67 rallye wheel trim rings

[Barbara S.]

I'm at the point in my restoration when I need to make some decisions about the trim rings for my '67 rallye wheels. I have all 4 original trim rings, but they do have the normal scrapes. They are not real serious scrapes, but they are there. Is there a restorer out there for these trim rings? If not, how do the new replacement rings hold up in judging? I know that the replacement rings don't have the four clips in back.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Tony

[Stephen L.]

Re: 67 rallye wheel trim rings

You'll lose points for originality. The service replacements with 4 clips oriented away from the valve stem hole will also lose points......

Have you tried buffing them on a buffing wheel using Stainless Steel buffing compound? You might be able to restore them yourself...

[Wayne K.]

Re: 67 rallye wheel trim rings

Tony,

If your originals are functinal I would for sure have them cleaned up. You need to find someone that does metal polishing and can remove any dents if you have any. If you just have scratches and scuffs you will be pleased with the results. Good luck.

Wayne

[Joe R.]

Re: 67 rallye wheel trim rings

Hi Tony:

I had my original trim rings restored by Steven Grace in Fall River, MA (Brightworks Restorations, 508-672-5931). My trim rings were only in fair condition when I sent them, but I was very satisfied with the results. I know two other people who were similarly satisfied with the job Steve did on their trim rings.

Steve has a special tool that allows him to get behind the inner steel band and work out dents in the rim without removing the steel band. I believe that some restoration shops actually remove the steel bands during restoration, which makes the process more expensive but could theoretically yield a better end result. However, my trim rings came out fine and I am very happy with them.

By the way, I also had Steve restore two of my center caps. At the time I felt that the other two were in poor enough condition that I should just replace them with reproductions. While the reproductions look fine, they don't fit as securely in the wheel, so I'm reluctant to drive with them on the car. In hindsight, I wish I had sent all four caps to Steve and let him decide whether they were restorable.

[Barbara S.]

Re: 67 rallye wheel trim rings

Thanks Joe. What kind of restoration costs should I expect to pay?
Tony

[Joe R.]

Re: 67 rallye wheel trim rings

Hi Tony:

I honestly don't recall what the cost was for the trim rings. Steve did four trim rings, two center caps, and my distributer shield for a total of about $400. All items came out well. His prices may be different now, so you should probably call him for a current quote.