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View Full Version : Polishing Welds



85_SS_302_Coupe
03-26-2007, 05:16 PM
Good lord how the hell do you guys keep these things polished and looking new? I didn't even drive my car in the snow or during the winter, and they look like total ass and are oxidized to hell and back. I've got a Mother's Powerball and it just doesn't really do what i've heard it does, just fling polish all over the place. I've also got a can of Eagle One Neverdull and that's working pretty well but it's taking forever just to do one wheel, and at this rate it's going to take me a week to get them all done and by then the first wheel will probably be oxidized again!!!

Seriously...if anyone has any 17'' Cobra Rs or some other kind of painted rim (not Ponys, i've already got a set) i'll trade you....i don't think these are ever getting polished again, not by me anyways.

Then i think about guys who have these amazing show cars with polished EVERYTHING and i can't imagine how they keep them clean and looking like they do.

95redstang
03-26-2007, 05:27 PM
Good lord how the hell do you guys keep these things polished and looking new? I didn't even drive my car in the snow or during the winter, and they look like total ass and are oxidized to hell and back. I've got a Mother's Powerball and it just doesn't really do what i've heard it does, just fling polish all over the place. I've also got a can of Eagle One Neverdull and that's working pretty well but it's taking forever just to do one wheel, and at this rate it's going to take me a week to get them all done and by then the first wheel will probably be oxidized again!!!

Seriously...if anyone has any 17'' Cobra Rs or some other kind of painted rim (not Ponys, i've already got a set) i'll trade you....i don't think these are ever getting polished again, not by me anyways.

Then i think about guys who have these amazing show cars with polished EVERYTHING and i can't imagine how they keep them clean and looking like they do.

Talk to Mark(Hulk)..He cleans his car with trash bags over his wheels..his welds on his green car are nice..They look brand new...I think he also said that Zoop stuff works...

LXEnvy1990
03-26-2007, 05:39 PM
I got some shit from cavlcade from a stand! I beleave they have a web site you can order the shit from! It comes with 2 bottles. Ones a cleaner a polisher and the other is like a clear coat! The shit works really good! Orangedeomon331 got me hip to it! Ill find out the site if you want it! Let me know!

JonS
03-26-2007, 05:42 PM
I keep my car in all the time and they are still a PITA to keep nice.

93cobra
03-26-2007, 05:43 PM
i don't know what you are doing wrong....that power ball with the regular mothers alum polish works wonders!! don't put too much polish at once on that powerball & only spin it slower while working it in...then spin it faster. i just made a set of welds that looked like sh*t turn out damn near new looking a couple weeks ago for my coupe

R825OH
03-26-2007, 05:44 PM
Yep anything w/ raw aluminum is a pain glad I just have edges to polish not whole wheels. Good luck Buddy !!

331TwistedWedge
03-26-2007, 05:44 PM
i just got mine last week, im not washing them ....... i will do the trash bag method like mark (hulk) ... i heard zoop seals the wheels and keeps them nice ... dont try anything abrasive, it will scratch the shit out of them ... i will get the zoop and let you know how that goes ... :bigthumb

plated
03-26-2007, 05:45 PM
go to harbor freight buy a car buffer with a wool pad load it with mothers,they will look high polished better than they do new,have you ever seen my wheels after there buffed,look like chrome..watch the valve stem buff around it by hand,and also if you take the wheels off you can get between the lug nuts better.but the trick is to not hand polish the residue off but wash it off with soap and water and dry ,trust me i've tried every thing nothing compares

ponyboystroker
03-26-2007, 06:02 PM
go to harbor freight buy a car buffer with a wool pad load it with mothers,they will look high polished better than they do new,have you ever seen my wheels after there buffed,look like chrome..watch the valve stem buff around it by hand,and also if you take the wheels off you can get between the lug nuts better.but the trick is to not hand polish the residue off but wash it off with soap and water and dry ,trust me i've tried every thing nothing compares


i might have to try this trick on the deep dish wheels that are on my Jeep; they are starting to look like hell.

