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      08-12-2019, 05:32 AM   #1
Jim23k
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442m powder coat time

So, 2 of my wheels have stone chips that have led to some water ingress, others have been damaged around the edges when new tyres were fitted and one of the wheels that was previous refurbished by BMW at time of AUC purchase (> 12 months ago annoyingly) have started to corrode around the centre caps again....

Whilst diamond cut looks great I'd fed up already with the lack of durability (especially considering I've kept my wheels clean and waxed and they aren't even on for winter FFS).

So, it's powder coat time I think for a more durable finish.

There's a Wheel Specialist nearby so I'm going to pop round and have a look at the finishes available. Following a chat with a mate I'm thinking Black Chrome (which isn't actually black, more of a dark silver) as this sits somewhere between the contrasting finish of diamond cut with dark powder coated insets.

Thoughts?

Last edited by Jim23k; 08-12-2019 at 08:13 AM..
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      08-12-2019, 06:42 AM   #2
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If you are yet to decide where to take them, I would highly recommend the Wheel Specialist, at Garforth, near Leeds. They did my winter alloys in "Smoked Chrome" and they look nearly as good as my summer 442ms. Smoked chrome is a really nice effect.

https://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk/locations/leeds/

https://www.facebook.com/thewheelspecialistleeds/
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      08-12-2019, 08:13 AM   #3
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Thanks! That's EXACTLY where I was going to take them (from both reading around and from a recommendation). I'll try and pop over later and take a look at the finishes in the flesh. Smoked Chrome is on my short list already, along with black chrome, gun metal (although this is matt) and flash chrome.

They say their Black Chrome finish is closest to the diamond cut effect but the darker smoked chrome does look great too and a bit darker.

Thanks for the info
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      08-13-2019, 04:58 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by B6WAF View Post
If you are yet to decide where to take them, I would highly recommend the Wheel Specialist, at Garforth, near Leeds. They did my winter alloys in "Smoked Chrome" and they look nearly as good as my summer 442ms. Smoked chrome is a really nice effect.

https://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk/locations/leeds/

https://www.facebook.com/thewheelspecialistleeds/
Any pics of smoked chrome? I'm looking to get my 599m powder coated and was originally thinking Ferric Grey, but would be keen to see what a chrome finish looks like if it gives a sort of two-tone effect.

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      08-13-2019, 04:20 PM   #5
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Raw wheels, York - they’ve done my 403’s a couple of times and I’d highly recommend them. Just off the A64 do not too far out of your way.
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      09-17-2019, 08:54 AM   #6
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So I finally managed to head over to TWS Garforth and was very impressed with what I saw. They said the wheels could diamond cut again if I wanted but I'm going down the powder coat route for practical reasons. They'd need the car for 1 full day and it'll cost around £370 for all 4 (diamond cut finish would have cost around £440 and take 3 days).

Quite a good range of finishes available! My top 3 were, black chrome, flash chrome and smoked chrome. I'm thinking of going black chrome but was impressed with all of them. Might go for one of the darker finishes if/when I get my winter wheels done at some point in future...
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      09-17-2019, 09:54 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KCH1984 View Post
Any pics of smoked chrome? I'm looking to get my 599m powder coated and was originally thinking Ferric Grey, but would be keen to see what a chrome finish looks like if it gives a sort of two-tone effect.

Cheers
Sorry for slow response ... I have a set of silver alloys for winter which looked fine on my previous silver 435i, but crap on my Mineral Grey 440i. So I had them sprayed in Smoked Chrome by TWS in Leeds and they look really good (in my opinion). I no longer dread fitting them in October/November. See pics attached of before and after ...
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      09-17-2019, 11:02 AM   #8
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Just had mine done satin black for the same reasons.
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      09-18-2019, 11:45 AM   #9
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Smoked Chrome suits your MG perfectly, as does the Satin Black on black. Both very nice!
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      09-18-2019, 12:33 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by Jim23k View Post
Smoked Chrome suits your MG perfectly, as does the Satin Black on black. Both very nice!
It's actually tanzanite blue, in the shade it goes very dark and agree it looks black, but in the sun!

