You know, I admire your hard work, but after doing this for the 5th time in
5 years, I've just taken mine off until the salt and winter are all gone.
:-(
Courtney

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tony Collins" <tonycollin@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2009 12:25 PM
Subject: The rust that almost ate my hubcaps

> So I have steel wheels on my on the Brick. When I bought the Vanagon It
> did
> not have any hubcaps and the rims where the usual black painted ones I was
> looking for more to it. I had the wheels color matched to the body after a
> body shop visit. I topped the wheels with some new baby Moon chromies and
> some beauty rings gifted to me by a member of the Samba.
>
> Since I live in Michigan I knew that the winter would bring salted roads.
> I
> diligently prepared the hubcaps and the rings for the winter by placing
> some
> protecting wax on them, but as of last Saturday that battle seem to have
> been lost. The surface rust on the chrome bits was pretty bad and I
> honestly
> did not think that they would clean up.
>
> Saturday, I got industrious and pulled out some wenol polishing cream, a
> scrubby pad, numerous rags, some super fine steel wool and a great
> polishing
> cloth.
>
> The result is a set of sparkling hubcaps and beauty rings. Mind you they
> are
> not new, but I am very happy with the results. I kick myself for not
> taking
> a side by side picture, but maybe I'll take a shot of the end result.
>
> I can almost feel the winter leaving.
>
> T.
> --
> 82 Scirocco "Rodolfo"
> 85 Vanagon "Blubrik, El Guapo"