Getting Alloys Refurbished - What Colour?

[GSM]

Hey guys.

Got the Focus booked in for an alloy wheel refurbishment in 2 weeks time. Got the car in February and it was in mint condition apart from the alloys which were scraped and bashed, and looked like they had suffered some sort of water ingress in behind the lacquer or something...

Anyway, I've been given a choice of 4 colours for the refurbed wheels. Initially I was just going to stick with silver and get them back to basic, but thought I might just be adventurous about it...

The choices are:

Gloss black:

Gloss white:

High power silver:

Gun metal:

At the moment I'm leaning between silver and black... but what do you guys think?

The car is Panther Black btw and looks like this: (the alloy in this pic is actually the best of the 4 and had just been washed, so doesn't look too bad... but trust me, the others are in some mess and really need refurbed!!!)

[salsheikh]

i liked the gun metal

depending on cost of refurb, could you not some different alloys and use the current ones as winter wheels?

[GSM]

i liked the gun metal

depending on cost of refurb, could you not some different alloys and use the current ones as winter wheels?

It's only £200 for the refurb. I've checked almost every month on eBay for replacement alloys at a reasonable price since I bought the car, but have never found anything to suit!

In any case I do really like the style of the Ghia trim alloys, and think the look good on the car. Most of the lowest priced alloys I see on eBay, etc, are ones from the lower trim levels like the Style etc, which are nice, but not my favourite.

I don't want to spend too much on them... after all, they're just wheels at the end of the day.

Plus there's an added benefit of not having to tell the insurer if I refurb them, after all they're still factory standard wheels, just refurbished! And being with Admiral, they like to charge crazy prices for even the smallest of modifications.

Agree with you on the gun metal... it is appealing...

[lazzymonk]

Gun metal all the way

[gforce]

Another vote here for gun metal! Would like to get mine done in something similar in the new year sometime. Like the anthracite, gun-metal, shadow chrome type colours.

Would you not be tempted yourself to wait til Spring for the refurb? I can't seem to keep my car/wheels clean for more than a day or two at the minute, and can't see it getting much better through the winter with gritted and salted roads.

Suppose a new finish, as long as well sealed and lacquered, might actually leave the wheels even more durable to the adverse conditions.

[GSM]

Another vote here for gun metal! Would like to get mine done in something similar in the new year sometime. Like the anthracite, gun-metal, shadow chrome type colours.

Would you not be tempted yourself to wait til Spring for the refurb? I can't seem to keep my car/wheels clean for more than a day or two at the minute, and can't see it getting much better through the winter with gritted and salted roads.

Suppose a new finish, as long as well sealed and lacquered, might actually leave the wheels even more durable to the adverse conditions.

The plan was to get it done after the winter, but the wheel specialist (check them out) sent me an e-mail the other day with their festive deal - £200 for 4 tyres refurbished in one day and a choice of standard finishes. Only £5 per wheel per inch for additional inches of 18" and only £5 per wheel for more sophisticated finishes - I'll have a look at those for consideration when I get there, but will probably just stick with the standard finishes. Being a festive deal, it'll only really count this month, so thought I'd take advantage!

You should check them out if you're interested.

Anyway, whether I get them done now or in spring, they're eventually going to have to brave a Scottish winter... so I suppose the timing doesn't REALLY matter.

[STEADS]

Had wheels refurbed by these guys before top notch you wont be dissapointed work shop is spotless 200 quid thats a cracking deal usually over 3 ton post some pics of the finished wheels

[GSM]

Had wheels refurbed by these guys before top notch you wont be dissapointed work shop is spotless 200 quid thats a cracking deal usually over 3 ton post some pics of the finished wheels

Cheers mate! Good to hear some good crit. for them.

Aye, I got a quote from them back in October and it was a bit steep, so decided to leave it until the spring to save a bit. But when they offered that deal I jumped on it!

Will definitely post them - they'll be done on the 14th, so watch this space after that.

[Stoney871]

Definitely gunmetal.

Stealthy and striking.

[k13r4n]

Gunmetal seems to be the favourite and I also think gunmetal as well

[Brigante]

Only just seen this thread sorry mate

I'd go for white

Just kiddin

Another one for gun metal it is

[salsheikh]

i know what you mean about sub £200 alloys on eBay. now and again they are there to be had as i was after a winter set. i should have kept my 16" st looking ones but i got £300 for them so i sold them!

i take it yours are 5 stud?

