HPH

So, having tried every paint out there and finding only one that's close (enough), it turns out that it really won't work, because clearcoat dissolves it and you wind up with a mess.

Therefore, I called the pros, specifically the Wheel Collision Center (WCC) in Bath, PA [www.wheelcollision.com].

The depressing part is that no one in the US can match the finish on our wheels (the two-piece ones, at least) because the base color contains something (probably lead) that can't be imported. (Audi & Ronal can import the finished wheels, but the paint itself is illegal.)

I didn't ask about places in Canada. For me, shipping wheels to Europe is dumb.

The closest WCC can come is a slightly darker shade which, I was told, would definitely be noticeable if an original and a refinished wheel were on the same side of the car. They also have several other "pretty close" options, ranging from about $135 - $185 per wheel (plus shipping). For this, they take the wheels apart and do it right. HPH

petertt

You are indeed correct. There is something in the paint that Audi uses on our wheels that prevents an exact match in the US. I scuffed my wheel a few weeks back too (see post from 5-3-02) and was told the same thing. The repair facility got very very close in their paint match. The difference is imperceptible to anyone but an **** owner (me), but it was a whole lot less expensive than buying a new wheel (only $90).

The company info is:

WheelWright
3822 Roswell Rd NE
Marietta, GA 30062
Phone: 770-509-7587

Owner's name is George Belden, the work is done by Dave. You can ship them a wheel from anywhere in the US. They also have a website for more info.

Good Luck!

HPH

I was thinking of having all four refinished, so they'd all match. But if you got a "close enough" match from these folks, they're likely to be worth a try. Two's way easier, and cheaper, than four. HPH

JimiRayClapton

Thanks hph. I'm gonna call them too.

JBo_53

I just tried something with my stock AR rims which are scuffed up (mostly from the wheel brushes in car washes and NJ winter roads). If the scuffs aren't too deep, this might be worth the $30 or so instead of $135+ per rim. I did the following:

Started with Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Pro Fine-Cut Cleaner #2 (its designed for rotary buffers but I have had a lot of success doing it by hand on all my cars). Used an old T-Shirt and a liberal amount of the cleaner on two of the worst spokes-- hand buffed w/firm pressure (would definetly recommend a buffer for this) on one spoke for a minute or so and buffed off the haze. Repeated a second time because some of the scuffs were still there. With the exception of one deep mark on the spoke, all the surface scuffs were gone.

Then I took Meguiar's Pro Show Car Glaze #7, went over the cleaned areas, buffed off the haze and applied some good wax.. almost like new. Hopefully this is useful. 8^)

HPH

I'm down to the primer, and the metal in one spot. But I've got a plan. Stay tuned.

JimiRayClapton

Two's fine. Just do the same two on each side.

adam allroad

I've got two wheels (on the same side) - that need some work. I hit a large rock off-roading - they just need cosmetic work... and well, fixrim is in Orange County (not far from me in Los Angeles). Lemme know if anyone's used them and if they're worth my while - i just hate having a car that's 2 months old with scuffed rims.
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adam