Putting a Shine on Dulled Aluminum Car Wheels

I have a well-kept older sports car that is all dressed out with custom accessories and a nice set of factory aluminum wheels. This car is a real head-turner and loads of fun to drive. As usual I was driving way too fast on some mountainous roads and not paying close enough attention, when without warning I hit a pothole that nearly made the false teeth fall out of my mouth. The impact was so hard that it ruined both the tire and wheel on the right front of the car. I think there are probably some other damaged parts as well, but nothing too serious - at least I hope not.

I’m not going to turn this claim in to my insurance company because I don’t want my insurance rates to go up. The tires were weather-cracked and I was planning on replacing them with new ones anyway, so I was prepared for that expense.

As for the wheel, I can save quite a bit of money if I buy a reconditioned wheel instead of a brand new aluminum wheel from a dealer. The company says the reconditioned wheel will be as shiny as a new one, but that’s where I have a problem. If the new wheel is really shiny, it will probably stand out like a sore thumb against the dulled aluminum wheels on the rest of the car. What can I do to make dulled aluminum wheels shiny like new or reconditioned wheels?

Chuck
Charlotte, NC

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