Is the finish on your F5R hallibrand spinners (knock offs) poorly done?

[Usudno]

So today I got the front suspension hung. When I went to grab a lug to hold on the rotors I looked a little closer at the spinners. The finish on the indented portion of mine is not very nice. It almost looks as if it has overspray on it. I was under the impression that the inside portions were powder coated to match the wheels and the very centers polished. Am I mistaken?? Is this normal? I will snap a picture in the morning.

[CDXXVII]

Yup, Normal. Raw, rough finish. You don't even notice it after a while.

[wareaglescott]

So today I got the front suspension hung. When I went to grab a lug to hold on the rotors I looked a little closer at the spinners. The finish on the indented portion of mine is not very nice. It almost looks as if it has overspray on it. I was under the impression that the inside portions were powder coated to match the wheels and the very centers polished. Am I mistaken?? Is this normal? I will snap a picture in the morning.

Mine look pretty bad also. Thinking of powder coating them. Don't quite understand how such a nice looking wheel comes with such a crappy looking spinner. I'm assuming different suppliers for each part but I wish FFR demanded a little better quality on those.

[Usudno]

I may have them powder coated as well. I will have to match up the color. Any ideas on the color?

[2FAST4U]

Normal

[wareaglescott]

I may have them powder coated as well. I will have to match up the color. Any ideas on the color?

I emailed Courtnie at FFR and asked if they had a color code on the wheels. She said they did not.

[Gumball]

I don't know if I'd call it "poorly done," but rather "unfinished." The raw, rough finish as referred to in one of the posts above is just right if you're doing an old-school build. For those who wish to take it further, the unfinished surface can be prepped and coated as the builder sees fit. Just another example of FFR providing the canvas so that we can produce the work of art.

Here's mine and I think the finish is perfect - it they'd been painted, polished, or powder coated, I would have had to strip them to achieve this patina.

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/IMG_20150801_131238342_HDR_zpsy1clgmuy.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/IMG_20150801_131238342_HDR_zpsy1clgmuy.jpg.html)

Here's an interesting one, though, note the finish on the knock-off (often gold anodized on the original cars) and the patina on the wheel....

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/IMG_20160429_100407826_HDR_zpsccjfyt6l.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/IMG_20160429_100407826_HDR_zpsccjfyt6l.jpg.html)

That wheel is on an original, never restored, one-owner Cobra that I saw while at Cobra Automotive in Wallingford, CT earlier this year..... beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/IMG_20160429_100424593_HDR_zpseqwqcwba.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/IMG_20160429_100424593_HDR_zpseqwqcwba.jpg.html)

[Gumball]

And like Lynn Park ("Mr. Cobra") once said, you can always tell the replicas from the originals, because the replicas are always clean and shiny.

[Jeff Kleiner]

And like Lynn Park ("Mr. Cobra") once said, you can always tell the replicas from the originals, because the replicas are always clean and shiny.

;)

Jeff

[Usudno]

Lol. I guess it can be a form of patina??

Moving on to a solution... I spoke with a family friend that will be painting the car, he told me to bring him a wheel and the 4 spinners and he can match it and get them looking right.

[Gumball]

Close up of mine so that readers can see the as-delivered finish - should have included that above....

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/Graduation/IMG_20150614_173123015_zpsfcp6lvax.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/Graduation/IMG_20150614_173123015_zpsfcp6lvax.jpg.html)

[Usudno]

That's exactly what mine look like.

[j.miller]

They are cast......would take a lot of effort and time to polish the insides.....that cost would have to be past on.

[Usudno]

I don't plan on polishing them. I'm going to have him spray them gray to match the powder coat on the wheels.

[mcwho]

I was thinking of taking my spinner insert (the part that covers the lug nuts) and have lowes or Home depot or ACE hw make me some matching enamel paint. I think I can shine up the rest with a buffing wheel.

I like some shiny bits, especially on the wheels.

[David Hodgkins]

Did someone say "shiny bits"?

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=49174&d=1451252627
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=48501&d=1449847163

I could do this all day people... ;)

Kidding aside, as mentioned they are cast and polishing would only increase the cost, and would really go against the whole "race car" look the originals had. If you want it shiny-shiny just break out the compound and make em shiny. Or powdercoat, as you mentioned.

I love all the different types of cobras we build. Some are raw, which is more original and some love them refined. It's all good.

:)

[Georg]

Just saw an original these days in a private collection. Nice wheels...67802

[Georg]

Another pic[ATTACH]67803

[David Hodgkins]

Another pic[ATTACH]67803

That is one beautiful Cobra!

:)

[wareaglescott]

I had a local wheel guy paint my insets. Subtle but it doesn't bother me anymore.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63573&d=1486063200

[Misterfubar]

Like just about everything else that came with my kit, I was perfectly happy with them until I saw that other people weren't on the forums. Now the finish bugs me.
:D

[wareaglescott]

Like just about everything else that came with my kit, I was perfectly happy with them until I saw that other people weren't on the forums. Now the finish bugs me.
:D

Ha! This statement is a pretty accurate description of the reason behind where a lot of my money has gone.

[AC Bill]

I wonder if they ever made lug nut covers for the 4 bolt wheels?

[hayton55]

Hmmm, I just used the polisher and shined them up to be as bright as the insert; looks really great….. I'll get a picture and post it tomorrow….

[Usudno]

Wareagle, what color did you go with??? My car will hopefully be ready for paint in the next month or so. My sons baseball schedule has taken most weekends away from the car but I did make a promise to the wife to keep all family time first!!! While the car is being painted I plan to get the inserts sprayed and either get some stainless sidepipes or recoat mine.

[wareaglescott]

Wareagle, what color did you go with??? My car will hopefully be ready for paint in the next month or so. My sons baseball schedule has taken most weekends away from the car but I did make a promise to the wife to keep all family time first!!! While the car is being painted I plan to get the inserts sprayed and either get some stainless sidepipes or recoat mine.

Not sure. I gave the wheel guy the knock offs and one of the lug cover pieces that was already colored to match the wheel. He just used that for a color match.

[Avalanche325]

As Gumball showed, the originals were also raw.

1. They were a race car part.
2. They were meant the be regularly be bashed with a hammer.