So I just got new rims installed on my Sunlight Silver, I got the factory Dark Chrome ones off ebay for $899 for a set of 4. Looked awesome!!!! I put some Avon Tech m550 tires on, stock size, and the ride/handling is way better than stock. Sooooo quiet!!!

However, murphy's law has hit me big time. Less than two days after getting them installed, I curbed one on the passenger rear because one of the concrete curb sections was protruding about 4 inches further out than the one in front of it. Its not too noticable, but I see it every time I look at it. This is the first time I have hit a curb in my RX-8 - all the cosmetic damage to the rims I took off was pre-existing when I bought it, except the marks around the lug nuts.

So my question is this: does anyone know if it is possible to get dark chrome replated, and if its more or less than new ($390 plus shipping I think from rosenthal.) Or, is there a cheap temporary fix I can do to make it less noticable, such as maybe cleaning and dremeling it very carefully, shining the natural metal behind the plating to blend it in? The rash is about 3 1/2 inches long, but seems to be no deeper than the thickness of the plating, and is about 1/16th to 1/8th inch wide at the widest point. I'm sure most people wouldn't see it until I point it out but its ugly and makes me sick, having it happen in the first two days!!! I'm kicking myself now for not ordering the 245/30/18 tires to get a little more protection for my rims and better footing. But with my luck, the wider tire would have picked up a nail on my way out of the shop, a nail that the narrower tire drove harmlessly bye, missing it by 1/32 of an inch.

I was looking at vht's epoxy chrome finish, do you think maybe very carefully masking around the scar, and smoothing it out, then spray 1 or two coats of this on may bring up the shine enough that its not noticable from more than 3 feet away? Anyone have any luck with anything like this?

 

Dark chrome... That's a hard one. I use to work in a plating shop. i don't think you can repair it.

But maybe the technology has changed.

Goodluck. Call a plating shop in your area and talk with the lab technician.

 

Here's some pics of the new rims - you can see the damage to the one rim in the closeup - not noticable in the full pic.

 

get an angle grinder and sand it smooth ( take out ridges ) and wet sand it and polish it up.

 

All I can see is the edge. That's an easy fix, but you won't be able to get it dark chrome.

You can get a high polish on it.

Oh, I wouldn't use an angle grinder unless your mechanicaly inclined. You'll hit the tire and makit look bad or damage it.

 

as long as I can get it to the point that I don't notice it as much and it blends in pretty good I'll be happy. It just sucks that it happend less than 2 days after I had them put on!

 

That Aint **** Compared To Mine

 

Damn dude, is that all from you parking or did you lend it out to a friend?

A quick tip for parking the 8 I learned early: you have power mirrors, tilt the mirror down on the side you're parking on, and back into the space - parallel parking - this way you can ensure that you're always far enough away from the curb.

 

The worst one I have seen.

 

big ouch

 

well it's too late for you now, but in the future when you buy bling-bling wheels you might want to consider using tires that have rim protector beads

 

Woah...wasn't it O'Reily who said Murphy was an optomist?

 

ouch, i hate when i get curb rash, the last wheel i had on my other cars was horible, nothing compared to either of those!

 

damn i would be in tears.....personally the dark chrome might not be the best idea for a diy because of the finish....one mistake could make it horribly worse....try and get a specialist to look at it if your that ****.....you think your kicking yourself now but what if you make it worse?....i know im super careful with my dark chromes and i do the mirror trick too

 

You might be able to get it polished out, at least it wouldn't be as noticeble.