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Gloss level for restoring Gen 1.5 "starfish" alloy wheels?

Discussion in '1st Gen. Tacomas (1995-2004)' started by 4xdog, Mar 29, 2024.

  1. Mar 29, 2024 at 8:09 PM
    #1
    4xdog

    4xdog [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2018
    Member:
    #253074
    Messages:
    1,202
    Gender:
    Male
    Santa Fe, NM
    Vehicle:
    03 DC TRD OR, 15 DC TRD OR, 08 RX350, 62 TR3B
    As my Gen 1 starts to become as much a collectible as a utility vehicle, I'm taking more and more care to keep it nice. It might be a future task to refinish/restore the original 5-spoke alloys on my 2003 DC (which technically are the originals from my 2001).

    That brings a question about "originality", where I don't go crazy but do try to get things as right as one can within reason.

    What was the gloss level on the original "starfish" 5-spoke, 6-lug alloys? As I look at mine and other (very nice) trucks in the Southwest and on BaT, it's pretty clear the wheels didn't have a high gloss when new. Were they satin/semi-gloss? Were they matte/lowest gloss?

    Thanks for any inputs on this --

    (And if anyone has a good RAL number or other powder coat reference to the (warm) shade of silver to match the originals, that would be helpful too.)

    Here are the wheels on my truck. Not bad, but they're showing their Midwestern age.
    [​IMG]

    Here are a few from recent BaT auctions.


    [​IMG]
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  2. Mar 29, 2024 at 8:10 PM
    #2
    fxntime

    fxntime Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2015
    Member:
    #167977
    Messages:
    2,450
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2015 Tacoma off road TRD and 2014 FJC
    Get them bead blasted and powder coated and then sealed.
     
  3. Mar 29, 2024 at 8:15 PM
    #3
    G2.M6

    G2.M6 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2021
    Member:
    #381796
    Messages:
    1,631
    Fort Collins CO
    Vehicle:
    1980 Toyota Truck MT "shifty" 1981 Toyota Truck "little orange" 2023 Solar Octane MT "Solaris"
    A few, mainly added skids. I like leaving the suspension alone. I drive forest service dirt roafs in the desert west extremely extremely too fast. Toyota nailed this suspension going 65 across desert terrain. Changing it is dumb unless you have a specific need like crawling or mud.
    You win for keeping it OEM... I wish my old 91 had OEM rims but surprisingly I'm equally as attached to the period correct 90s race rims which were added about the time the truck was bought. Anyone with a pair of 89-95 let me know.

    20240328_145951.jpg
    20240327_141608.jpg
     

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