# AK's Custom DP MOTORSPORT AMP's Rebuilt and Polished



## AKdub914 (Jun 15, 2010)

Hello fellow enthusiasts and wheel lovers... I originally had a set of 1 piece 18x8 Kyowa Mesh Zero wheels. I ran those for about two summers with low profile nankang ns2s which fit well but always wanted a wheel that can be adjust and get the perfect fitment for my MKV jetta. I have V2 air management set up so I had to consider either tucking or resting lip to fender, so that was in thought throughout my search. I came across a unique and super rare set of wheels that I've only seen a few other people customize and run on their cars. The wheels are DP Motorsport AMP (DP stands for "Design in Plastics") … and are three piece 17x8.5 with 5x114 lug pattern and 40 hole bolts made in Japan for old school customized Porsches. Unfortunately a limited amount of sets were done and the wheel company is gone so there's no more production for parts and hardware. and knew that I was in for a journey. For the rears i've always wanted to go wider... not crazy wide but just a little more than the front to give the car that aggressive stance. The original setup is 8.5" wide so i wanted to go wider in the rear about an inch or so. I could have ordered a lip to be custom made from Rotiform or one of the newer companies for 3" but i thought that was too much and would ruin my fenders that i just had repaired. After weeks of searching online and using instagram hashtags a pair of 2" original lips surfaced from another buddy with the same wheels but went even wider so i jumped on those. Keeping the fronts at 8.5" wide and bringing the rears to 9.5" was a perfect fit for me. I have them wrapped in 205/45/17 Bridgestone Potenzas with a slight stretch. Here goes my build from start to finish… sorry for pic quality... i used my cell phone most of the time :beer:



when i first picked them up





*Prep and parts list:*
I used a series of wet/dry grit sandpaper starting at 320,800,1000,1500 to 2000.
A electric mouse hand sander with similar option sand paper
Aircraft paint stripper from home depot
Face Inhalation masks Eyewear, rubber gloves, mechanic gloves, tarp, plenty of terry/ microfiber cloths
goo gone
Aluminum cleaner
Mothers billet and Aluminum polish
Blue Magic Metal Polish Cream
Emery bars and a variety of buffing pads and wheels for each step
blood sweat and months sacrificed 


*(Splitting)* breaking down the wheels… marked each one so putting them back together would be easier and no worries about completely throwing off specs and balance. Wheel 1-4 … where they line up at and where the air valve lines up at were all marked. I kept each wheels hardware in separate labeled bags/containers to keep organized and track of all the parts. 



Splitting the wheel lip and Barrel was a tough task because they had never been split for over 17 years. Once split i used a wire brush on a hand held drill to clean the back surface. Wipe em down after


*(Paint Stripping)* took the wheels outside in a little less than 20 degree weather and used the aircraft stripper and a wire brush and plastic to get the paint off. took about 10 mins for the stripper to work and the paint starts shriveling up. but it was so cold it froze sometimes


[URL=http://s1100.photobucket.com/user/raphealcrump/media/09%20vw%20jetta%20se%20Graphite%20Blue%20MKV/AK%20dubs%20wheels%20Project/5485FAF8-35B7-4971-8937-F4D970E46972_zpskrcihfcy.jpg.html]


*(Surface Care)* the faces had the same texture your engine has… so here comes days and hours of hand and machine sanding to get them down to a flat smooth surface with no pitting. The curves in the arches of the Face openings took some tlc where i had to use an angle piece and basically sand paper wrapped around my finger and sanded with a poking in and out twisting motion lol



*(Wet Sanding)* ok now that the surface is smooth to touch and there is no pitting its time to wet sand. starting from the 320 grit to the 2000 grit i wet sanded them till i could almost see my own reflection. Cleaned both my hands and the wheel in between each step. Used clean water each time




*(Polishing time) * 
--Started with a heavy "Blue Jean" wheel pad applying small areas at a time with the Mothers Aluminum Polish and went over the surface in up down … /\ V … side to side … < >… motions until the brushed aluminum (Polish turns black) becomes mirror finish. Wipe surface clean with microfiber towel.. SHINY!!! but not done yet



--Slapped on the larger softer white Spiral sewn wheel on and apply Billet Aluminum polish the same way to the surface and execute the same process. Don't add too much polish or you will get black clump build up. The surface starts to BLING! I used a table lamp at different angles to see if i missed any of the surface and to try to eliminate swirls. Clean your hands and wipe down the surface again



--Used another soft smaller white Spiral Sewn wheel and apply the Blue Magic polish and execute the same steps as above. This time I went back by hand with the Blue Magic on a terry cloth and rubbed to eliminate the swirls the buffer created. This step takes away the shine but you will get that back in the next step. 



