Cleaning Borranis

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gsjohnson
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Cleaning Borranis

Post by gsjohnson »

Any tips on cleaning Borranis? I have taken the wheels off of the car, but getting the rim clean where the wires attach to the outer rim are almost impossible to get perfectly cleaned. Of course, access is one of the issues making it difficult, along with years of grime. I spent 2 hours on the first rim last night and I am still not happy with the results, although it is markedly better. Would a dremel with a polishing wheel maybe work? Any help or tricks wouold be appreciated. Thanks
GS
1965 330 GT 2+2 Interim
S/N 6997
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Yale
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Post by Yale »

Child labor (small fingers) is the answer. Best, Yale
Ex - 1964 330GT #6097
1963 Abarth Monomille
1970 Porsche 911S
1974 BMW 2002turbo
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gsjohnson
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Post by gsjohnson »

My finger tips are sore as a full time nose picker. I cut strips of terry cloth to use like a shoe shinner. That helped, but again it was not completely succesful. I then tried a tooth brush with moderate success. I'm now thinking I should buy a hard bristled tooth brush and maybe cut the bristles to a shorter length so it is even stiffer...or has anybody tried the dremel idea?
GS
1965 330 GT 2+2 Interim
S/N 6997
365gtc/4
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Post by 365gtc/4 »

Have you tried a high pressure water cleaner? These can be purchased at a hardware store for $40 and some come with a detergent application system.
Good luck. I just spent 20 hours scrapping off gasket from a C4 engine so I can sympathise.
John
John
Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with Windows.
Deane
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Post by Deane »

I'm not sure but I think a toothbrush will dull a highly polished Borrani. Or at least a toothbrush loaded with wheel dust will.

Hate to get my wheels wet too, don't want to invite rust.
Deane
'67 330GTS (gone but not forgotten)
mdempsey
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Post by mdempsey »

yes it is very easy........slotted wheels. sorry could not resist. I love the slotted wheels.
jcwconsult
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Post by jcwconsult »

Thin strips of durable cloth or shoe laces coated with polish do pretty well, but it takes 5+ hours per wheel for the first cleaning after a long period of just washing the outsides. If you then clean them maybe twice a year, the time frame is reasonable.

For the rims, I bought one of the Mothers foam balls that go on a drill. It works very well.
Jim Walker
365 GT 2+2 #12451
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sam231
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Post by sam231 »

Agree with Jim,

the ball really helps a lot. I use Never Dull which seems to do a great job getting rid of grease and tarnish leaving a decent shine when buffed. I use cloth strips to get between the spokes. I have also used London Metal Polish, but the Never Dull seems to do a better job and is easier to use IMHO.

Sam
'72 365 GTC/4 # 14953; ex-owner 330 GT 2+2 # 8025 :>(
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tyang
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Post by tyang »

All great advice. I feel the toothbrush may do more damage than good. Depending on how dirty and corroded your aluminum is the toothbrush may leave light scratches that will be harder to buff out with the polishing compound. Perhaps wrapping the toothbrush with a soft flannel buffing cloth will help get into the hard to reach areas.

I gave this project several days to complete so my fingers could recover from the pain!

Tom
'63 330 America #5053
matt
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Post by matt »

The best product I have found is Neverdull. It is the softest least abrasive product I have used. I cut cotton t shirts into 12 inch lengths. It took me about 6 hours per wheel. Once they are done, they stay pretty clean(as long as you don't drive the car in the rain). Have fun.
Keith Milne
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Post by Keith Milne »

You may also want to try a product called Luster Lace usually available at your local motorcycle dealer (I use it on my laced aluminum-rimmed motorcycle wheels regularly). Similar to the cotton cloth approach, but the strips are impregnated with metal polish and are quite durable.
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gsjohnson
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Post by gsjohnson »

Okay, I gave up and decided to take the wheels to a polisher to see what kind of results I could get. He quoted me $40 and told me if I wasn't happy with the results, he would not charge me. I went to dismount the tire from the rim and found a tube in the tire (With a steel valve stem). Is this common or a band aid for another problem? I'm interested to see how the rim turns out. I'd pay $40 a rim all day long to not have to do this ever again. lol
GS
1965 330 GT 2+2 Interim
S/N 6997
Steve Meltzer
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Post by Steve Meltzer »

i just bought a new set of Borrani's for the 330 gtc. (arghhh!). Should I not wash them, and hope for the best if it doesn't rain or ??? Back when I had my 911 cars, a product called PS21 (I think) was popular for the Fuchs wheels. Not sure if it's still around. thanx s
steve meltzer,
"I've spent all of my money on wine, a beautiful woman, and stunning cars. Then, squandered the rest."
Rudy van Daalen Wetters
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Post by Rudy van Daalen Wetters »

Steve,

PS 21 is still around, but getting very expensive. Also takes quite
some effort for the best results.

Rudy van Daalen Wetters
1963 GTE s/n 4001
1966 339 GT s/n 8705
Deane
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Post by Deane »

You can always pull the wheels off the car and ask you wife to help you. It worked for me, exactly once anyway.
Deane
'67 330GTS (gone but not forgotten)
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