How do I make this look like new again.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 10,036
Likes: 10,767
From: SE Michigan
there are some great options for properly cleaning and restoring these, but once you do that consider protecting all of your hard work with a good sealant or coating
after I properly cleaned my rims, I hand polished them and then used a prep to completely remove any bit of dust, finger prints, polish residue, etc....then I sealed them
they still get pretty dirty, but seem to stay cleaner a bit longer, but they wipe clean very easily now....less scrubbing to get them clean, means less chance of marring
here's a whole bunch of great options for coatings, both for paint and rims
https://www.autogeek.net/car-paint-g...-coatings.html
after I properly cleaned my rims, I hand polished them and then used a prep to completely remove any bit of dust, finger prints, polish residue, etc....then I sealed them
they still get pretty dirty, but seem to stay cleaner a bit longer, but they wipe clean very easily now....less scrubbing to get them clean, means less chance of marring
here's a whole bunch of great options for coatings, both for paint and rims
https://www.autogeek.net/car-paint-g...-coatings.html
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,183
Likes: 837
From: KMHT KFMY
I sanded my forks, started with 220 and got to 2000 paper then buffed with a mid grade water based (mira grade 12) automotive compound on a drill with a black 3" pad and it got me a finish I was happy with, it took me 90 minutes a side to go from corroded to flawless
On the wheels I cleaned them as best I could with soap and water, then hit them with the compound on a pad, and they cleaned up nicely
The compound did an exceptional job on chrome too, the wheels on my 13 came out as good as new
a bottle of Mira 12 is a lot cheaper than semichrome or other polishes
On the wheels I cleaned them as best I could with soap and water, then hit them with the compound on a pad, and they cleaned up nicely
The compound did an exceptional job on chrome too, the wheels on my 13 came out as good as new
a bottle of Mira 12 is a lot cheaper than semichrome or other polishes
Cruiser
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 174
Likes: 111
From: Melbourne, Florida
I sanded my forks, started with 220 and got to 2000 paper then buffed with a mid grade water based (mira grade 12) automotive compound on a drill with a black 3" pad and it got me a finish I was happy with, it took me 90 minutes a side to go from corroded to flawless
On the wheels I cleaned them as best I could with soap and water, then hit them with the compound on a pad, and they cleaned up nicely
The compound did an exceptional job on chrome too, the wheels on my 13 came out as good as new
a bottle of Mira 12 is a lot cheaper than semichrome or other polishes
On the wheels I cleaned them as best I could with soap and water, then hit them with the compound on a pad, and they cleaned up nicely
The compound did an exceptional job on chrome too, the wheels on my 13 came out as good as new
a bottle of Mira 12 is a lot cheaper than semichrome or other polishes
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,183
Likes: 837
From: KMHT KFMY
https://mirka-online.com/pc12-1l-mir...medium-1l.html
I have used it on black bikes and tanks and with the right pads ( I like black foam myself) it leaves a near perfect swirl free finish, It was only by luck I tried it on chrome because I didn't have any chrome or aluminum polish on the bench. It wasn't until I detailed the red 13 with it while it was on the lift while I was repairing the front head that I tried it on the forks on the 03.... if you have worked with enough scratched metal, you find after a while that with the right sandpaper, scotchbrite, or fine enough abrasive compound you can fix or almost hide 99% of flaws.
I do a lot of paint correction for my friends, I go thru 2000 wet paper like TP some weeks, and my buffers rarely get put away
As I said above, if you work in one direction once you get into the finer grits and IIRC in my case most of mine was done in strips around the fork not up and down in order to go with the existing machining marks you can with enough patience and elbow grease get a really nice shine out of the forks once the clear has been removed.... and to remove the clear you can sand in any direction as any marks you leave will be removed by your next finer grits.
It is near impossible to screw it up, because all you have to do is keep sanding and polishing, aluminum is very forgiving
PS in a pinch the even finer #10 or even #8 would work too
Last edited by Neggy ZRXOA 5248; Oct 10, 2021 at 05:48 PM.
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