Chrome replica wheels ?

[FUNFER2]

I have custom made, highly polished stainless steel side pipes, and they look fantastic. So much so, that my Team III wheels (half polished) will look dull. I'm contemplating having them sent out to be half, chrome plated. I like the dark non polished centers vs. the entire wheel. I only got one price today for $125 each.

Or next winter, get the sand paper and polisher out, and try to get them as highly polished as I can muster ?

Any thoughts and advise will be appreciated.

(Gilmore Kit)1
(Gilmore Kit)2

(my "half polished" Team III wheels)

[Got the Bug]

Won't your stainless side pipes end up looking like your wheels (or darker) after a while?

[FUNFER2]

They shouldn't. That's the good thing about 304 stainless vs. ceramic coating or even chrome, a little polish and you get the wow factor. The maintenance is a lot lower.

[mpanten]

I think you would have a hard time polishing the inside of the wheels to get them where you want them. I am assuming it is the inside that needs polished?

[FUNFER2]

It would be tough, time consuming and would end up with sore fingers !

[Paul F]

If you chrome the rims, the 304 stainless pipes will look dull. Chrome is 'more silver' than stainless in color. The sidepipes will also get somewhat gold from the heat near the headers.

I have all-chrome wheels and stainless pipes. I'd prefer the look of chrome on the pipes, but stainless lasts much longer than plated steel.

Any chrome shop should be able to chrome the rims and leave the centers alone. If you decide to chrome the centers than you need to find a really good shop that can polish the centers and also have the techniques to 'throw' the chrome into all the corners. My local chrome shop was a disaster. I had to ship mine to a shop in Southern California and they did a great job.

Either way, chrome is a much better choice than bare aluminum for two reasons (if shine is your goal): 1. polished aluminum never will look like chrome. 2. Bare polished aluminum is a lot of maintenance. $125 per wheel is nothing compared to the endless hours you will spend trying to keep the aluminum clean and shiny.

[Larry N Johnson]

I have a shop that does the centers:



Provides a distintive look:

[FUNFER2]

Looks sharp. You have a PM.