16 replies to this topic

[LX2DR]

Hi Guys looking for a recommended mag wheel repairer in preferably the Northern suburbs of Melb.
Looking at giving my 13" x 6" Cheviot Hustlers a birthday.

 CheviotHustler.JPG   98.98K   1 downloads

[LX2DR]

Thanks Jeff

[LX2DR]

OK, there in to be done.
2 changes, taper inserts (No more mag nuts woohoo!) to be added and satin finish instead of flat so they'll be easier to clean.
I'll put pics when done in about 3 weeks.
By the way told him the recommendation came from you in California, left him scratching his head a little, got me $20.00 a wheel off.

Edited by LX2DR, 29 June 2012 - 04:13 PM.

[LX2DR]

Bit disappointed, went to pick them up and they had been painted full gloss black, looked stupid!!
3 week job now out to ?? weeks while they are stripped and painted agian :(
Rim repairs however looked good:)

[rexy]

Seem like knowledgeable folk when I saw them this week. They have the 15x7 hotwires I got off gene so I guess we will see how they turn out.

[LX2DR]

Only disappointed at the delay and a wasted trip to the shop, so long as they rectify & deliver the goods as expected i will be happy.
One rim had a big nick in it and i couldnt find that repair, so the workmanship looks the goods.
Been dealing with a young guy named Tim, very helpful and understanding of my concern about the paint, jumped on it straight away & just dealt with it
I saw an FC wagon recently with 13x6 hustlers on it, that had been painted full gloss and i didnt like it, so satin was as far from flat as i was prepared to go & satin is on the job card.
I have never spent any real money on mags before, always 2nd hand & hand polished/painted, so i also have a bit of an expectation of something special for my money.

[Ice]

Hey rexy i cant wait to see what those hotwires will turn out like.
cheers gene

[rexy]

Update.
Got the finished wheels back and have pre and post pics attatched.
They look pretty good but I must admit I have a few small issues. Perhaps I am getting unreasonable in my old age...
The rims were polished prior to paint. As a result I had to spend some time cleaning off small areas of overspray. The end result looks less neat than polishing after paint (Wheels Australia method). Some areas inside the spokes have runs and on some paint edges the primer is visible.
Dont get me wrong, from 5 feet away you wont notice but its still less than expected. Wether the paint sticks on better long term than the single coat no primer approach of wheels australia only time will tell.
The colour finish is close but slightly wrong. They should be flat black ( I took a sample rim with me) and are matt black instead.
The finish on the spokes is also noticeably rougher than the others I had done elsewhere.
Again, I am sure no-one but me will notice.

I gather they farm out the polishing and painting at eastern.
I think Wheels australia do more of their stuff inhouse.

So having dealt with two wheel repairers how do they rate comparatively?
Polishing: Eastern 6/10 (let down by spokes in particular), Wheels 8.5/10
Painting: Eastern 4.5/10, Wheels 9/10
Service and advice: Eastern 8/10, wheels 7.5/10
Price: Eastern $150 per rim, Wheels $175 per rim. This was for very good rims not in need of any repair welding or machining.

Both places produced items that needed final hand polishing to get top notch.
Who would I use again if forced to pick? Probably Wheels Australia for a hotwire.

My other advice is to hunt up the very best rims you can to start with. Welds are nearly always visible despite best efforts. The rim edge profile will never be like original if they need work - they end up squaring them off. For the excellent starting base 15x7s I again thank Gene for his assistance.

Attached Files

•  hotwire15x7preandpost 005.jpg   279.31K   1 downloads
•  hotwire15x7preandpost 012.jpg   225.33K   1 downloads

[LX2DR]

Finished, threw one on to see what it looks like, mmmmmm

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•  IMG_3266.jpg   107.6K   1 downloads
•  IMG_3269.jpg   121.87K   1 downloads

[rodomo]

Better than hotwires.........common as bums............everyone's got one

[Ice]

Gee they come up a treat rexy they will look great on the car and yeah i think you start to get fussy the older we get
glad your happy with the hotwires
cheers gene

[rexy]

Examples of the different spoke work and colours.
First two are Eastern Wheelworks and the last is Wheels Australia.

Attached Files

•  hotwires wa and east 002.jpg   96.35K   1 downloads
•  hotwires wa and east 004.jpg   110.17K   1 downloads
•  hotwires wa and east 010.jpg   122.83K   1 downloads