Seat Cupra 280 Alloys.

[whiteyrfc92]

Quick question, i recently bought a Cupra 280 and noticed the wheels had been refurbished (powdercoated grey aswell?). At first this didn’t bother me but as time goes on i’m starting to like the original finish a lot more.

Is it possible to have these restored to original factory finish now that they have been painted/coated or would i just have to bite the bullet and buy new ones?

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[Deleted member 103408]

Don't know if you can go back but i changed to the powder coated wheels because the diamond cut finish gets messed up very quickly. There are a few threads on here about the wheels suffering when the finish looks bad and being diamond cut you can only do so many refurbs.

My suggestion would be find another wheel you like but not diamond cut

 

['& Son' managed]

I vote for leaving your grey wheels as they are.
Seem to suit the car's body colour well and it makes them a bit different to any other 280's around.
You could always splash-out a few quid on some new bolt caps to smarten them up more.

 

[whiteyrfc92]

I vote for leaving your grey wheels as they are.
Seem to suit the car's body colour well and it makes them a bit different to any other 280's around.
You could always splash-out a few quid on some new bolt caps to smarten them up more.

I have already replaced the bolt caps, this picture was taken when i bought the car. I have also upgraded the tyres to Michelin Pilosport 4s

Meh, i’l see what else people say but thanks for the feedback!

 

[russbellrfs]

Leave them as is. Anthracite coloured wheels give it that 'track' look. Hides brake dust better too!

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[jezyg]

I like those wheels, nice colour, still hides the dreaded brake dust. goes well with the bodywork colour and as others have said diamond cut alloy wheels are a pain - they can corrode, expensive to refurbish and seem easier to damage.

We have diamond cut wheels on our Tiguan and would not have them again. They have not corroded or been curbed, however the car is only 2.5 years old, but do take more cleaning to stay looking good.

 

[SRGTD]

My vote goes to powder coated finish every time.

You could get them refurbished, but IMO diamond cut finish and the UK’s weather isn’t s good combination, and it’d probably be just a matter of time before white worm corrosion sets in. Consider the negatives of diamond cut alloys;

- the diamond cut finish is quite fragile and nowhere near as durable as a powder coated finish.
- as said above, they’re susceptible to white worm corrosion. A simple stone chip to a wheel’s lacquered face is enough to let water get under the surface of the lacquer,. When this happens, the wheel’s surface under the lacquer takes on a milky white appearance, which ‘creeps’ over face of the wheel, and can only be removed by refurbishing the wheel.
- more expensive to refurbish then a powder coated finish if they become damaged. For a good quality diamond cut refurbishment, you’re probablay looking at £85+ VAT per (18”) wheel.
- there’s s limit to the number of times diamond cut wheels can be refurbished; usually a maximum of twice, as the face of the wheel has to be re-cut on a diamond cutting lathe to remove the damage. This process removes a layer of metal from the wheel, so more two refurbs could compromise the structural integrity of the wheel.
- diamond cut wheels are very easily damaged by poorly maintained tyre changing equipment and/or poorly trained or inexperienced tyre fitters.

@whiteyrfc92; I really like the anthracite coloured powder coated wheels that you’ve posted the picture of. One of the first things I did to my car when I got it was to remove the diamond cut alloys and replace them with a set of anthracite coloured powder coated wheels. That was two years ago and they still look like new. A set of factory fit diamond cut alloys on my previous car (VW Golf) succumbed to white worm corrosion in just over two years, and that was in spite of very regular sealing and waxing, and touching in any stonechip damage with clear lacquer.

Diamond cut wheels have great showroom appeal but IMO that’s about it. I wish manufacturers would stop fitting them!

 

[silles]

what is the standard wheel on the 2018 Cupra 300? diamond cut or powder coated?

 

[SRGTD]

what is the standard wheel on the 2018 Cupra 300? diamond cut or powder coated?

They’re described as 19” ‘Cupra Machined’ on Seat’s website and in the brochure, so they’ll be diamond cut.

The face of the spokes, around the centre bore and around the rim is the diamond cut surface. The recessed sections between the spokes are powder coated. During manufacture, the whole wheel is powder coated, and the powder coating from the face is then removed on a cutting lathe, leaving the exposed alloy. The wheel is then lacquered to protect the surface, but lacquer doesn’t adhere very well to bare metal, which is why diamond cut alloys are prone to white worm corrosion if the lacquered surface is damaged, as water / road salt creeps under the lacquer.

 

[zeffania]

I hear too many horror stories re diamond cut. For me, they look lovely so I would leave, but it is your car. I know the 18s on mine have been diamond cut by another member, they do look good, but with the state of our roads, a stone chip and they are going to start looking a mess

 

[Tara]

I think Diamond cut always look good but need looking after , they are about twice as much to have each wheel done so hence why people pick the cheaper option , I'm not a fan of dark wheels on white cars and like the polished finish but just my opinion.

 

[kiddo]

My cupra 280 diamond cut alloys are approx 30 months old and already suffer badly from lacquer peel. Crap crap crap

 

[SRGTD]

My cupra 280 diamond cut alloys are approx 30 months old and already suffer badly from lacquer peel. Crap crap crap

@kiddo; I agree, they really are crap IMO.

If I was buying a new car and it was fitted with diamond cut alloys, but there was an alternative extra cost option of powder coated alloys, I’d pay the extra and get the powder coated wheels.

I’m OCD with my car and it would really annoy me if my car’s paintwork was spotless and pristine, but the overall appearance was let down by a set of diamond cut alloys with flaky lacquer and the onset of white worm. I’d either get them refurbished in a powder coat finish or buy a new set of powder coated wheels.

 

[whiteyrfc92]

My cupra 280 diamond cut alloys are approx 30 months old and already suffer badly from lacquer peel. Crap crap crap

Can you post a picture mate?

 

[SRGTD]

@whiteyrfc92, a good compromise between between the look of diamond cut and the durability of a powder coated finish is a smoked chrome or black chrome powder coat. Forum member milnei had their Cupra wheels powder coated in black chrome, and IMO the chrome finish looks quite like a diamond cut finish but without the disadvantages;

https://youtu.be/FdDX414_hHs