[GTRSTILL]

Ok, so I have no problem with Enterprising Eastern Europeans coming over here to make a living for themselves and at the same time keep my GTR spotless. They do a great job normally.

However, the other week, I took my GTR to a car place I havent been before. I was sitting inside the motor chatting away to the missus when I noticed that all of the workers were standing together and pointing down at my wheels and making facial expressions which resemble plumbers when you call them out.....

Short of it is..... the wheel cleaner they used had stripped off all of the bronze paint from my TE37s. Well, that is lying, they stripped off about 3/4's of all the paint, so they look even worse.

Can anyone recommend a course forward. They may actually look pretty good with all of the paint removed (nitromoors in other words) or should i get them painted and if so, does anyone know who will paint them???

Advice chaps?

John

 

[Jim27]

Claim on their insurance for a brand new set of wheels.

 

[GTRSTILL]

That was a possibility, but then wouldnt I lose my no claims bonus....

5 years feels like an age

 

[s2gtr]

I was told they are anodised? Which would make painting them a real problem:bawling:

Dave.

 

[GTRSTILL]

Oh really...

So, does that mean I would have to have them powder coated or take them back to silver....

 

[purplepower]

I had the same problem with a set of NISMO LM GT4's recently in Bronze...

After speaking to RAYS, I discovered the finish is indeed anodized so you will be VERY hard pushed to get them refurbed in the same colour / finish.

I ended up getting the wheels powder coated black like the special edition GT4's, and demanded cash from the valeters.

They denied it was them to start with until I started threatening the paper, police & imigration. They ended up giving me £400.00, & I got the wheels refurbished at Lepsons in Gillingham.

It's up to you where you go from here, I would suggest trying to claim through their insurance for a brand new set of wheels. If you can't be arsed with that & are not bothered about changing the colour then get some cash for a refurb

Jay

 

[GTRSTILL]

Firstly... Balls

secondly... I doubt very much they have insurance, I tried to argue it with them, but they tried to tell me that I had painted them myself. I am sure they arent painted, but were on the car when it came off the boat. I really dont think I can get anywhere with them. They will pack up and move on before I get a chance to see any readies. I will take some nitromoors to them tonight to see if I can at least take all of the bronze off.

Roughly speaking... powder coating costs?????

 

[GTRSTILL]

p.s. Thanks for responding Jay...

Nice people on here eh?

 

[Jim27]

That was a possibility, but then wouldnt I lose my no claims bonus....

5 years feels like an age

Don't claim on your insurance - claim on theirs. If your insurance policy is any good you will have legal assistance so contact your insurers and double check that they won't class utilising the legal assistance as a claim (most won't).

We had a client who operates a carwash and a bunch of gypos came in with their pickups and landrovers etc. to get 'em washed. Paid £200 to get 'em all washed and then claimed that their pressure washer had blasted that paint off the loadbed of one of their pickups and claimed £2k for repair. Absolutely nowt the carwash place could do.

Get proof of the replacement cost of the wheel(s) and then present same proof to the owner and just ask the guy for his insurance details - if he refuses to give them to you then advise him that if he hasn't either given you the details or paid you cash for the proven value of the wheels that you will call both the police and the council / immigration service before you even leave their forecourt and report them for everything under the sun.

 

[davewilkins]

Moral of the story.......wash the car yourself

 

[GTRSTILL]

This is true...

Spoke to Pristine Wheels in MK, they will do them for 80 - 90 a corner collected. They wont anodise them but will strip down and paint.

Any suggestions on colour... my car is Silver.... Black.... Silver.... or bronze again...

 

[purplepower]

Lepsons charged £235.00 for all 4. - They will collect within a certain distance too

 

[Jim27]

Get em powder coated, not painted. And like purplepower says - get the valeters to pay!! At the very least force them to up sticks and run away from the immigration/legal issues that will come down on them if they refuse to pay you!! Don't just let 'em get away with it - it'll be some cheap-ass industrial cleaner - probably nitromoors!! - that they were using!!!

 

[Monster]

Don't claim on your insurance - claim on theirs. If your insurance policy is any good you will have legal assistance so contact your insurers and double check that they won't class utilising the legal assistance as a claim (most won't).

We had a client who operates a carwash and a bunch of gypos came in with their pickups and landrovers etc. to get 'em washed. Paid £200 to get 'em all washed and then claimed that their pressure washer had blasted that paint off the loadbed of one of their pickups and claimed £2k for repair. Absolutely nowt the carwash place could do.

Get proof of the replacement cost of the wheel(s) and then present same proof to the owner and just ask the guy for his insurance details - if he refuses to give them to you then advise him that if he hasn't either given you the details or paid you cash for the proven value of the wheels that you will call both the police and the council / immigration service before you even leave their forecourt and report them for everything under the sun.

Good advice! dont try and argue too much, as Albanians wouldnt hesistate in killing you first! Death and Killings is natural for them, they grew up in that enviroment when their country was in cival war.

 

[Jim27]

"Sorry sir - the carwash it temporarily closed whilst we dispose of the body of the customer in front of you. We shall re-open in 5 minutes - please take care not to drive through the growing pool of blood in front of your car. Have a nice day."

 

[GTR_Cymru]

Anodising is a metal surface treatment, not a coating as such.

I don't think you can remove anodising unless you remove a layer of metal.

 

[donk_316]

Hey,
Do you have a pic of your wheels? I have TE37s also and i hate the gold color... What color do they look like when stripped?

 

[RB211]

Anodising is a metal surface treatment, not a coating as such.

I don't think you can remove anodising unless you remove a layer of metal.

Anodising is an oxidic layer a few microns deep into the surface of the metal and can be chemically stripped (especially by certain wheel cleaners) . A lot of places won't lok at anodising wheels because they think they are cast aluminium, not forged. Anodised castings always come out mottled, now matter how good the surface finish is beforehand.

I would speak to George at Talon Engineering and ask him who does their anodising if you wish to return your Volks back to as original.

 

[GTR_Cymru]

Surely you mean that you can strip the colour pigmentation not the oxide itself?
For example, I can't see that a chemical agent will remove "natural" anodising (SAA finish in architectural terms), as there are no added colour pigments.

The oxide layer will always remain, as it is etched into the base metal.

 

[GTR_Cymru]

LHT are probably the largest "architectural" anodisers in the UK, and from memory have a range of about 50 standard colours.

http://www.lhtanodisers.co.uk/index.htm