Wheel center cap rehab DIY

Technical Tips, Tricks and Q & A
Post Reply
User avatar
Goose17
Posts: 597
Joined: Sun May 04, 2014 7:22 pm
Location: DFW

Wheel center cap rehab DIY

Post by Goose17 »

I got 8 extra center caps for my car and a set of 4 of them had seen better days, so I tried my luck at a little DIY rehab.

I knew that if I could successfully spin them, they should come out nicely. My 1st attempt involved lots of double sided tape increasing the diameter of my bench-top grinder so I could affix the cap. The first cap came out pretty good, but on the second attempt, the cap came off and went spinning across my workshop!

Plan A:

Image

Plan B... I've got a bench-top belt/disk sander. I removed the belt and the self adhesive sanding disk. I then used 3M automotive double sided tape and stuck the center cap against the 6" sanding disk. This time the tape was on the back side of the center cap versus around the lip. I then spun it up to speed and used 150 grit sandpaper which I held against the cap with a leather glove. The center caps now look much better.

Tape to bond cap to sanding disk:

Image

150 grit:

Image

Cap on top is done. Bottom one is next:

Image

Two done. Middle one untouched yet:

Image

Last cap before:

Image

Last cap after:

Image
'11 GT500 FR750 2.9 Whipple, '04 Mystichrome Terminator vert, '02 Mustang GT, 00R, '93 Cobra #1447, '89 Mustang GT vert.

Image
Mike S.
Posts: 792
Joined: Tue May 01, 2007 12:13 am
Location: Mesa, AZ

Re: Wheel center cap rehab DIY

Post by Mike S. »

Great tip, they look new!
dbrennancobra
Mustang Enthusiast
Posts: 5090
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2009 12:52 pm
Location: New Hampshire

Re: Wheel center cap rehab DIY

Post by dbrennancobra »

Awesome!!!
2004 svt Cobra Mystichrome Convertible STOCK
1967 mustang Coupe STOCK Red/Black - SOLD
1993 Cobra STOCK Red/Black #1264 SOLD
[youtube2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_2pl2ye ... e=youtu.be [/youtube2]
User avatar
escogt
Fox Mustang Enthusiast
Posts: 2468
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 3:32 pm
Location: Long Island, N.Y.
Contact:

Re: Wheel center cap rehab DIY

Post by escogt »

Great work, man!!!
'85GT Bright Atlantic Blue (K7)
'92LX Bimini Blue (K3)
'93COBRA #1521 Teal/Black (RD) SOLD
'93COBRA #163 Black/Gray leather (UA) M.I.A.
Image
User avatar
WillyB93
Moderator
Posts: 4765
Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2010 11:07 pm
Location: IN

Re: Wheel center cap rehab DIY

Post by WillyB93 »

Nice, I have some spares that I need to this to them.
93 Black on black sunroof #1835
04 Comp. Orange Coupe #348
93 Reef Blue SSP LX Coupe (SOLD)
91 Wild Strawberry Coupe (SOLD)
93 Teal and Black #1521 (SOLD)
93 Vibrant Red and Leather #3038 (SOLD)
04 Mystichrome Coupe #529 of #1010 (SOLD)
Post Reply