I started by hosing off and drying each wheel to remove the dirt. I then sprayed on the Por-Strip paint remover, making sure to cover the entire painted portion, and waited the instructed 15 minutes.I started by hosing off and drying each wheel to remove the dirt. I then sprayed on the Po Recently, when I brought home a well-worn '67 Camaro, I received an added bonus: the late-'60s classic was rolling on a fairly decent set of ET II Uni-Lug wheels that appeared to be in restorable condition. The old five-spokes are growing in popularity and with the release of the American Racing Torque Thrust IIs a few years ago, they seem to be on almost everything. So much so that it is refreshing to see an old-cast-finish set amongst the sea of polished spokes. Once I inspected the wheels closely, I came to the conclusion that they wouldn't be too hard to whip back into shape. I hate paint stripping with a passion but had heard good things about Resto-Motive Laboratories' Por-Strip, so I decided to give it a try. As it turned out, it was the best paint-removing experience I've ever had. If it works on a complete car anything like it did on these wheels, it's well worth the money. Follow along to see how an old, tired set of vintage mags can be made to look like new again. Here's what I was starting out with: The old ET II Uni-Lugs looked bad but, upon closer inspection, were not too beat up. The outer lips hadn't kissed too many curbs, and all four wheels were deemed very salvageable.Here's what I was starting out with: The old ET II Uni-Lugs looked bad but, upon closer in When I returned, I found the paint to be wrinkled and ready for removal. The paint was easily removed with a small, brass brush. The old paint came off in dry sheets with no gooey mess.The paint was easily removed with a small, brass brush. The old paint came off in dry shee Once most of the paint was gone, I neutralized the Por-Strip with a spray of water while I removed the small amount on remaining paint with a scuffy pad.Once most of the paint was gone, I neutralized the Por-Strip with a spray of water while I The ET IIs were a smooth casting and did not have the rough-cast finish of some vintage five-spokes, so they were easily sanded with some 100-grit sandpaper to smooth out any blemishes they suffered from 30 years of use.The ET IIs were a smooth casting and did not have the rough-cast finish of some vintage fi The outer edge of the wheel was carefully masked to avoid any over-spray. After talking to the owner of ET Wheels (they're still in business), he suggested Eastwood Detail Gray as the paint that's closest to the original finish. Several light coats were all that was needed to bring the spokes back to life.The outer edge of the wheel was carefully masked to avoid any over-spray. After talking to The outer rim was cleaned up and polished by jacking up the back of my Monte Carlo and mounting the wheel on the axle. With jackstands in place and the front wheels blocked, I started the car and placed the trans in Drive at idle. The wheels spun as I carefully used sandpaper, a scuffy pad, and a rag with some polishing compound until the rim shined like new.The outer rim was cleaned up and polished by jacking up the back of my Monte Carlo and mou A flat file was all that was needed to remove the sharp edges on the center cap mounting surface. I wanted to ensure that the center caps would sit flush.A flat file was all that was needed to remove the sharp edges on the center cap mounting s We finished off the wheel with new, short aluminum caps from American Racing (the early wheels have a wider cap than the new Torque Thrust IIs). The finished wheel looks great and is ready for plenty more miles, making a period-perfect addition to a classic musclecar. Now all I need are some cheater slicks and I'll be hitting the streets.We finished off the wheel with new, short aluminum caps from American Racing (the early wh SOURCES Resto-motive Laboratories P.O. Box 1235 Morristown NJ 07962 American Racing Equipment 19067 S. Reyes Ave. Rancho Dominguez CA 90221 8-00/-321-5489 Eastwood 263 Shoemaker Road Pottstown PA 19464 1-800-345-1178 www.eastwoodco.com ET Wheels 1965 West 140th St San Leandro CA 94577 Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
