Are GTS wheels clearcoated?

[Saint_Spinner]

Anyone know whether the GTS wheels (I have a '97) came from the factory clearcoated? Mine seem kinda "swirly". I want to polish them, but am not sure what to use....metal polish or swirl mark remover. I don't want to accidently remove the clear coat by using abrasive metal polishers. Thanks folks!

[Randy]

Anyone know whether the GTS wheels (I have a '97) came from the factory clearcoated? Mine seem kinda "swirly". I want to polish them, but am not sure what to use....metal polish or swirl mark remover. I don't want to accidently remove the clear coat by using abrasive metal polishers. Thanks folks!

Just to nit-pick, but GTS and RT's get the same wheels.

I believe someone said they are clear-coated, but you couldn't prove it by me - I've polished marks out of my set of '97 (narrow five-spoke) I use for track tires as well as my set of '00 (wide 5-spokes, with street tires) without any visible transition or difference between the area I polished and the un-polished area, which I would expect if they were clear-coated. However, the polish I used was one safe for clear coats so my experience or lack of transition doesn't really prove anything, so you might try that first anyway...

[plumcrazy]

yes they are clearcoated. if i took a pic of my rear drivers side it would show it starting to peel

[Racer Robbie]

If you take some Mothers Aluminum Polish, not cleaner-polish, and a clean cloth, rub a small area of your clean wheel. If the cloth turns black the the wheels are not clear coated. If the cloth is clean then they are clear coated.
Robbie

[96GTS]

Mine were clear coated, so I stripped and polished them. I used a Mother's Power Ball and was very happy with the results. I actually like washing and polishing my car, but if you don't you might want to have them clear coated after they're polished.

I tried doing the same with the gas cap, but it wouldn't polish to a finish I was happy with, so I got a chrome one. I believe it's cast aluminum like the wheels on the early 1996 Vipers. Later they came with the forged, and it makes all the difference in the world when you're trying to make them really shine.