Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Polishing Ponies? (Read 1225 times) previous topic - next topic

Polishing Ponies?

So I have 2 set of Ponies now so I can finally start my project on them. I want to polish the lip of them and I am getting the spokes painted Black.

My question is HOW?

I think it was Carm who had a thread about restoring ten holes by sanding them while the car was on stands in reverse. Could I do this? the thing that seems like it will be a problem is that the spokes are round were the meet the lip of the rim so the ends of them will be getting sanded too and i wont get the pieces between the spokes.

I hope that mad sense. Any ideas on what would be my best option?
1986 Cougar LS

Polishing Ponies?

Reply #1 –
I'd sand the wheels down and smooth them,polish the lips,then mask the polished lip with thin tape (1/4 inch),then paint the wheels with wheel paint.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Polishing Ponies?

Reply #2 –
grit suggestions?
1986 Cougar LS

Polishing Ponies?

Reply #3 –
This is almost what i am going for. I want to do the whole lip though
1986 Cougar LS

Polishing Ponies?

Reply #4 –
I start smoothing with 220 then work my way up to 2000.Wet sanding of course.The 120 and 220 grits I use dry with a 5 inch sanding disc on a drill when there is a "cast" texture.If the wheel is already smooth,I start with the 220 and wet sand up through the grits until it's nice and mostly shiny,then I hit it with some billet polish.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Polishing Ponies?

Reply #5 –
wet sand my way up to 2000. So should i just do it by hand? I was thinking of rigging something up to an old rotor that will spin it semi slow and hold the sandpaper top the rim.

My main concern is gettin it to look the same everywhere which is what I am worried about on the spaces between the spokes.

I am overall just scared I'm going to screw them up
1986 Cougar LS

Polishing Ponies?

Reply #6 –
I did my intake,alternator,steering pump bracket,valve covers,fabbed an intake plate,and also did a set of snowflakes a year or two ago.Not hard at all,just time consuming.Don't get in a hurry.I do the smoothing with a power tool,then the rest by hand.I keep a bucket of water,the water hose,and a LOT of sandpaper to work with.The lip is the easiest part.It takes a while to get the paint off,but after that,easy stuff.If you have any mild curb rash,get the sanding discs on a 5 inch wheel for the drill (I use 220 for that),and go over the spot back and forth (Don't stop,it'll cause flat spots),until the rash is gone.You can handle it.You just need to take your time.Getting in a hurry will yield py results.You may just amaze yourself.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Polishing Ponies?

Reply #7 –
I would wet sand it all by hand if there isnt any texture to it. If there is little I would just keep with the wet sanding. Polishing will take it out. Just get it down to bare metal and work with finer grits and polish the hell out of it. Polishing takes alot of time, I personally hate it because I have to do it at work after I finish painting a car.

BTW, wanna get rid of a set of ponies??
"Real cars dont power the front wheels, they lift them"
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
1984 Mercury Cougar GS 5.0:cougarsmily: BBK Equal Length Shorties, BBK O/R X-Pipe, Magnaflow Magnapacks, Mustang GT Stainless Tailpipes, 18" Magnaflow Rolled Edge Tips. Turbo Coupe Hood, Mach 1 Chin Spoiler. 17"x9" Cobra R's, Falken Ziex 255/50s, and 245/45s.
1984 Ford Thunderbird 3.8L "Drag Queen"
2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Lone Star Edition 5.7L Hemi 400hp, lex DOD14M Magnaflow retro-fit ler kit

Polishing Ponies?

Reply #8 –
Quote from: cougrrr302;229439
I would wet sand it all by hand if there isnt any texture to it. If there is little I would just keep with the wet sanding. Polishing will take it out. Just get it down to bare metal and work with finer grits and polish the hell out of it. Polishing takes alot of time, I personally hate it because I have to do it at work after I finish painting a car.

BTW, wanna get rid of a set of ponies??


I would love to sell a set
1986 Cougar LS
 

Polishing Ponies?

Reply #9 –
I never saw another set of polished 10 spokes, I did mine on the '85 back in 1997, about once a year I'll take 20-30 minutes and some Mother's Aluminum Polish and retouch by had .... all 4 that is.  Just did it on the 4th of August again. 

I did them the first time after stripping them, then mounting them one at a time on the right rear with no stem, no tire, car on a stand, engine running at idle, trans in D.  Worked them until I had them looking good, then sprayed the primer and paint in holes and recess, then cleaned excess off smooth aluminum.



That picture was taken just a day ago.



I have since done a set of 7 spokes for my'92 Sport as well.



I posted something about them over on tccoa.com sometime past.  Hadn't heard of others doing it yet, but happy to see some have.

Any pics ?????????