Restoring older GM Aluminum Wheels

[Highrider]

I know there is a wealth of experience on this site. I have some 15 yr old aluminum wheels ( Corvette and Z71) I know they are coated with some sort of clear coat, that is looking really old and discolored

1. How do you remove the clear coat? Chemical?
2. I assume buffing the exposed aluminum will restore the shine. Correct?
3 What do you use to recoat the wheels with clear coat?

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Highrider

[838stingray]

That happened to my vette wheels when I was a kid with no money, (spending all of it on the vette payment and insurance). There is a clear coat stripper you can use to get them to bare metal. Then use 320 grit sandpaper on a highspeed drill to sand out all of the machine finish on the wheels and buy yourself a good aluminum buffing kit and go to town. Probally will take you a few hours a wheel to finish. One thing I did find out that made the wheels easier to buff was once I got the machine marks out with the 320, I would keep sanding them with finer and finer sandpaper. Litterly my final step would be 1000 grit. Then buff. When your done they will look like chrome. This was all done while the tires were on the wheels so I never re-cleared them afterwards. There are enough polishes now that leave a protective coating once your done that I never needed to clear them. FYI, i got my kit through Eastwood.