Wednesday 14 January 2015

SSR Hasemi Sport S'5 restoration..

SSR Hasemi Motor Sport S'5
15x6.5" +34
4x100
2/1991

While I already have a nice set of 16" Hasemi Sport S'5's (I wrote about here); I came across this trashed set a while back, and couldnt resist..
Why bother? A set in such poor condition, and what is otherwise a relatively unloved design? Well original 4x100 is rare.. and when wearing a set of 195/50's, these specs work great on the stock AW11 guards!
This is the difference between the *insert far-too-many amount* of wheels I buy because I love them; and the wheels I want to actually use. If I love it as it is, stud pattern and spec is irrelevant; I stick to the very best condition I can find them in. If I plan to put tyres on them, and actually use them..? As long as its not missing a spoke, I'm keen!

These were definitely in that second category...

The listing pictures: 
Flaking paint, rash, dints, and rust; all wrapped in mismatched rock-hard tyres. Nice.
Complete though.. and as I said, those specs..
ooh.. those specs..

Couple pics I took before pulling them apart.

At this point, I wash the hell out of the wheels. This cleans all the parts that need to go off to different people, as well as helps disassembly through 25years of filth..

Faces out. I was doing another set at the same time..

Inner barrels scrubbed clean.

Hasemi Sport S'5 short caps. The colour/decals are obviously specific, but this same cap body gets used on the Bang-Vec wheels, some Hiro, and so on..

All the rear covers removed, and slides out.

Everything is washed thoroughly, and WD40 sprayed into the mechanism to free everything up.

..one cap was sticking though, so needs to come apart for a proper clean.

Locking mechanism pulled apart. I go into a bit of detail on these locks here..

The absolutely tiny springs and magnets. I love these so much..

And all back together again! A lot of parts really need to be re-plated (you can see the corrosion on some of the cap bodies); but I plan to use these wheels.. so just had to be good enough from one step back!

Couple more pics of everything cleaned up.

Faces back from the powder-coater. I've gone with a satin pearl grey..

All the original hardware was re-plated, as well as the crusty lock rear covers.
The bolts were originally a shadow-chrome, but now chrome. It'll look nice against the darker faces...

 Barrels back from the polishers. One wheel has magically re-assembled itself...

Assembly tools...

..and all four done!

Nice contrast between the polish/chrome and the satin faces..

Satin pearl grey; almost a subtle metallic sparkle.. or maybe ISO1600 shenanigans.. haha

Done.

Stoked with how they turned out. Not for so much how they look on their own, but compared to what they were before...
Its nice to give them a new lease on life anyway, from something that was otherwise junk. Interestingly, 100% of the original parts were used - I even had the (obviously crusty) nuts re-zinced! haha..


All good fun. 








3 comments:

  1. Hey, I've been following your blog for sometime now, and I must say what an inspiration, I have a Red AW11 myself, had it for about 9 years and I always look to Lil Red for ideas etc.

    Awesome stuff man.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheers..!
      Love hearing that you've also kept your AW11 all that time.

      Delete
  2. Any interest in selling?

    ReplyDelete