--with the softest white Canton Flannel wheel buffer i spun it over the wheels at a high rate just to smooth out the surface and really get rid of any noticeable swirls. When done… wipe em down and admire



(i did the same process with the lips)




*(Center caps)* i drilled a hole just big enough for a 10-32x 3/4" socket cap hex screw will fit in and hold the cap to the face. I had to dremmel about 2mm worth of height off the back of the cap so it sits about flush to the face of the wheel. Replaced the Prime Logo with VW ones since i couldnt get DP logos made in time. They're my custom so why not! quick polish to the caps and good to go




--------------Time to put them back together-------------

Thanks to the fellas at Phantom Autowerke and my Brotha ShadowWabbit for the professional advice and technical help with putting the wheels back together.

Taped off the back of the barrel and lip
wiped em down just to make sure there is no oil or dirt left 
applied moisture resistant silicone with a caulk and smooth with my finger
and let dry over night

took them to Mavis the next day for tire mounting and balance… then back to the shop to put them on the car and add some small camber to the rear. 





The whole process from start to finish took about two months starting January 10th to March 29th 2014. Numerous hours and some good $ invested i can say it was fun and now i can say i know how to build my own wheels now. 



Some sites that really helped with info and process are listed below if anyone wants or needs help:

About DP and other sellers
http://www.1000sel.com/index.php/dp-motorsport
http://www.independentwheel.com/products/dp-motorsport/

Buffing polishing
http://www.caswellplating.com/buffman.htm
this youtube vid basically shows what i did
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H62u543V8Jw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZQb4Tfmxuc&feature=related


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## ShadowWabbit (Aug 16, 2006)

Awesome write up Raph! Wheels came out like mirrors :thumbup::beer: mini-VIP ftw


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## AKdub914 (Jun 15, 2010)

Thanks Bru i had to edit the post and add some credit… you helped alot too man! :thumbup:


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## FLMKVDUB (Nov 11, 2009)

Nice work man, they look good :thumbup: I thought about polishing the faces on my old wheels but wet sanding and polishing the lips was enough for me haha


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## AKdub914 (Jun 15, 2010)

thanks man i appreciate it… it was tedious work… and now i have to tend to them all the time lol. next set down the line will definitely just have polished lips haha


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## ShadowWabbit (Aug 16, 2006)

AKdub914 said:


> thanks man i appreciate it… it was tedious work… and now i have to tend to them all the time lol. next set down the line will definitely just have polished lips haha


You could have them clear coated. It'll loose a bit of shine but you won't have to buff them often.


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## t_red_trek (Nov 14, 2010)

So glad my wheels went to a good home :thumbup::thumbup:


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## gtiftw_eh (Jan 25, 2011)

Awesome work man!!! I know someone that can make custom centercaps for your with DP Motorsports laser etched into it  
He did these for me :thumbup::thumbup:


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## Thatcher (Nov 22, 2001)

Great job! One thing though.. Next time be sure to use an adhesive RTV silicone rather than a normal window / shower silicone.


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## AKdub914 (Jun 15, 2010)

t_red_trek thanks man… theyre my babies lol i polish them after every wash meaning every weekend lol 
@ gtiftw_eh going to pm you thanks for looking out! 
and @Thatcher thanks for the info man.. i may be doing some changes to them next season so ill keep this in mind. was my 1st time building wheels and used info i found online. holding up well so far :beer::beer:


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## filthyillness (Feb 13, 2010)

I have a set of these wheels. Working on doing something similar... Read new post below.


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## 03_uni-B (Sep 6, 2005)

Turned out great :thumbup::thumbup:


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## DUTCHswift (Feb 22, 2012)

:thumbup: Added to The Official Wheel Build Almanac & Reference Thread.



03_uni-B said:


> Turned out great :thumbup::thumbup:


:beer: Good eye Marc.


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## filthyillness (Feb 13, 2010)

I posted before but will repost for assistance.

Who did you have rebuild your AMPs?

Where/who did they get the hardware from?

Was the hardware, from another wheel brand, cross fitted?

Do you know where the DP center cap can be sourced from? Or what other center caps will fit these?

Just trying to think of a few questions that have plagued my mind about these wheels or will in the future. Lol.

Thanks! Wheels look awesome. If I still can't get the info I've been trying to look for for the passed year any time soon then off these go to a professional shop. I'm done looking.


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## AKdub914 (Jun 15, 2010)

@filthyillness if you read through the thread i did them myself by hand in my apartment. i sourced the original hardware and parts from stalking the internet, doing research and finding other people who had the same wheels. all done by hand and from my own efforts. I had the help of the guys at my previous shop phantom autowerk in elmsford NY helping me mount the wheels and adjusting camber correctly. all info is in the build thread man


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## filthyillness (Feb 13, 2010)

Y3ah, I was going over it. Yes the info is there but like you said, you had a lot of help and what not. My best bet is to have them professionally done. Nice wheels though!


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## AKdub914 (Jun 15, 2010)

i had to source everything on my own and until the last few minutes of the build, did everything by myself. if you want it badly enough you can do it, just takes time and effort.. I have faith in you man! cant wait to see what you do with them


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## filthyillness (Feb 13, 2010)

Yeah, I gotchu. Mad props. I'm dropping my set off at Ehrlich Wheel Works in Mooresville, NC. His instagram is full of pics of wheels he's built, owned, for sale, etc... Really good guy and top notch quality work


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