Tire Installer Scratched My Wheels! ???
#16
08-01-2006, 11:54 PM
Former Vendor
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Monterey Park, CA
Posts: 2,173
Rep Power: 0 
Originally Posted by Doctor K
Just a suggestion; have Wheel Enhancement do all four wheels. This would avoid a possible slight deviation in color. You may have to pay for the undamaged rims, but thats a lesser evil compared to staring at mismatched wheels.
Glad to see things worked out for you.....
-Eli
#17
08-04-2006, 12:45 AM
Originally Posted by GTThree
Thanks everyone for their suggestions and information. As an update, the wheel repair guy came out today and after discussing the situation with him, he respectably told me that repairing the wheels without stripping them completely wouldn't provide a flawless result. I did have him touch up my BBS RC's on the wife's BMW though and he did an excellent job. But still, nothing I'd feel comfortable with on the GT3. Not that my wife's car is any less worthy, it's just that we are planning to sell it soon.
I contacted Wheel Enhancement who said they could refinish the wheels to an original condition. Apparently, they strip them down to the casting, fix any minor imperfections, respray paint and clear coat and bake them. At this point, I am waiting for a written quote from them to take in along with a written quote from the dealer for two new wheels. That should put the fear into them and make the relatively inexpensive cost of repainting them attractive.
So... I got thinking, why not take this opportunity to do some minor customizing. My ultimate plan is to add the CF RS wing and CF mirrors to my Speed Yellow GT3. As a compliment to those items, I was thinking that black wheels would work well. But, I don't particularly like the all black wheels as seen on the 997 GT3 RS. While it gives it a mean look, it seems to lose some tire/wheel definition... in my opinion. I actually really like the look of the stock wheels so altering these may just be an option. What do you think? Here's what I'm thinking, either a gloss or satin black spoke finish with the rest in the stock silver ala 996 GT3 RS...
I contacted Wheel Enhancement who said they could refinish the wheels to an original condition. Apparently, they strip them down to the casting, fix any minor imperfections, respray paint and clear coat and bake them. At this point, I am waiting for a written quote from them to take in along with a written quote from the dealer for two new wheels.
That should put the fear into them and make the relatively inexpensive cost of repainting them attractive.So... I got thinking, why not take this opportunity to do some minor customizing. My ultimate plan is to add the CF RS wing and CF mirrors to my Speed Yellow GT3. As a compliment to those items, I was thinking that black wheels would work well. But, I don't particularly like the all black wheels as seen on the 997 GT3 RS. While it gives it a mean look, it seems to lose some tire/wheel definition... in my opinion. I actually really like the look of the stock wheels so altering these may just be an option. What do you think? Here's what I'm thinking, either a gloss or satin black spoke finish with the rest in the stock silver ala 996 GT3 RS...
#21
08-07-2006, 07:56 PM
Discount tire will pay for your wheels to get refinished if any damage is done. They have done this for me and friends on more then one occassion with no questions asked.
#22
08-07-2006, 08:10 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: inside someone warm
Posts: 7,059
Rep Power: 380
Nick,
The problem with they refinishing the wheel is that it doesn't always come out perfectly. I got them to pony up for a new wheel which they did without questions asked also.
The problem with they refinishing the wheel is that it doesn't always come out perfectly. I got them to pony up for a new wheel which they did without questions asked also.
#23
08-07-2006, 09:25 PM
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: California
Posts: 47
Rep Power: 23
The "benefit" of a shop that will refinish a wheel if they damage it is less appealing to me than a shop that simply won't damage it to begin with. Either based on their desire to not with the same passion I take for my cars care or by the up-to-date equipment to prevent it in the first place. In my case, I assumed the dealer was directing me to a shop of either or both scenarios... but it was not to be. 
As an update, I decided to polish the areas of the scuffs/scratches. Keep in mind that I have experience doing this sort of job so I felt confident that I could do so without irreversible damage... beyond the initial. The one wheel I was able to remove all signs and returned it to a high luster, original look. I did this with some very light sanding with 600 wet/dry paper and a 90-degree die-grinder with a 4" polishing wheel. I did this with glazing compound and finished it up with a coat of wax. The other wheel I was able to get all but a 3 to 4" very, very faint scratch out. So for now, I think I can live with it as is and will consider the $500. payment from the installer as their penance for being so arrogant and with disregard for my desire to do the job right. Maybe they will do the next customer right. Maybe not. Either way, that customer will not be me.
I don't recall if I mentioned this or not previously but I did spend some time speaking with the service manager at the dealership that referred me to this shop. Basically, to let them know that the shop they were sending their customers to was less than up to standard. Whether that did any good, I don't know but he seemed sincerely concerned.
As an update, I decided to polish the areas of the scuffs/scratches. Keep in mind that I have experience doing this sort of job so I felt confident that I could do so without irreversible damage... beyond the initial. The one wheel I was able to remove all signs and returned it to a high luster, original look. I did this with some very light sanding with 600 wet/dry paper and a 90-degree die-grinder with a 4" polishing wheel. I did this with glazing compound and finished it up with a coat of wax. The other wheel I was able to get all but a 3 to 4" very, very faint scratch out. So for now, I think I can live with it as is and will consider the $500. payment from the installer as their penance for being so arrogant and with disregard for my desire to do the job right. Maybe they will do the next customer right. Maybe not. Either way, that customer will not be me.
I don't recall if I mentioned this or not previously but I did spend some time speaking with the service manager at the dealership that referred me to this shop. Basically, to let them know that the shop they were sending their customers to was less than up to standard. Whether that did any good, I don't know but he seemed sincerely concerned.
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