Re: Visit to Dutch Continental tyre importer

[tnas@dtpdirect.nl (Tom Nas, DTP Direct bv)]

Kirby Smith wrote:

>>>>Centra has just introduced a new kind of alloy wheel. It's a
>>multi-spoke type wheel of a beautiful smooth design, polished to a
>>high gloss that's been finished by spraying it with a semi-transparent
>>lacquer with black paint added. (snip)
>
>Tom:  Could the wheel have been first painted glossy black and then
>clear coated, perhaps with a flat clearcoat, or was the clearcoat
>itself definitely semitransparent.  Was there gloss deep inside or on
>the surface of the paint.  Was the paint specular or diffuse (flat).
>It should not be difficult to duplicate (approximately) this finish if
>its construction process is determined (given wheels feasible to
>polish, which excludes my basket weaves).

No, it was definately semi-transparent, glossy all the way. Very
distinctive. I know this for a fact, because the guy told us it was done
that way. You know the glass paint they sometimes use for tinting? This is
semi-transparent, adding just a hint of colour. That's the way these wheels
were done. It suited the type of wheel very well. Wonder how it holds up to
brake dust/kerb damage/stick-on balancing weights...
>
>>>>After a video and a presentation, the guy from Conti asked the
>>people present what their opinion of Conti tyres was. <<
>
>I tried several brands of M+S tires on my 1980 Scirocco, and Contis
>were the worst of the batch.  The best were Kleber, but they seem to
>have disappeared from the US market.

I agree. I ran Contis on my previous 1980 Jetta, because a. they were given
to me free of charge, b. on this kind of indifferent suspension good tyres
would be a waste of money and c. the car only cost me $285 to buy, so it
would be easy to buy tyres more expensive than the car itself, which I
found stupid for a car with only light use. Their only redeeming feature
was that they didn't seem to wear despite my tyre-smoking,
handbrake-turning hooligan antics. Great fun in the snow with zero grip,
too.
>
>>Tom
>(my Audi 80 1.8S once out-accelerated an F-16 :-) )<<
>
>(On behalf of Lockheed Martin Corp., I have to ask:  Was the F-16
>taxiing, or parked?)

An Airfix kit, actually. Not even assembled. :-)

Tom
1988 80 1.8S

 _______________________________________________________________________
   Tom W. Nas, graphic design                        tnas@dtpdirect.nl
   DTP Direct bv                              Voice +31 (55) 5 790 799
   Apeldoorn, the Netherlands                   Fax +31 (55) 5 790 125

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