit them with a 50/50 mix of muriatic acid and water to dull things down to the look that you're after.

 

The original Sprints had a machined finish that over time from cleaning/polishing would come to resemble a 'sorta' polish, particularly if they weren't maintained well at some point then 'restored'. Short of having them lightly re-cut, sanding will get you the closest to the OEM look. It'll probably be easier to make the old ones look like the new ones rather than the other way around. Then let them 're-age' together...

 

Yeah, I think I'd just polish the rears to match the fronts.....

 

I'm curious, wonder what all 4 would look like if glassbeaded.

 

I use scotchbrite to kill the shine but that may not be what you're after.

 

The rest of you didn't even need to answer, I solved his issue in Post #2. Truth

 

Krylon gold because I didn't have the coin for Halibrands, this was about 1975.

 

I would glassbead all 4 like deuces said. That way they will all age the same. Then Semichrome them to suit.

 

You'll have to excuse the rest of us for speaking , especially since you'd already spoke
Remember guys , nobody needs to speak after Tman gives his opinion !

 

On a drag car I built in the '90's, I used Softscrub and a soft wheel brush on my Drag Stars. They kinda looked like Motorwheel Flys from across the pits when I was done. And easy to keep up. Gene.

 

Of course!

 

Except that it isnt completely accurate. The active ingredient in EZ OFF is more than likely Sodium Hydroxide (more commonly referred to as caustic soda). You need to find out what the wheels are made of. If there is much aluminum you might reconsider this because this stuff will Pit and discolor aluminum. If that ist bad enough it will wreck eyes, lungs, skin...... Consider other posts as Truth.

 

I'd use Simple Green on them, then let the water sit on them after you rinse. I won't be as harsh as the EZ Off, but will remove some shine. At least it has on polished aluminum on my flathead.

 

Just like EZ Off, Simple Green can really fuck up aluminum. That is why I mentioned trying a spot test. About 20 Years ago the Army Aviation put out a memo to all ground crews to STOP using Simple Green on the Blackhawks and other choppers. If not careful it can eat the aluminum causing serious damage!

 

They were polished when new, at least these ones were, still in the original box from 1968

 

Do the new ones have a clear coat or anodized finish, or are they just raw aluminum? That will make a big difference in what you do.

 

I think you'll be sorry if you glassbead them; there's no going back and it won't look machined. I'd spin them and hit them with Scotchbrite. Be very careful if you do that.

 

A dry powder Fire Extinguisher will do it.

 

I'm not gettin' involved. Just gonna perv on that outstanding Chrisman Funny and deuce chassis.

 

I love the muriatic idea.

If you have any lung issues, just go at it mechanically and skip chemicals. It's not hard to get the shine knocked off, even if they were cleared.

 

Having made this mistake myself, I would never recommend using a caustic product like "Ez-Off" to clean or "age" aluminum wheels because it is impossible to apply evenly everywhere, it has a tendency to "foam up"and then slide off, and everywhere the chemical collects it will eat into the base metal leaving "blotchy" areas behind.

Another possibility is to have all the wheels shot-blasted then powdercoated in titanium, when they're done they almost look like magnesium.

 

Precisely why I said run a test. But it works well IF you know what you are doing.

 

Check with a local big rig shop or detailer. In the ready-mix concrete industry they use a cleaner to get the wheels and fuel tanks cleaned from all the concrete splatter... it's mildly acidic and leaves a soft flat tone. Then adjust to what you want with a mild Scotchbrite.