GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: Sezimodo@gmail.com on 06 September 2022, 21:35
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Hi all,
I have a lovely GTI in Tornado Red with the original wheels. They were restored once before but the guy has now said he can no longer diamond cut them again. Queue many, many hours of cursing my husband who keeps bashing the curb, and because they are flush with the tyres the are buggered.
So...what to do. I cannot justify new originals, and even second hand ones are £250 a corner. The wheel man has suggested he restores them to black, but I just dont know how that will look and if it affects the values more than having a set of aftermarkets on them.
Anyone restored to black?
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Have you considered a new husband?
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How about gunmetal or anthracite finish?
I'm assuming you have the 18 inch Austins? Would look better than black IMO.
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@Sezimodo@gmail.com - Black alloys on a Tornado Red GTI is a combination that works well. However, if your alloys are 18” Austin’s, then IMHO alloys with wide spokes refurbished in black can look a little heavy. Anthracite or smoked chrome might be a better choice of colour.
If you are considering aftermarket alloys, fitting them to an eight year old GTI is unlikely to have much - if any - adverse impact on the car’s value, especially if you go for a set that are in the style of OEM alloys. A website such as www.rimstyle.com has a wide range of different alloys from many manufacturers - many of which are in an OEM style. Another option might be to consider a set of replica alloys (copies of VW alloys). Some forum members have bought replicas of VW alloys from CMWheels (e.g. copies of Pretoria and Reifnitz alloys). A set of four will cost around £500; link to the website; www.cmwheels.com
If you do decide to go for a set of aftermarket alloys, I’d personally avoid anything diamond cut (sometimes also described as ‘machined’ or ‘polished’), otherwise you could end up in the same position that you’re currently in. Also, bear in mind that fitting a set of aftermarket alloys is considered to be a modification for insurance purposes, so you’d need to inform your insurer.
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My car is Tornado red and has fully gloss black Santiago's
I think it looks pretty good.
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My car is Tornado red and has fully gloss black Santiago's
I think it looks pretty good.
Santiago’s have slim spokes, so IMHO would suit gloss back better than wide-spoked Austin’s.
@Sezimodo@gmail.com - a couple of things to consider with gloss black alloys;
- they will show brake dust build up more than alloys finished in a lighter shade
- they’re more susceptible to showing swirl marks and light scratches, even if a safe wash technique is used
It’d be worth doing an internet search on ‘mk7 GTI with black Austin alloys’ (or similar search) as there’s a good chance they’ll be some pictures that’ll help you decide whether or not gloss black Austin alloys are for you. Also worth doing a similar search but substituting ‘black’ with anthracite, gunmetal, smoked chrome or any other colour you think might work well with Tornado Red, as there’s likely to be mk7 GTI owners who’ve have had their Austin alloys refurbished in a various colours over the years.
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Whilst going black or grey would be an option, the next set of kerb rashes will show up even more.
As others have said, black doesn't work so well with wide spokes. I would go for a shiny silver finish. Not only will the colour be a bit more forgiving, lighter coloured wheels look a bit bigger.
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I was thinking of a wheel change recently and noticed painted 7.5 Richmonds for sale on eBay. They had silver, black and gun metal colours. I thought the gun metal looked best. It was either wheelsRus or alloywheelsoutlet. Both are based in around Belfast. I have just looked and they seem to have sold but might be worth revisiting. They were around £400. I know others on eBay are offering refurbished exchange Richmonds and this might be an alternative too.
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I bought my tornado red GTi and the wheels were already gloss black (Austins). My guess is that the previous owner was in a similar situation so got them painted instead of repairing them. I think it looks great and it's pretty easy to touch up with a gloss black touch up pot if you do knock it. Obviously it won't be a nice smooth finish but from a distance you really can't see
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Can you put up a picture?
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Can you put up a picture?
(https://i.ibb.co/FB8hF6g/IMG-8589.jpg)
Not the best picture but you get the idea