Tuesday, November 03, 2015

High Shine

We recently had our wheels polished in Wildwood, Florida.  It's the first time we've ever done this to this truck. It took all day and it's wasn't cheap. For four wheels on the tractor and four wheels on the trailer, it came to $340.00 with tip.

I watched the people polishing the wheels and I have to say, I wouldn't do that job if you paid me four times that amount.

These people, men and women (WTF? What kind of woman wants to do this job??), got filthy doing this job. Absolutely filthy. Their faces looked like coal miners from the early 1900s. Every inch of exposed skin was covered in a dusting of gunmetal gray.

They use a hand-held polishing tool, which is like a drill or a grinder with a polishing pad on it. They put a hard polishing compound to cut the wheel - it kind of takes a layer of aluminum off the wheel - then they buff it with the polishing tool. Their final step is to wipe it down with a rag. 

The guy working on our truck was sitting on milk crates, like the others were, dragging them from wheel to wheel as they made their way around the truck.

They worked hard, and as I said, it took all day. In the end it was worth it because the wheels looked beautiful. And the shine will last for about six months.  The difference really was astounding.  Look at this before and after picture:

With a truck wash and a little tire shine, it'll look brand new. But I think if I had the choice, I wouldn't have it done.  A good truck wash is fine with me, I don't need to ride around in a truck with blinding aluminum and chrome, like the guys in high school who used to bling out their Camaro Irocs.  Sure, it looks nice, but it's not important to me.

Some people do this polishing stuff themselves, both for their own enjoyment and also for entering the Pride & Polish shows - truck beauty pageants.  I'll tell you something right now, this truck will never be in a beauty pageant if it depends on me (or even Ed, I think) to do the polishing ourselves. Absolutely no way. And if this shine wears off in six months, I couldn't care less.

I can think of oh, about a million things I'd rather spend $300.00 on.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2014:
Operating Empty In The Scenic South

2013: The Sun Shines For All Cyclists
2012: Lured Into A Tourist Trap
2011: Dining At The Buckhorn
2010: Ancient Details
2009: Framed By Fake Fall
2008: Let’s Hope This Five Year Old Is As Accurate With His Predictions As He Is With His Aim For The Toilet
2007: Belated Greetings From The Great Pumpkin Pile
2006: Working Man
2005: Black And White

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