Valet Curb Rashed my HREs - took matters into my own hands - DIY

[S6Express]

About a month ago I took a vendor of mine out to dinner. Since he had never been to Miami I figured I would show him the town and took him to dinner at a ritzy place on South Beach. For my troubles I discovered a curb rashed HRE when I pulled into the light of my garage when I got home. I was beyond upset. By now more than an hour has passed and there's no claim I could make to the valet service and South Beach is about 30 minutes from my house. There was no way I could prove they did it. In fact, even if I discovered it at the restaurant there would be no proof.

So I looked online for DIYs on repair of machine faced rims and lips. Some guys used files, other dremmel tools, and one just used wetsand sandpaper. I liked the idea of going with the most subtle approach. I'm fortunate to have clear coat on my wheels instead of a dark or tinted as the first layer to go would be the clear coat. I didn't mind this too much since the valet guy already did a pretty good job of removing the clear coat as well as some forged aluminum. So I taped off, started with 400 grit, then 800, and finally a fine polish with 2000 grit. Once that was done I used polish to re-coat the wheel, at least as best I could without actual clear coat. I'm very happy with the results. The HRE's are brushed by hand before being clear coated at the factory, so being a manual labor job there are inconsistencies in the look of the finish, which add to their beauty IMO. Theses inconsistencies help mask the wetsand job. I think it turned out terrific - for now. If I ever have a catastrophe with one wheel I'll send this one along to HRE to have it re-clearcoated. Complete job took 20 minutes.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k41/ticosolares/IMG_6539.jpg (http://s85.photobucket.com/user/ticosolares/media/IMG_6539.jpg.html)

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k41/ticosolares/IMG_6541.jpg (http://s85.photobucket.com/user/ticosolares/media/IMG_6541.jpg.html)

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k41/ticosolares/IMG_6542.jpg (http://s85.photobucket.com/user/ticosolares/media/IMG_6542.jpg.html)

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k41/ticosolares/IMG_6543.jpg (http://s85.photobucket.com/user/ticosolares/media/IMG_6543.jpg.html)

[S6Express]

You did a great job!

Thanks pandi! I'll sleep better tonight too. That wheel was haunting me.

[MYAUDIS7]

Well done sir! I would of been heated as well. I curbed my black HRE and sent it back to them to recoat. 3 weeks down. So great job...

[Delurker]

Looks good! Well done.

[SLYCAT]

Nice job, no valet next time [:D], slip him a ten and park yourself.

[v8a6]

Amazing job!

[S6Express]

Nice job, no valet next time [:D], slip him a ten and park yourself.

^^This!

Thanks guys.

[Silverarrow240]

Holy guacamole!!! looks brand new!

A+ my man!

[JoeGie]

looks great, must have been nerve racking to take sandpaper to your wheels lol.

[GTS21]

This thread is a rollercoaster of emotion...angry...scared...happy. well done.

[S6Express]

looks great, must have been nerve racking to take sandpaper to your wheels lol.

One of those things that you just close your eyes and hope for the best. Anything would've looked better than the curb rash, it was too hideous not to do something.

[enigma1406]

Holy cow, great job! Are you sure you didn't just drive forward a bit and take a picture of the other side of the rim? [o_o] The first picture was painful but I feel better seeing the end result.

[S6Express]

Holy cow, great job! Are you sure you didn't just drive forward a bit and take a picture of the other side of the rim? [o_o] The first picture was painful but I feel better seeing the end result.

Lol, pretty sure. Thanks man.

[VeryBadman]

Great job, one of the reason no matter how nice the place looks or how compose the valet seems, I can never bring myself to trust them completely.

[S6Express]

You have brushed clear, right? Not brushed tinted clear like Creosti or brushed tinted dark like VVG?

Correct, it's the reason I can get away with this DIY. I have brushed clear. The tint in the brushed dark or dark tinted is in the powder coat, which will go with the sanding.

[agent47]

Any idea if I could follow the same procedure on my stock wheels? Two of those have curb rash ( I am not the convict! )http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/30/6f101e327e34e3b82d04573b25869385.jpg

[S6Express]

Who is your contact @ WB and what offset do you have?

Frank Dutriz
[email protected]
I honestly don't know my offset, but I'll take a look since it's etched on the inside lip.

[S6Express]

Any idea if I could follow the same procedure on my stock wheels? Two of those have curb rash ( I am not the convict! )

Are they clear coated or painted silver? As long as the finish is machined clear, I would say yes. This guy was my inspiration:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01a-P8j3FxU

My DIY went pretty just like his. I added the tape from another DIY I saw.

[S6Express]

Thanks. I text with frank.

Tell him Tico says hello! They not only worked out the wheels, but they removed and powder coated my calipers. The powder finish is so much better than the factory black finish which had become hazy. Now they always look wet.

[S6Express]

you're hijacking your own thread you know...

Lol, I just realized that and edited it. I thought i was I was on the "show me your S6" post for a second there. That's what happens when you come to the office on a slow day like today - your mind skips a few gears from the lack of work. That and I'm still giddy from the wheel turning out so good!

[Audijess1972]

Wow! I know everyone has already said it twice, but excellent effing job, my man! You could have never told me that there was a blemish of any kind had I not seen the before pics.

[Audijess1972]

Can you post a pic or name of the clear coat polish you used?

[S6Express]

Why hijacked? Were you going with a tint? Some designs look better with tint. Either way pulling the trigger on wheels is a huge deal. Good luck pandi.

[S6Express]

Can you post a pic or name of the clear coat polish you used?
Thanks man. I used Griots best in show wax.

[S6Express]

Those are beauties! Did you buy them?

I got home and applied some wheel wax to be on the safe side.

[moosehead1]

Kudos for keeping your cool, and having the balz and skilz to DIY starting with mildest tool first. Well done man!

While most of the planet would file this away as a first world problem, rest assured the AZ bretheren feel your pain and are glad it worked out.

HFNY!

[S6Express]

Kudos for keeping your cool, and having the balz and skilz to DIY starting with mildest tool first. Well done man!

While most of the planet would file this away as a first world problem, rest assured the AZ bretheren feel your pain and are glad it worked out.

HFNY!

Amen brother! We all drink from the same crazy kool aid. Happy new year as well!

[Ensoniq]

I still think I'd call and let the diner know about the valet. Not to look for reimbursement or compensation but just to make sure they got the feedback of what was going on,

If I owned that place I'd want to know

Outstanding repair work and perfect looking Audi

[S6Express]

Thanks again everyone. I got home and decided to apply Wheel Wax for a little extra protection now that there's no clear coat on that section. The repair was good enough that I had to look at my phone pics to see where the rash used to be in relation to the markings on the tire. Once I found it I noticed where I sanded, but without looking for it the marks are not perceptible.

[niklasios]

Where is this place in SOBE? So i'll make sure ill never hand my keys to them, lol

[S6Express]

Where is this place in SOBE? So i'll make sure ill never hand my keys to them, lol

Barton G the restaurant. It was a great place a few years back, but I was disappointed this time - even before the curbing. Never to return again.

You have some serious automobiles man!

[kiku]

Man I read the title of the thread and think there's a video of you tazing the effer who curbed your car!!!!

In any case glad to hear you were able to get it fixed.

[S6Express]

Man I read the title of the thread and think there's a video of you tazing the effer who curbed your car!!!!

In any case glad to hear you were able to get it fixed.

Oh man. That would've been a lot better than my little DIY post! I can see it now: Instructional video on how to pummel curb rashing valets!

[catch]

awesome work! glad it worked out so nicely! Id get them cleared asap, just so the weather dosent hit them