If it's on a black car I wouldn't go black wheels, it's too much, a very dark anthracite looks better with a contrast, I did it on my Saab a few years ago. Looked 👌
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      09-18-2019, 01:05 PM   #11
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i really need to get on this, fellow 442M'er here.
Just had 2 of my wheels replaced under warranty and the 2 others being refurbished as a goodwill gesture. The 3 years is up, and to avoid this centre cap corrosion crap again i've been pondering what to actually do.....

i really do like that shiny metallic finish though, it contrasts against my mineral grey well and stands out under lights reflections.

What are the options? can i get it coated in a stronger lacquer maybe? or powdercoat just around the centre?
Or is there a powdercoat finish that will give that same kind of shiny metal look
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      09-18-2019, 01:07 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim23k View Post
So I finally managed to head over to TWS Garforth and was very impressed with what I saw. They said the wheels could diamond cut again if I wanted but I'm going down the powder coat route for practical reasons. They'd need the car for 1 full day and it'll cost around £370 for all 4 (diamond cut finish would have cost around £440 and take 3 days).

Quite a good range of finishes available! My top 3 were, black chrome, flash chrome and smoked chrome. I'm thinking of going black chrome but was impressed with all of them. Might go for one of the darker finishes if/when I get my winter wheels done at some point in future...
did they say anything about the diamond cut finish - do they make it more durable in any way than the finished BMW article, or maybe use a different lacquer or anything?
or are diamond cut finishes always susceptible to hub cap corrosion however its made/finished?

IGNORE this, just read their blurb: https://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk...amond-cutting/
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      09-20-2019, 06:50 AM   #13
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The only thing you can really do as a preventative measure on any alloy, not just diamond cuts is use a bonded wheel sealant.

Wheel waxes and regular sealants are good at keeping brake dust and road salts from being an issue, if used every wash, but what you really want is bonded coating to protect the lacquer properly.

Gtechniq C5 Wheel Armour is very good on its own and needs reapplying every two years, but if you first layer with GTechniq C1 for a liquid crystal coating, and then apply the C5 over the top, you have pretty much done everything you can to protect them.

As soon as I got home from having my wheels refurbished, I took them off the car, took the centre caps out, applied the above coatings and put them back on. Throughout the winter I will also be applying some poor boys wheel sealer every other wash just to keep the salts off them.

Its a PITA and shouldn't be necessary but it is if you don't want bubbly wheels anytime soon
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      09-20-2019, 01:28 PM   #14
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I have 442m's and despite their age, they're not too bad.
One thing I have wondered though is whether they can be 2 tone powdercoated - so they retain the contrast of the diamond cut, but are powdercoated.
Does anyone know if that's possible?
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      09-20-2019, 02:46 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CBAlfa View Post
I have 442m's and despite their age, they're not too bad.
One thing I have wondered though is whether they can be 2 tone powdercoated - so they retain the contrast of the diamond cut, but are powdercoated.
Does anyone know if that's possible?
I believe so yes. Checkout bw powder coating in Louth.
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      09-21-2019, 02:38 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by B1ue52 View Post
The only thing you can really do as a preventative measure on any alloy, not just diamond cuts is use a bonded wheel sealant.

Wheel waxes and regular sealants are good at keeping brake dust and road salts from being an issue, if used every wash, but what you really want is bonded coating to protect the lacquer properly.

Gtechniq C5 Wheel Armour is very good on its own and needs reapplying every two years, but if you first layer with GTechniq C1 for a liquid crystal coating, and then apply the C5 over the top, you have pretty much done everything you can to protect them.

As soon as I got home from having my wheels refurbished, I took them off the car, took the centre caps out, applied the above coatings and put them back on. Throughout the winter I will also be applying some poor boys wheel sealer every other wash just to keep the salts off them.

