If you were not at the club meeting last night, you missed an EXCELLENT discussion & presentation by Bob Nelson of how to restore aluminum wheels. I have cut and pasted his hand-out below, which I think you will find to be invaluable should you ever decide to do this yourself. Thanks Bob!!!

Aluminum Wheel Polishing/ Restoration Equipment and Materials:

(1) Dual action sander 6"(DA) Air operated
(2) 320 grit sandpaper (dry)self adhesive 6" for the DA comes in rolls or boxes usually 50 pieces each
(3) 400 grit wet and dry sandpaper two sheets
(4) 600 grit wet and dry sandpaper two sheets
(5) 800 grit wet and dry sand paper two sheets
(6) 1200 grit wet and dry sand paper two sheets
(7) Small bucket with water and sponge
(8) 3M super duty rubbing compound 05954
(9) Electric buffer with 8 " twisted wool compounding pad
(10) Mothers Aluminum Mag polish or other quality brand (Blue Magic etc.)
*Kleen strip brand - Aircraft Paint Remover - blue label quart or gallon

Aluminum Wheel & Polishing Procedure for your Z/ZX:

Depending on the condition of the wheels you are starting with and the style design you will begin with either sanding off the clear coat or using liquid stripper to remove the factory clear coat.

Due to the difficulty in sanding the outer rim and the reliefs with a machine on the 6 spoke 280ZX wheels or wheels with an intricate pattern I suggest using liquid stripper on these types of wheels.

On the factory supplied 300ZX wheels I prefer to machine sand the clear off of the face as they have a very flat surface .The process for polishing aluminum wheels is the same for all Aluminum car parts such as valve covers and Intake plenums.

If you are liquid stripping the best striper I have found is Aircraft stripper made by Kleen Strip. Read and follow all safety instructions on the container.

I put the wheels in individual heavy duty garbage bags, the Contractor bags from Home Depot work best. Apply the stripper with a dollar store bristle brush and let them sit in the sun with the bags closed .After about an hour remove the wheels being careful not to get the stripper on anything (including yourself) and wash with high pressure water (The water neutralizes the stripper). After the wheels have dried the polishing steps are the same as for wheels that will only be sanded, not stripped first.

(1)Begin using the dual action (DA) sander with 320 grit sandpaper removing the clear coat and machining marks from the aluminum wheels .Time and amount of sandpaper used will vary by design and condition of the wheels.

(2) When the entire outer flat surface is sanded smoothly with the 320 (No machine marks or clear coat remaining) wash the wheels with the sponge from the bucket to remove the sanding dust created by the machine sanding and rinse with clean water.

(3)With the wheels rinsed clean, begin sanding with the 400 wet sandpaper (wet) to remove the 320 grit scratches, continue to do this with each finer grit sandpaper, (600,800) up to the 1200 grit level. Remember the better the prep the better the finished product. A quick tip is to add a drop of dishwashing liquid to the wet sanding water to prolong the life of the sandpaper.

(4)Allow the wheels to dry before applying the super duty rubbing compound and machine polishing. Steady pressure working slowly produces the best results.

(5) After machine polishing clean the compound from the relief areas with hot water with a small amount of dish washing liquid (I like DAWN) and a small brush (a stiff bristle tooth brush can be used).

(6) Allow the wheels to dry and apply the Mothers Mag Polish with a soft cloth. .

Depending on if they need it, the reliefs can be painted with Dupli-Color Mag wheel paint. It’s available in aerosol in many colors. I have found it at most Auto zone stores.

By Bob Nelson jellobob777@aol.com 6/2008

Thanks for posting this excellent information. Even if you've done this task many times, a refresher, is never a bad idea. Besides, it makes me feel like i'm at the meetings. To that end i would like to know if anyone has considered, either taking meeting notes, or posting a meeting video for out of town members. Thanks, Dan Linquist