GT-500 Rims deteriorating

[Rotorhead]

Not sure how many of you took advantage of the Shelby sale of new GT-500 rims and tires that were pulled off brand new 2007/2008 GT-500s that were in the Shelby shop becoming Super Snakes. They were stacked up in a corner until they took up too much room and then sold online. I did...and picked up the full set for $1100 while they still had some to grab in 2008. Already mounted, balanced, and included the TPS! Looked killer, other than dealing with the offset sizing and needing an adjustable panhard bar to get the rear tires to fit in the same track. Over the years...it became apparent that all was not well with the rims, and it began to look like there were little worms moving around under the clear coat. As of today, all 4 rims are getting worse and more unsightly. A local rim refinisher wanted $250-300 per rim to "try" and fix them, with no guarantee, and the local Ford dealer's paint shop advised just buying new rims, as there was some manner of metalurgical rejection going on, possibly some form of iron intrusion into the aluminum during the creation process. They also cautioned that any repair might not fix the rims, as the process might begin anew. As you'd imagine...nobody sells those SVT rims any longer, which in MHO, are the best rims that ever landed on a Mustang. So...great looking rims...crappy finish that may not be fixed. Any others experienced this? Can't imagine a slew of 2007/2008 GT 500 owners that paid premium prices for their cars. not complaining about their rims if this occurred with them.

 

[Robert Larimer]

That is the clear coat deteriorating and allowing the aluminum to oxidize underneath it. Every single clear coated aluminum wheel does it eventually. Some admittedly quicker than others. Google "spidering aluminum wheels" and you will see all brands do it. The easiest cure is painting them silver.

 

[AHaze]

Wheels are a great DIY paint project if you have somewhere you can spray. Redid my '11 GT500 wheels with a cheap gravity feed HVLP after curbing one. Changed the color and went with matte clear. Cost me about $150 and a Saturday afternoon of my time to do all four.

 

[kazman59]

Strip and polish them...

 

[TARA-fied1]

mine did the same thing. I used paint stripper to strip the clear coat. I polished them, painted the cast parts and then clear coated them. Didn't cost much but it was a little work.

 

[Iceman62]

How's that paint hold-up after they've been through a tire changing machine?

 

[TARA-fied1]

How's that paint hold-up after they've been through a tire changing machine?

they held great in the tire machine. I did this a few years ago. One of the rear ones has some places where the clear has come off. I must not have prepped it good enough because the other three still look great.

 

[Robert Larimer]

they held great in the tire machine. I did this a few years ago. One of the rear ones has some places where the clear has come off. I must not have prepped it good enough because the other three still look great.

At least with the silver paint you will not get the corrosion of the aluminium that causes the "spidering" if the clear coat fails.

 

[MasterofDisaster]

I had that on my stock 08 rims. I tried a variety of buffs to take off the clear coat and polish the metal. I sprayed some clear coat them. It looks ok, at least better.
When I have to do it again, I think I'll sand blast them and use some other sort of clear coat.

 

[MrBhp]

I always thought those marks on my wheels were from snails crawling on them when the car is sitting for awhile. Reminds me of a girl friend I had long ago. She had both her legs amputated. Left snail trails everywhere she went.