Please note: Tires should be removed from wheels before restoration is attempted. This will enable you to have access to all surfaces without impediment, and you will be able to inspect, clean, buff and final-coat your wheels much more easily.
1. Clean wheels with Marine Clean (mix 1 part MC to 2 parts hot water). Use a scrub brush to remove dirt and grease from all surfaces. Rinse with water and dry.
2. Remove old clear coat by spraying a thin, covering coat of stripper on the wheel. Wait 15 minutes, then use the plastic scraper in your kit to remove the bubbled coating. Repeat as necessary. Older, thicker coatings may require several sprayings. Then clean the wheel again with MC and use steel wool to remove stubborn remnants of the old coating. Finally, rinse thoroughly with water and dry completely.
3. Refer to (figure 1). Affix buffing wheel in blue-dot package to your electric drill and apply number 80 greaseless compound as shown (figure 2). Your drill should have a capability of 2000RPM. Work small areas at a time and check your work frequently (instruction A). Continue to buff and re-apply compound as needed until all scratches and rough spots are removed. Always clean your buffing wheels between uses because the compounds will harden and be difficult to remove later (see cleaning information B). Put your blue buffing wheel into the blue-dot package after use. Wash wheel with MC, rinse well with water, then dry.
4. Attach the buffing wheel in the green dot package to your drill and continue to buff, using number 220 greaseless compound. Don't mix compounds and wheels, keep them separate. Wash with MC as before. Now repeat this instruction using the red 320 greaseless compound with the buffing wheel in the red-dot package. Continue smoothing and buffing until all scratches and 220 grit marks are gone. Wash again with MC, rinse with water then dry.
Note: At this time, your wheel should have a matte look (dull, like a casting). If you wish to keep it that way, skip ahead to step 7. If you want a highly polished look, continue...
5. If fine scratches or buffing marks remain, repeat step 4. Otherwise continue on....
6. Now apply Artisan Metal Polish following the instructions on the jar. Attach the 6" final buffing wheel (in the yellow dot package) and buff the entire wheel in a north south direction. Next, buff the wheel again in an east west direction (see figure 3). Stop and check your progress frequently. Continue buffing until you achieve a highly polished shine, then apply AP120 Metal Prep, wait 2 minutes (no longer!), rinse off and dry.
7. Clear coating with Glisten PC: Wheel must be dry. Try to work in a dust-free environment; 70oF and low humidity is optimum. Mix Glisten and Hardener as per instructions and wait 1 hour. Apply a full covering coat with a high quality bristle brush; try not to repeat strokes. If spraying, apply in thin covering coats and allow Glisten to flow out between coats. Apply second coat after 15 minutes. You may thin second coat up to 10% to permit it to flow out more easily. To remove imperfections, wait 24 hours, then light sand with med-fine sandpaper and apply another coat. Finally, let wheel cure 72 hours before re-mounting tire on wheel.