jmsts Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 after reading a post on cadillac site about removing paint from between the spokes of 1997 chrome wheels i decided that i would attempt this as well. i permanetly borrowed some finger nail polish remover from my wife & got started. the process was simple , i just soaked an old rag & let it sit on the paint & after a short time with the same rag & a little elbow grease removed the paint. after removing all the paint i polished the wheel with brasso. the process took about 1 hour per wheel with great results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 These wheels look wonderful with the paint removed! GM shouldn't have spent the money on the paint, in my opinion! Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
an01sts Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 I'd have to see them rolling along side by side, but I think that removing the paint on the painted area will foul up the light pattern casted by the wheels. Has anyone ever noticed the distinct pattern of light that comes from the 00 + STS wheels? There is a huge difference between the pre 00 and post 00 STS's wheels reflect light. Adding shine deep in the wheel could muddy the way they reflect light. I guess the only way to know for sure is to watch one with and one without paint. For now, the paint stays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob_M Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 I thought they looked pretty smooth! I'd just be concerned apout protection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 I'd have to see them rolling along side by side, but I think that removing the paint on the painted area will foul up the light pattern casted by the wheels. Has anyone ever noticed the distinct pattern of light that comes from the 00 + STS wheels? There is a huge difference between the pre 00 and post 00 STS's wheels reflect light. I can't vouch for all, but mine really brightened up. Mine sparkle like diamonds now. Especially when rolling next to another car slowly, like inching up at a stoplight, it looks like a radial light show. These wheels are more sparkly than most new ones. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARK 99STS Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 I agree. Mine are much brighter without the paint. MARK 99STS TURBOCHARGED Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
an01sts Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 But the 00+ STS wheel is a different animal, and there is a huge difference between the way that pre 00 and post 00 wheels reflect light. The 00+ has a peened diamond on each side of the spoke, casting its own highlite, seperate of the rest of the chrome. I don't know what the heck type of light it is, but the streetlights at Ocen City, MD seem to complement all wheels. Often, the wheels appear as if they are rolling backwards, With the 00+ STS wheels, if the car is driving at the right speed, the brilliant chrome part and the peened chrome part rotate in different directions. Sometimes, the brilliant chrome rotates forward and the peened chrome rotats backward and vice versa. Whether it's natural light or artificial light, if you pay close attention, you'll notice that the 00+ wheels cast a much different light pattern than pre 00 wheels. I had a 99 bought just before the 00's, and I was absolutly sick when I saw the 00 wheels. In fact, I considred getting 00 wheels for the car. In addition to the crimson pearl paint, the wheels were a strong driving force, making me decide to upgrade and take a major @$$whuppin on double depreciation between the cars. I cannot attest for the appearance of the pre 00 wheels, but I would have to see a set of 00+ wheels stripped rolling down the road before I would strip mine. I don't mind mods if it makes the car look better. I hacked the baffle plate out of the exaust tips, and it improved the looks. That mod was a no brainer because it is easy to envision debaffled exaust tips--just look at the car in the dark. The wheels, on the other hand, cannot be viewed the same way because there is a huge difference in the way they look when the car is sitting and moving. From that point of view, you would have to see the 00+ wheel stripped and rolling to determine whether it enhances the car or muddies the way they cast light. Because it an action in motion--not sitting for compasison--it would be best if you had a stripped one and a painted on the same side of the car. So who's gonna be a gunia pig and strip one wheel and let the crew watch it drive by? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardio-doc Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 These wheels look wonderful with the paint removed! GM shouldn't have spent the money on the paint, in my opinion! Hi Jason~ Sorry to have to disagree, but it's a smart move for Cadillac to paint those coves. Unfortunately the majority of owners don't care for their wheels the way many enthusiasts around here do, so protection against corrosion in those areas is smart. I've seen (aftermarket) plated wheels that don't have that protection in there. They can start flaking/peeling in just one year. Hope all is well on the domestic front. Take care. ~Doc --- Direct Performance on Ebay CaddyInfo.com Cadillac Conversations Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Sorry to have to disagree, but it's a smart move for Cadillac to paint those coves. Unfortunately the majority of owners don't care for their wheels the way many enthusiasts around here do, so protection against corrosion in those areas is smart. I've seen (aftermarket) plated wheels that don't have that protection in there. They can start flaking/peeling in just one year. Yeah, I yield to your point. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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