Wheels are an investment in the look of your car and if your car is looking detailed and sharp, make sure your wheels don't detract from that great look. Your aluminum wheels can deteriorate if not kept up and once you learn the tricks for detailing your wheels, they will shine with a minimum of effort on your part.

Before you polish your wheels, they need to be clean. Use a good, sturdy brush and a mild soap to remove the accumulated dirt and grime from not only wheels but your tires as well. If you don't clean your wheels, when you begin polishing, you will be rubbing particles and debris on your wheels and you won't be polishing them, you'll be leaving scratches all over them. After cleaning your wheels dry them completely as a wet surface will interfere with the polishing action of the agent used. Once your wheels are dry, you're ready to polish.

There are two main types of polishes available for aluminum wheels, pastes and liquids. Paste will perform well and liquid polishes will generally give you superior results. Use a clean and dry microfiber towel for polishing. Apply the polish to your towel and then using a circular motion, rub until the area you are working on is completely covered.

Make sure that you apply the polish evenly and work in small areas at a time. Another way to ensure consistency with your look is to always rub in the same direction. You will notice the tarnished areas coming off your wheels and onto your polishing cloth.

Then, let the polish on your wheels dry completely and use a clean, dry microfiber towel to remove the polish. As you remove the polish you will see a beautiful, polished aluminum wheel shining back at you as you remove more and more of the dried polish.

Once you get in the habit of doing your wheels when you detail your ride, you'll find it takes very little time to keep your entire vehicle looking sharp.

Labels: accessories, auto-detailing, car-care, exterior, tires-wheels

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Art cars are a phenomenon that has been sweeping the nation for several years. It was once a way for creative and somewhat esoteric individuals to express themselves, it has now elevated into a true art form. An art car may be painted, have objects glued to it or may be so built over that the car it is constructed from is virtually unrecognizable.

The largest art car gathering in the world takes place in Houston, Texas every spring and is called the "Art Car Weekend" it usually starts on Thursday with a ball that includes everything from fancy dress to barely-there dress and showcases the art car artists and is open to the public. The parade follows two days later on Saturday with prizes given to the best art car to social commentary as decided by a panel of judges. Harrod Blank immortalized art cars in his classic documentary, "Wild Wheels".

Depending on if you want to glue or otherwise attach items to your car you will need to use metal epoxy or even weld items to the vehicle. The number type of paint that is used most often to paint art cars is a type of sign and auto detailing paint called "One Shot".

Before you can start even priming your car for painting though, it has to be absolutely clean. You will need a good cleaner that rinses away clean and leaves no residue or your paint or epoxy may not adhere completely. Most art cars are constructed on older cars that haven't had a lot of love shown to their exteriors, you can use a rubbing compound to fill in the minor scratches and plan on painting or gluing over the major ones to stop the rust from setting up shop.

If you've been looking for a creative outlet - consider making your ride individually "you" - make it an art car!

Labels: auto-detailing, car-care, exterior

posted by Lane's Car Products        Share/Save this Post:   

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