85_SS_302_Coupe
03-26-2007, 06:03 PM
Well damn Chris i guess i just need to bring mine over to your place :D


I'm not really new to buffing...i've got a whole collection of buffing wheels and compounds but they're usually used for polishing rougher metals and they'll probably just add scratches to the finish.

Which Mothers polish do you use? I've got a bottle of "Power Metal" and i'm using it with the powerball. It seems more like the powerball is just collecting all the black that comes off the rims and then transfers that all over the place.

With the Neverdull, it's taking off the oxidation but it's hell on your hands and you have to polish the crap out of a spot, then wipe off the black residue, then polish with a soft CLEAN cloth or else you just spread around the gunk.

I've also heard that Zoop works but it's not permanent either...you have to repolish and then reapply. Plus have you seen the price of that stuff? :eek:

chad393na
03-26-2007, 06:14 PM
I've used the mothers powerball, and it worked great on mine:confused:

85_SS_302_Coupe
03-26-2007, 06:17 PM
For those using the powerball, just how dirty were they when you started? Mine almost look like satin aluminum....there's no polish to them anymore. In January before it really started getting bad outside, they looked like this:

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/2/web/626000-626999/626821_91_full.jpg

RyanR
03-26-2007, 06:38 PM
god i want those wheels

plated
03-26-2007, 07:20 PM
that car is screaming for a paint job.i love the 4 eyed coupes.it would look totaly different with paint on it. what a canvas to start with

85_SS_302_Coupe
03-26-2007, 07:22 PM
Dude you have no idea....it's just a matter of getting doors put on it and a little body work (you can see the rear fender lip is pushed in a little in that picture) and then the CASH which is the biggest problem.


Sleeper5oh, find me some silver Cobra Rs and they're yours :D hell i've got 2 sets (one set is 8 all around though).

mustang8998
03-26-2007, 08:49 PM
I've got one of those "Powerballs" and the the polish. I haven't tried it out yet, but I've heard good things about it.

I have used a product called Wenol, in the past (on aluminum bike parts) and it works really well. Either by hand, or buffer, it really brought out the shine. I then use Neverdull, for upkeep, periodically.

I need to do a little work to mine, while the car is down, so I'll give the Powerball a try. It seems that the place, where I had the rear tires mounted, used acid for lube. It etched the wheels, where ever it ran. :(

85_SS_302_Coupe
03-26-2007, 09:00 PM
I think the powerball is fine for basic polishing...maybe my wheels are just that dirty that it's not doing as good of a job. I bought a small buffing wheel like Plated suggested but it got dark on me so it'll have to wait for my next day off.

Imagine trying to keep one of these clean :eek:

Ryan218
03-26-2007, 09:05 PM
I think the powerball is fine for basic polishing...maybe my wheels are just that dirty that it's not doing as good of a job. I bought a small buffing wheel like Plated suggested but it got dark on me so it'll have to wait for my next day off.

Imagine trying to keep one of these clean :eek:


87 ttop from stangnet ...is that almost stocks engine?


when the ball turns black that means its working.... apply a little pressure when polishing....and with the power ball start out slow till the compound is worked around so it dont fly everywhere...then apply pressure but mainly let the powerball and drill do there thing....

btw...blue magic is some really good stuff as well as mothers....

bring it to me...ill polish them for you...

not mustang wheels but they where really bad....

here is how mine started.....

you can see where i started...just takes a little time..

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w44/91sc/1991FordSuperCoupepolishingwheel-4.jpg

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w44/91sc/1991FordSuperCoupepolishingwheel-9.jpg

next thing i want to polish is to get my hands on some 10 holes and polish them suckers...

85_SS_302_Coupe
03-26-2007, 09:26 PM
Ryan how the hell did you get into the "V" parts of the spokes with the big ball? Or did you use the small one? I had to take my ball and wash it out because it had so much crap built up in it.

Ryan218
03-26-2007, 10:28 PM
Ryan how the hell did you get into the "V" parts of the spokes with the big ball? Or did you use the small one? I had to take my ball and wash it out because it had so much crap built up in it.


thats the powerball mini...i love the thing...can polish just about anything...

jamed that sucker in there :bigthumb

Jeff88coupe
03-27-2007, 08:46 AM
If you think polishing draglights is bad...try a set of centerline warriors...lots of little grooves/flutes and little acorn caps. Thank god for my mothers powerball. Polishing them by hand is a major PITA.

