Alloy wheel refurbishment in Eastbourne: prices and what's involved

Kerbed, scuffed or corroded alloy wheels are one of the most common cosmetic problems on an otherwise well-kept car, and refurbishment — repairing and refinishing the wheel rather than replacing it — is offered as a named service by six of the twenty-one businesses listed for Eastbourne, Hailsham, Langney, Polegate, Seaford and Hampden Park.

Who offers it

Touch Of Gloss Detailing in Hailsham, run by Lucas since 2009, lists wheel refurbishment alongside its KubeBond ceramic coatings and machine-polished paint correction, and works on everything from family hatchbacks to prestige and classic cars. CPC Detailing, mobile from the Dukes Drive area, offers alloy wheel restoration alongside brake calliper painting and stone chip repair. Drop Dead Details and The Features Club, both based in Langney, and Aysar Car Care on Hailsham High Street and SJW Exclusive Car Care off Decoy Drive all list alloy wheel restoration within a wider valeting and protection menu that also covers ceramic coating and, in most cases, PPF.

What the work involves

None of the six publishes a breakdown of its refurbishment process locally, but alloy refurbishment generally covers repairing kerb damage and scuffs, addressing corrosion or lacquer peel, and refinishing the wheel's paint or diamond-cut face so it matches the others on the car. It is a different job from a quick cosmetic touch-up: a proper refurbishment usually means the wheel comes off the car, is stripped back, repaired and resprayed or re-lacquered, rather than being polished in place.

What it costs

None of the six publishes a fixed price for alloy refurbishment locally, so expect a quote based on the wheel size, the extent of the damage and whether all four wheels need doing or just one that has been kerbed. Diamond-cut finishes and larger wheels typically take longer to refinish correctly than a standard painted alloy, which is usually reflected in the quote.

Why it's usually bundled with other protection work

All six businesses that offer alloy refurbishment here also offer ceramic coating, and five of the six — all but Touch Of Gloss Detailing — offer PPF too. That pattern is not a coincidence: refurbishing a wheel and then protecting the paintwork around it is a natural single visit for anyone tidying up a car's overall look, rather than two separate trips to two separate specialists. See our ceramic coating and PPF guides for the paintwork side of the same protective work.

Questions worth asking before you book

• Whether the wheel is refurbished on the car or removed first — off-car refurbishment usually gives a better, longer-lasting finish because the whole wheel can be stripped and refinished evenly.
• Whether the quote covers one wheel or a full set, and whether there's a discount for doing all four together.
• Whether they can match a diamond-cut or unusual factory finish, since not every refurbisher has the equipment for diamond cutting specifically.
• Whether the business is mobile or needs the car brought in — CPC Detailing works mobile, where Touch Of Gloss Detailing, Drop Dead Details, The Features Club, Aysar Car Care and SJW Exclusive Car Care are fixed-premises businesses.

See the full Eastbourne detailer directory for prices, opening hours and every business mentioned here.