Re -anodising alloy rims

[Orcade-Ian]

Hi folks,
Does anyone know if there are any companies who can re-anodise alloy rims?  It's a silver Takasago rim from an 80's Suzuuki and of course they are unobtainable.  It's not in bad condition - just a few scratches and general marks.  I know chemically it's not just a simple process - they have to know the composition of the alloy I believe.

Ian

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

It's probably of no help Ian, Central Wheel Components send their new rims out to another firm for anodising, I don't know who they use.
A google search revealed a surprisingly large number of anodisers in my area, this firm re-plated my 400 chain guard, they weren't cheap they have been on Abbey Street for decades, they dont list Anodising as a service.

.http://www.derbyplating.co.uk/

[Orcade-Ian]

Thanks Ted,
I've fired a few emails about, so hopefully something will turn up.  I can dress out the marks and blemishes if necessary but I'll not do anything until I know what they want if it's possible to do.
Worst case is that I flat out the marks and then find a passable colour to paint it with - we have a NOS front rim but no rears to be found.
Ian

[mickwinf]

Saw a program on tv about classic car renovation, salvage hunters. They were renovating a NSU RO80 which had a lot of anodised trim.the company stripped the old finish using a strong alkali mixture then polished and re anodised, was expensive though.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I used to sell NSU RO80's when I was a salesman for an Audi Dealership, they were a brilliant car in their day as long as it was not used for short journey commutes.
We had a customer who lived in Birmingham travelling twice a week to Blasckpool & London to empty his one armed bandits. In 18 moths he covered Star Ship mileage without  ever breaking down, by contrast we had owners who rarely did 20 miles a day, they were forever failing to start during a journey stop due to plugs sooting up. At around £20 each new plugs were expensive to change regularly.

[Orcade-Ian]

Thanks Mick,
I hope to get some response from the various emails I've sent out.  I can imagine it won't be cheap but it would spoil it otherwise - some new rims for other bikes are north of £200.  Thinking back to having tried so-called chrome sprays, they don't look like chrome but might be a passable copy for this particular anodised finish.

Ian

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Camcoat did my Comstars in a Satin Silver-Aluminium spray Ceramic finish - £85 plus VAT each.
They do a Ceramic Polished silver  effect as well - out of my budget at £180 plus VAT each.

They do C & D service as well, my Comstars look better than they did but a tad drab, I'll pop a photo up later.

[K2-K6]

Plain / clear anodising shouldn't be too difficult to come across as still alot of window sections for commercial seem to use this.

All of the domestic silver aluminium was of this type before more coatings were available in white etc. Its finding someone with easy availability to help that's probably more difficult.

Hopefully you'll get a response Ian from enquires.

[K2-K6]

I used to sell NSU RO80's when I was a salesman for an Audi Dealership, they were a brilliant car in their day as long as it was not used for short journey commutes.
We had a customer who lived in Birmingham travelling twice a week to Blasckpool & London to empty his one armed bandits. In 18 moths he covered Star Ship mileage without  ever breaking down, by contrast we had owners who rarely did 20 miles a day, they were forever failing to start during a journey stop due to plugs sooting up. At around £20 each new plugs were expensive to change regularly.

Always liked those and how they looked.

They are the fore runner of all the modern Audi saloons too, with 80, 90, 100, 200 A4, 6 8 etc all of the same mechanical principle.  That being front driven wheels with differential in bell housing, engine entirely in front of axle centre. The basis also of their Quattro lineage that adds rear drive to same front layout.
K2 minor recently bought a S8, with entirely aluminium construction, V8 with 5 valve per cylinder heads etc. Amazing design and build quality.

[Laverdaroo]

I used to sell NSU RO80's when I was a salesman for an Audi Dealership, they were a brilliant car in their day as long as it was not used for short journey commutes.
We had a customer who lived in Birmingham travelling twice a week to Blasckpool & London to empty his one armed bandits. In 18 moths he covered Star Ship mileage without  ever breaking down, by contrast we had owners who rarely did 20 miles a day, they were forever failing to start during a journey stop due to plugs sooting up. At around £20 each new plugs were expensive to change regularly.

Always liked those and how they looked.

They are the fore runner of all the modern Audi saloons too, with 80, 90, 100, 200 A4, 6 8 etc all of the same mechanical principle.  That being front driven wheels with differential in bell housing, engine entirely in front of axle centre. The basis also of their Quattro lineage that adds rear drive to same front layout.
K2 minor recently bought a S8, with entirely aluminium construction, V8 with 5 valve per cylinder heads etc. Amazing design and build quality.

Bet that goes like a scalded cat as well doesnt it Nige?

[Laverda Dave]

Wasn't it Yamaha who developed 5 valve head technology and sold the rights on?

Apologies Ian, I dont wish to hijack your thread .  Please let us know who you find that can undertake the re-anodising as it will be useful for those of us with these rims. I had the rims of my 250RSA vapour blasted (I think the original finish was anodised) and in 5 years the finish was fine, never tarnished.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

There are some dark fingermarks from fitting the wheel bearings, this is my rear wheel.
They managed to cover the wheel center & spokes very nicely.

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PXL_20250323_160951938 by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr

[K2-K6]

I used to sell NSU RO80's when I was a salesman for an Audi Dealership, they were a brilliant car in their day as long as it was not used for short journey commutes.
We had a customer who lived in Birmingham travelling twice a week to Blasckpool & London to empty his one armed bandits. In 18 moths he covered Star Ship mileage without  ever breaking down, by contrast we had owners who rarely did 20 miles a day, they were forever failing to start during a journey stop due to plugs sooting up. At around £20 each new plugs were expensive to change regularly.

Always liked those and how they looked.

They are the fore runner of all the modern Audi saloons too, with 80, 90, 100, 200 A4, 6 8 etc all of the same mechanical principle.  That being front driven wheels with differential in bell housing, engine entirely in front of axle centre. The basis also of their Quattro lineage that adds rear drive to same front layout.
K2 minor recently bought a S8, with entirely aluminium construction, V8 with 5 valve per cylinder heads etc. Amazing design and build quality.

Bet that goes like a scalded cat as well doesnt it Nige?

Yup, quite definitely a yeeehaw engine and one of the most bike like I've encountered up close.
4.2 ltr in long stroke, 4 cams, 40 valves .... as soft, polite and benign as you wouldn't believe. Very gentle and quiet, but oh that torque and orchestral hammer blow top end just like a good bike engine, safe to 7,000rpm too. Sounds like a Sir Tom Jones with his nuptials in a vice singing Led Zeplin cover 
22 years old now, ulez compliant and a avg 30mpg on legal speed long run. Quite an epic design.

Apologies to Ian for the mechanical interferance & enthusiasm here.

[K2-K6]

Wasn't it Yamaha who developed 5 valve head technology and sold the rights on?

Apologies Ian, I dont wish to hijack your thread .  Please let us know who you find that can undertake the re-anodising as it will be useful for those of us with these rims. I had the rims of my 250RSA vapour blasted (I think the original finish was anodised) and in 5 years the finish was fine, never tarnished.

Yes Dave, they did it in modern times which many followed with. These are Cosworth development for audi in this iteration. The inlet ports so unrestricted in std production that you can see the piston crown down through the port when inlet valves are open

[Orcade-Ian]

Ted, Camcoat sounds like my best option - very impressed with your result.  It's only a rear rim to be done with nothing too complicated.  I've fired off an email to them too - fingers crossed they can do something.  All this talk about 5 valve heads and stuff reminded me of the 16 valve Lada they were developing back in the 70's - 8 in the engine and 8 in the radio!

Ian