Also once the wheels get a bit tired i will get them refurbed in gunmetal as diamond cut wheel are a nightmare to keep.
Good idea!
I really dislike diamond cut alloys and yes, IMO they are a nightmare. I wish manufacturers would stop fitting them, or offer a powder coated alternative as an option to new car buyers.
I had my mk6 GTD from new and two of the diamond cut alloys on my mk6 GTD succumbed to the dreaded white worm corrosion at two and a half years old, in spite of them being cleaned every 1-2 weeks and regularly sealed and waxed, and any stone chip damage repaired as soon as it happened (touched in with lacquer). IMO the disadvantages of diamond cut alloys far outweigh any advantages from an ownership proposition;
Advantages;
- very 'bling' if you like that sort of thing, and they have great showroom appeal, so look good in the showroom.
Disadvantages;
- not suited to the UK winter climate
- fragile finish, which if it becomes damaged can allow the ingress of water below the lacquered surface and the onset of white worm corrosion.
- more expensive to refurb, compared to a powder coated finish.
- can only be refurbished 2-3 times maximum; due to the refurb process (removing a layer of alloy by re-cutting the face of the wheel) any more than 2-3 refurbishments compromise the structural integrity of the wheel.
After the white worm issue, I put a set of anthracite powder coated alloys on my GTD, and within 3-4 months of getting my Polo GTI I took the diamond cut alloys off and replaced them with another set of a anthracite alloys. The diamond cuts will go back on when I eventually sell the car.
One of the members on another forum had the 19" Santiago diamond cut alloys on his mk7 GTI powder coated in anthracite and IMO they looked so much better than the diamond cut finish.
