cleaning '67 aluminum wheels

[William F.]

What to use to clean the bright parts-rim and fins, of the '67 aluminum wheels and stay with factory appearance? Are aluminum polishes too strong or make them too shiny? Not a lot about this in archives,
.Thanks

[Gene M.]

[Ara G.]

Re: cleaning '67 aluminum wheels

What to use to clean the bright parts-rim and fins, of the '67 aluminum wheels and stay with factory appearance? Are aluminum polishes too strong or make them too shiny? Not a lot about this in archives,
.Thanks

I use OOOO fine steel wool on the chrome facia on the starbursts and they come wonderful. I have used the same stuff on the wheel lips as well and it works well.

[William F.]

Re: cleaning '67 aluminum wheels

Are Corvette aluminum wheels bare aluminum on the bright areas or do they have a coating? Some wheel cleaners say "not for uncoated wheels."

[Mark S.]

Re: cleaning '67 aluminum wheels

Just a side note: most of the good mag and aluminum polishes like Mothers, 3M etc. are not recommended for coated wheels

[William F.]

Re: cleaning '67 aluminum wheels

But I'm asking:
1. Are C2 aluminum wheels bare aluminum without coating or anodizing?
2. Can you use a mag wheel or aluminum "polish' on them without ruining factory appearance- by making too shiny?
Thanks

[Phillip M.]

Re: cleaning '67 aluminum wheels

But I'm asking:
1. Are C2 aluminum wheels bare aluminum without coating or anodizing?
2. Can you use a mag wheel or aluminum "polish' on them without ruining factory appearance- by making too shiny?
Thanks

William,
Using an ohm meter, check for conductivity of the wheel surface. If anodized or clear coated you will not get a reading.
Phil M.

[Duke W.]

Re: cleaning '67 aluminum wheels

There was no coating of any kind on original KOs and early Western repros... don't know about current repros, but I expect they are bare. Cleaners designed for bare aluminum are usually phosphoric acid based and leave a rather dull finish, but you can use metal polish to brighten up the outer machined bead flange.

The wheels came out of the molds bright, but a surface oxide film that forms rapidly will dull them. By the time new Corvettes with KOs reached the dealers, the surface oxide film had probably fully formed.

Duke