MrsAPE
03-27-2007, 09:09 AM
i use alan. does a great job! :bigthumb

R825OH
03-27-2007, 10:10 AM
Nice job Ryan !! 85 SS sendem to him !!!

Stangman
03-27-2007, 10:40 AM
I hear ya man, polishing 30 year old aluminum slots that werent polished when they began life makes you want to shoot yourself!!!

85_SS_302_Coupe
03-27-2007, 05:00 PM
I hear ya man, polishing 30 year old aluminum slots that werent polished when they began life makes you want to shoot yourself!!!


Yeah i had some satin finished Centerline Autodrags i wanted to polish...that never happened :lol:

Ryan218
03-27-2007, 08:18 PM
so did you get them done?

Foxxx5oh
03-27-2007, 09:27 PM
my SVO wheels are polished and it is a little easier to keep em lookin good than it was to polis the ones that my 86 had on it...but yeah, once polished, ill not go back, its just a PITA to keep crap off of em...but, they are flat, so a buffer works AWESOMELY!!

Foxxx5oh
03-27-2007, 09:29 PM
and will that extra set of Welds you have work for 5 lug? i may be interested :)

85_SS_302_Coupe
03-28-2007, 05:53 PM
and will that extra set of Welds you have work for 5 lug? i may be interested :)


Unfortunately no, they're 4 lug. I'm trying to find some decent 17s to trade for'em.


And now, i haven't got them done, only one of the back ones. I'll continue on them Thursday.

'92Stang
03-28-2007, 06:39 PM
Hey David, I think we already covered this?? But, would you be interested in any type of trade for the cobras in my sig?? Mike

85_SS_302_Coupe
03-28-2007, 06:48 PM
PM'ed ya :D

85_SS_302_Coupe
03-30-2007, 03:59 PM
Chris you are the MAN! That buffing wheel and Mothers really did the trick. I've spent about 15 minutes on one wheel and as soon as it hits the wheel it starts blingin like crazy. I bought a little 3 inch buffing kit from Harbor Freight and a typical can of Mother's mag wheel polish and it's really doing the job.


Anyone wanna buy a Mother's Powerball? :D $10 and it's yours, hardly ever used...lol

Ryan218
03-30-2007, 04:53 PM
Chris you are the MAN! That buffing wheel and Mothers really did the trick. I've spent about 15 minutes on one wheel and as soon as it hits the wheel it starts blingin like crazy. I bought a little 3 inch buffing kit from Harbor Freight and a typical can of Mother's mag wheel polish and it's really doing the job.


Anyone wanna buy a Mother's Powerball? :D $10 and it's yours, hardly ever used...lol

post some pics up :)
i wanna see..lol

85_SS_302_Coupe
03-30-2007, 06:25 PM
Will do but right now it's too nice to play with a camera :D I'm going for a drive :rockon:

Ryan218
03-30-2007, 07:02 PM
Will do but right now it's too nice to play with a camera :D I'm going for a drive :rockon:

what about a video :lol: im gonna go and try and wire up my radio....BTW leather in the sun= one hot as hell supercoupe lol

85_SS_302_Coupe
03-30-2007, 11:11 PM
Here ya go. Don't mind the center caps or lug nuts....they're getting replaced soon. And the tires haven't been shined up yet ether.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/2/web/626000-626999/626821_135_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/2/web/626000-626999/626821_136_full.jpg

Stangman
03-31-2007, 01:42 AM
I wonder if the buffer trick will shine up my old aluminum slots?? :confused:

JIMS SVT
03-31-2007, 11:29 AM
Yeah i had some satin finished Centerline Autodrags i wanted to polish...that never happened :lol:

Want another set?I know a guy thats wantin to do some tradin on some of those draglights.

85_SS_302_Coupe
03-31-2007, 12:46 PM
Want another set?I know a guy thats wantin to do some tradin on some of those draglights.

Maybe if they're fat/skinnies. The ones i had were 7 inch all the way around. If they're not curbed and dished in the back i might be interested.