I have a new set of polished alum. wheels that I would like to look old.Any ideas on how to do this? Larry
The quickest way I know of is to use oven cleaner containing Sodium Hydroxide, like EASY-OFF®... it will discolor aluminum and make it look old. I've used it on art projects before. Just be sure to test it for a short time to get the desired look, it can pit the aluminum bad if left on too long.
in one of the first Hot Rod Deluxe issues, Scratch took some Torque Thrusts and immersed them in ocean (salt) water for a few months. They looked like it.
oven cleaner will take the shine off for sure, but like he said try it on an inconspicious spot first.. i used it on a engine for degreasing and the aluminum valve covers ended up dull and spotty.. id say sell the wheels and buy old wheels instead of ruining good polished wheels trying to make them look old..
yea I'm trying to make my old wheels look new. Does anyone know how to do that? Eagle brand wheel cleaner for non coated wheels. Its an acid, soak 'em down and then hose 'em off in a little bit. Now the next trick is real hard, drive 'em let 'em get dirty and don't clean them for awhile. The will stain and look old before you know it.
Dress them down with fine wet/dry and wd-40 then scotch brite them. Takes some of the new machine look off, but they will still look good.
Use some paint stripper on them. It will take the clear off and etch the wheels. There is stripper in spray cans should give an even finish.
Bead blast 'em then find the dirtiest nastist parts washer you can. Scrub the old nast crap into the wheels with a dirty scothbrite.....then they will look kind of old.
Sounds like a business opp here, kinda like "distressed" leather and "acid washed" jeans. "We Make Your Parts Look Like Poopie"
Drive without tires on them, use them as jack stands like the wrecking yards do, run them into curbs, shoot them, put them on and use a chisel on the lug nuts to get them off, drill a different bolt pattern in them, have a car fire with them on the car, use one as a hose reel on your garage for 20 years, bang weights on and off them hundreds of times, drill them for moon discs, weld on them, paint the centers and use a drill with a sanding pad to clean the paint off of them, strip the threads in the center cap holes, use screwdrivers and prybars to install and remove tires about 30 times, have them grind into the tierod ends on a dropped spindle, have a disc brake caliper gouge them from the inside, the list is endless. How old do you want them to look?
Trade em to someone with old wheels. Hell, I would have traded my grimy, been sitting in a barn, in the mud since the late 70's slots for em. Would have saved me the trouble of trying to polish em up, and you the trouble of trying to mess up yours. There's nothing quite as cool as a pitted OLD set of aluminum wheels, but a butchered set of new wheels is about as cool as a "patina" paint job.
MAN.....thanks for the good read...laughed my ass off. We want old to look good, and new to look old..to each his own.
I think I actually understand what the OP is saying here. He is looking for a vintage look from his new wheels. If they are coated wheels the only way to make them look vintage is to remove the coating then just let time takes its course. Nothing is instant except Big macs and the internet. And both of those are not always as instant as we would like. Age takes time there is no way to speed up the process unless you consider meth to be a viable option and trust me if you are young you do not want to be old. its not all its cracked up to be.
Thanks guys, I wanted alum. slots 15 in.chev bolt pattern 5 1/2 in. back space. 8--10 in. wide. Who has them?? Larry
i would figure folks want old wheels to look new, not mess up nice wheels. kinda like that guy with the real nice shoebox ford with nice gloss black...that wanted to mess it up to look aged....yikes
find a issue of old skool rods in there tech haaa. I really dont understand why you would fu%$ up nice wheels.