[GSM]

i know what you mean about sub £200 alloys on ebay. now and again they are there to be had as i was after a winter set. i should have kept my 16" st looking ones but i got £300 for them so i sold them!

i take it yours are 5 stud?

Yep 5 stud.

Aye, now and again. But most of the time they're pickup only and usually in the South of England or something. Have yet to see a set nearby at a reasonable price.

[salsheikh]

plus you could also take off the cost of selling your alloys if you do buy a replacement set - you can alsoways spray them yourself to tart them up a little 1st!

[gforce]

Yeah I know what you mean mate. It's obviously a quiet time of year for them with people thinking about waiting til Spring so it's good marketing to put an offer out now. Seems too good to turn down anyway, especially given that their reputable as well.

Can't seem to find a reputable and reasonable refurb company over here at all. There's a few people who offer their services, but just not sure about the quality. The one place I have heard that comes highly recommended were looking £115 plus VAT per corner last year to refurb my Mondeo 18s!

The extra £20 might be worth it when you see some of their more sophisticated finishes in the flesh, suppose you won't decide 100% til then. EIther way, I'm pretty envious as I'd love mine refurbed!

[gforce]

I saw on Gumtree last week someone selling a set of steelies with 4 good winter tyres on them for about £150 I think...probably would have had them had they been closer. Given the paint bubbling already apparent on my wheels I'd say they'll be in some state when we get through the winter!

[GSM]

Yeah I know what you mean mate. It's obviously a quiet time of year for them with people thinking about waiting til Spring so it's good marketing to put an offer out now. Seems too good to turn down anyway, especially given that their reputable as well.

Can't seem to find a reputable and reasonable refurb company over here at all. There's a few people who offer their services, but just not sure about the quality. The one place I have heard that comes highly recommended were looking £115 plus VAT per corner last year to refurb my Mondeo 18s!

The extra £20 might be worth it when you see some of their more sophisticated finishes in the flesh, suppose you won't decide 100% til then. EIther way, I'm pretty envious as I'd love mine refurbed!

At that rate you'd be cheaper driving/ferrying over to Glasgow, handing the car in for £200 and spending the day Christmas shopping. Probably cheaper all in!

[gforce]

Haha, I know mate! To be fair, I think that was for the diamond cut finish which was standard, but still, I wasn't for paying it anyway!

[STEADS]

A tip with these guys get a quote and wait they always seem to come back with offers within a week or two if you dont go for the first quote not ripping you they just want your business had my range rover alloys done by them three years ago still like new today

[salsheikh]

ooh, what are they 19/20"? they would fit on the Focus!

[STEADS]

20" i,ll throw the wheels in free if you buy the rest lol

[salsheikh]

ha ha, to the OP:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ford-focus-alloy-wheels-and-tyres-x4-from-2006-/221161943402?pt=UK_CarParts_Acc_Wheels_tyres_Rims_Car_Wheels_ET&hash=item337e47716a

like you said, sadly nothing near you.

[GSM]

I'm gonna take some "before" pictures of all 4 wheels tomorrow morning, just so we can see the comparison in two weeks time.

[GSM]

ha ha, to the OP:

http://www.ebay.co.u...=item337e47716a

like you said, sadly nothing near you.

Couldn't be much further from me!

Yeah, it's a waiting game really. And I'm just bored of waiting. No doubt there'll be a lovely set of Ghia alloys fresh off a 20k miles car 3 streets away from me within minutes of me handing over £200 for the refurb. Such is the law of Sod.

[GSM]

So, just a few days before refurb day on Friday. Here's the before pictures...

As you can see they're a bit of a mess. Car was mint when I bought it apart from these wheels. Seems there's been a few bumps and scrapes which have chipped some of the lacquer away, and then water has gotten in behind the lacquer and given it that awful bubbled/flaky/white/corroded look in places.

At the moment I'm probably leaning towards gun metal since everybody seems to love it so much! Although I'll see what other sophisticated finishes they have and they say it's only an extra £5 per wheel to go for them if I want.