OEM 19" wheels painted, not powdercoated?
05-27-2010, 10:16 AM
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OEM 19" wheels painted, not powdercoated?
Two months in and I'm 99% happy with the car, but I'm noticing a disturbing propensity for scratching in the finish of my wheels. I am not talking about curb rash, these are scratches and chips on the wheel spokes/face from what I'm guessing is bouncing road debris. Both rear wheels have picked up nicks in only 2,000 miles of ordinary commuting on ordinary, paved roads. My OEM 17" WRX wheels looked 100% better after 2,000 miles, so I find it hard to believe a $40k car would have painted wheels, but I suppose that's cost efficiency. 
Looks like I'll have to replace the OEM rollers with something a bit more durable down the road. In the meantime, has anyone found a way to smooth these scratches in order to make them less noticeable? Can I hit them with a 1500 grit wet sand and keep things inconspicuous? Have to admit, I'm not at all impressed with Enkeis in general, which is why I haven't ever bought any of their aftermarket wheels for previous cars.
Does anyone know if the optional 9-spoke, 19" wheel is powdercoated or painted? Who builds the optional wheel? Was thinking about picking up a set of takeoffs, as I kind of like the look, but not the $2200 price from Infiniti/Nissan.
Looks like I'll have to replace the OEM rollers with something a bit more durable down the road. In the meantime, has anyone found a way to smooth these scratches in order to make them less noticeable? Can I hit them with a 1500 grit wet sand and keep things inconspicuous? Have to admit, I'm not at all impressed with Enkeis in general, which is why I haven't ever bought any of their aftermarket wheels for previous cars.
Does anyone know if the optional 9-spoke, 19" wheel is powdercoated or painted? Who builds the optional wheel? Was thinking about picking up a set of takeoffs, as I kind of like the look, but not the $2200 price from Infiniti/Nissan.
05-27-2010, 11:00 PM
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Callaway - I'm thinking this will be an ongoing thing and will eventually escalate to a warranty question. Until then, I'm just wondering if I can do something to hold off the inevitable. Two month driven wheels should not need a visit to a wheel repair shop, whether the car costs $15k or $40k. Paying to repair cheap materials is a no-win endeavor.
SleepyMonkey - time to visit the dealership and get your warranty claim started. That sounds like a definite materials problem.
SleepyMonkey - time to visit the dealership and get your warranty claim started. That sounds like a definite materials problem.
05-28-2010, 12:56 AM
#5
I feel your pain... After five days of having my car, I noticed a spoke from my rear wheel chipped. Possibly road debris or something? I have rims on my other car, so I know the difference between curb rash and what happen to my damn spoke. I just hate the fact this happen to my damn new car!!!!!!!
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