Not for those with weak stomachs...update 5-31-14, pg 7

[clm2112]

Yeah, I still have a pair partially stripped (I guess I better finish it before I leave, Carolyn might need them for a spare pair of tires.)

They are a royal pain to strip. Kleen-Strip will soften the stuff they coated the rim with, but it is a long and laborious task to scrape out every little "spoke" in the pattern so they can take paint.

[BonneMe]

Aircraft stripper is probably the best starting point...

[sandrock]

Tried that. All it did was soften the top layer. Whatever GM used for those wheels was no joke.

[crash93ssei]

If the stuff is that hard I just don't see any reason to remove it.

[MattStrike]

Tried that. All it did was soften the top layer. Whatever GM used for those wheels was no joke.

And yet, salt still gets past that and starts oxidizing them...

[clm2112]

If the stuff is that hard I just don't see any reason to remove it.

Problem is that paint doesn't stick to it very well either. So the paint comes off in splotches letting the ghetto gold show through. It is some sort of epoxy coating and it is really trowel'd on. The machined parts of the rim will shed it easily, but the as-cast surfaces will just hold on for dear life.

Paint stripper will clean it off the machined beads and soften the stuff on the cast surfaces, but it is a long, laborious, slog to clean the casting. What I ended up doing was sitting there for hours with a tiny flat blade and chip it off the casting after it had been softened with stripper. It really reminds me of what Honda used on their motorcycle rims.

[SSEiMan01]

No possibility of a scuff and spray? I am NOT willing to try on the set I have, since they're not clearcoat peelies.

[nos4blood70]

Tried that. All it did was soften the top layer. Whatever GM used for those wheels was no joke.

Even if you let it sit? Good aircraft stripper is no joke either.

[clm2112]

Even if you let it sit? Good aircraft stripper is no joke either.

No joke. It will soften it, but it doesn't break the bond it has on the cast aluminum. Once it re-hardens it will be a bit brittle, so it will chip off the aluminium casting if you pick at it.

As far as scuff and paint, it worked for a little while, but the paint eventually sluffed off. I did a pair each way. The ones stripped to bare aluminum and repainted still look pretty good. The pair I did with just cleaning with acetone and painting got splotchy two years later. Hence the extra pair I need to finish stripping (so my daughter's car will have four good rims to use.)

IIRC, GM didn't actually make those rims, they outsourced them. There is a hallmark cast into the rim that's the makers logo. I'd dearly love to know what the actual coating is on them, it's darn good.

[sandrock]

That's why I stated to look for a pair of 96-up crosslaces that were just cleared. Those are excellent candidates for refinishing.

[jkirby]

are there any final pics of the ssei totally done? also how would one go about taking apart the headlights? what do you need to do to ensure that they dont leak? I have an 01 ssei and am thinking of doing this type of restoration as well. please let me know. thanks.

[crash93ssei]

are there any final pics of the ssei totally done? also how would one go about taking apart the headlights? what do you need to do to ensure that they dont leak? I have an 01 ssei and am thinking of doing this type of restoration as well. please let me know. thanks.

Not sure how I missed this reply...

Anyways, I don't have any final pics of it all done yet as it isn't done yet I have been pretty busy this summer with wedding planning and working on some other projects that I haven't had any time at all to do any more work to this :( Spring time though should be good to finish it up!

[crash93ssei]

Couldn't resist myself with this one, picked up that GXP and the tires are like new Michelin Pilots, the tires on the SSEi are just smoked. One has a broken belt and bounces the car around like crazy, another is almost bald, leaving us with two good ones.

You can see how the inside of the tire is just ugly looking here, the car is going in for an alignment check tomorrow to make sure this won't happen to the good tires if it is an alignment issue.



One good tire from the SSEi, the other good tire has been sitting around now for a couple months on a bad rim that has a crack in it.


These went on.





Looking good now!



More updates to come soon when I swap doors and the passenger side fender on

[Hotwheels]

Looks great! Love those GXP wheels. I'd definitely check out the tie rod ends & ball joints with that alignment check - something's not right if the tires are wearing unevenly.

[nos4blood70]

GXP wheels look so good on the 00-03 style body.

[BonneMe]

Probably have some toe and maybe camber issues.

[2003 SSEi]

Another 03 with GXP wheels.....nice

[crash93ssei]

Probably have some toe and maybe camber issues.

Combination of cheap no name tires (cheap on craigslist almost new) and completely smoked control arm bushings... new control arms just came in today as well as all new pads and rotors from brake motive on ebay. Should help that car out a lot!

[crash93ssei]

Another 03 with GXP wheels.....nice

But mine is way faster, way less stock, and way way less miles..... and I also need to stop dreaming

The GXP wheels just look so amazing!

[crash93ssei]

A few weeks ago I had time to throw on the new control arms, winter tires, new pads and rotors as well as new poly sway bar end links.


























Overall I am extremely happy with these brakes so far, jump on the big pedal and it is like throwing an anchor out, MUCH more responsive at light / medium pedal pressure then any other set of brakes I have ever had. My original control arm bushings actually were not really that bad at all, hardly any play in them and the ball joints were still nice and tight. The car does ride much better now then it did before though, much tighter and overall more responsive, just need a few more things done and it will be good to go! The new tires are excellent in the snow and slush we have had so far, every bit as happy with them as I was with the previous Blizzak WS60s I had for the last five years.