Its a PITA and shouldn't be necessary but it is if you don't want bubbly wheels anytime soon
Hi, thanks for this, very useful.
Where exactly do you apply it around the wheel?
Just get those products, wheels off, centre caps out, and I guess...run those 2 products in sequence around the inner linings using gloves and fingers?

I just googled 'how to protect diamond cut wheels"....plenty of results. Consensus seems to be to apply a ceramic coating by a pro or cheaper wax, and to use a pH neutral agent for cleaning.

Looks like I'm never taking my car to the immigrant car washes again!

Last edited by gippy; 09-21-2019 at 02:48 AM..
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      09-21-2019, 02:55 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by B1ue52 View Post
The only thing you can really do as a preventative measure on any alloy, not just diamond cuts is use a bonded wheel sealant.

Wheel waxes and regular sealants are good at keeping brake dust and road salts from being an issue, if used every wash, but what you really want is bonded coating to protect the lacquer properly.

Gtechniq C5 Wheel Armour is very good on its own and needs reapplying every two years, but if you first layer with GTechniq C1 for a liquid crystal coating, and then apply the C5 over the top, you have pretty much done everything you can to protect them.

As soon as I got home from having my wheels refurbished, I took them off the car, took the centre caps out, applied the above coatings and put them back on. Throughout the winter I will also be applying some poor boys wheel sealer every other wash just to keep the salts off them.

Its a PITA and shouldn't be necessary but it is if you don't want bubbly wheels anytime soon
This is the sort of thing I wish I'd thought of when I first got the car. I'm fortunate in that I had all my 442Ms replaced under warranty just before my 3yrs was up, but in the ensuing year one of the rears has already picked up a tiny chip on the rim and the rot is getting in despite applying clear nail varnish soon as I discovered it.

I like the shape of the 442Ms so will probably be going down the powder coating route at some point - hyper silver I reckon. I have a thing about black/dark wheels, never liked them because unless you're standing up close you lose all the detail, that said I appreciate it's all down to personal choice.
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      09-21-2019, 01:01 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gippy View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by B1ue52 View Post
The only thing you can really do as a preventative measure on any alloy, not just diamond cuts is use a bonded wheel sealant.

Wheel waxes and regular sealants are good at keeping brake dust and road salts from being an issue, if used every wash, but what you really want is bonded coating to protect the lacquer properly.

Gtechniq C5 Wheel Armour is very good on its own and needs reapplying every two years, but if you first layer with GTechniq C1 for a liquid crystal coating, and then apply the C5 over the top, you have pretty much done everything you can to protect them.

As soon as I got home from having my wheels refurbished, I took them off the car, took the centre caps out, applied the above coatings and put them back on. Throughout the winter I will also be applying some poor boys wheel sealer every other wash just to keep the salts off them.

Its a PITA and shouldn't be necessary but it is if you don't want bubbly wheels anytime soon
Hi, thanks for this, very useful.
Where exactly do you apply it around the wheel?
Just get those products, wheels off, centre caps out, and I guess...run those 2 products in sequence around the inner linings using gloves and fingers?

I just googled 'how to protect diamond cut wheels"....plenty of results. Consensus seems to be to apply a ceramic coating by a pro or cheaper wax, and to use a pH neutral agent for cleaning.

Looks like I'm never taking my car to the immigrant car washes again!
It's pretty simple...

Take them off, clean them properly. Polish them if you want... it does make a difference. Clean them down with 10% IPA solution. Dry them

Apply the C1 with the applicators provided in the box. Buff off with a MF cloth.

Apply the C5 with the applicators provided. Buff off with a MF cloth.

C1 is expensive but worth it and you'll have plenty left for the rest of your car.

C5 is cheaper but you will need the 30ml bottle to the faces and insides of a 4 set.

Not only will it protect your wheels but will also make them 10x easier to clean.

Read my detailing guide for more detailed information mate.

Cheers
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