Newbie Questions!

[Fummins]

I don’t think we have brown bears. Black and grizzlys where we go. I don’t know which is more likely to attack. I’d be more worried about a grizzly. Was told to punch a black bear in the nose if your in that position lol

They had pretty big ass coyotes in the field across from my old work. They’re around the city too, read they were weirdo cross bread with wolves. I saw one last winter in town tracking a rabbit through a townhouse complex.

[dspace9]

I saw a coyote walk right down my street at 3 AM last week.

[newtomit]

We have a lot of possums here One time I saw 3 coytoes while hiking near the Hollywood sign.

[newtomit]

I'm guessing that's just the original coating coming off exposing the raw aluminum underneath. Someone probably got those wheels/tires at a discount tire place because they were an inexpensive package deal.

It doesn't look like the tire is rubbing anything on the inside...so that's good. Sooner or later maybe we'll figure out what the exact size/offset of those wheels is. You're a good tester for the rest of the forum for 17" wheels. Very few people are running those on a Mirage.

Should I leave the coating to come off by itself, or remove it myself? It seems weird to me that the black coating outside looks fine but the aluminum is all scratched up

[dspace9]

We have a lot of possums here One time I saw 3 coytoes while hiking near the Hollywood sign.

I like that story. Goes to show nature evolves with the different environments. For me I see a lot of skunks, and rabbits, but I'm not sure if these types of wild rabbits were brought over from Europe or not.

[Loren]

Should I leave the coating to come off by itself, or remove it myself? It seems weird to me that the black coating outside looks fine but the aluminum is all scratched up

Seems very likely that someone probably "plasti-dipped" those wheels to make them look better. It's popular vs. paint because it goes on easy, and can be peeled off fairly easy. But, it does just as you describe.

If you're up for all the work involved, the best thing to do would be to peel off all of the plasti-dip, scuff up the finish on the wheels, and then put some actual paint on them that will stick and last a lot longer.

[newtomit]

Seems very likely that someone probably "plasti-dipped" those wheels to make them look better. It's popular vs. paint because it goes on easy, and can be peeled off fairly easy. But, it does just as you describe.

If you're up for all the work involved, the best thing to do would be to peel off all of the plasti-dip, scuff up the finish on the wheels, and then put some actual paint on them that will stick and last a lot longer.

Thanks! I'm just gonna leave them be for now and let the coating wear off by itself. I might swap the tires and wheels for the factory size one day so no need to make them look better. I definitely feel like I got scammed with the wheels though. They looked to be in good shape at the dealership and that's one of the reasons I purchased the car. I have a feeling the finish underneath is very beat up.

[Mark]

Thanks! I'm just gonna leave them be for now and let the coating wear off by itself. I might swap the tires and wheels for the factory size one day so no need to make them look better. I definitely feel like I got scammed with the wheels though. They looked to be in good shape at the dealership and that's one of the reasons I purchased the car. I have a feeling the finish underneath is very beat up.

You didn't get scammed. The previous owner of your Mirage most likely changed wheels on your Mirage. I doubt a dealer would put oversized tires on a Mirage.

[newtomit]

You didn't get scammed. The previous owner of your Mirage most likely changed wheels on your Mirage. I doubt a dealer would put oversized tires on a Mirage.

Oh, I didn't mean the size. I know that's not the dealer. What I meant was the dealer (or the auction house) plasti-dipped the rims to make them look in good shape but in reality they're all scratched up underneath the coating. And I'm pretty sure they did because the peeling is happening on all the wheels now after only 1 week of having the car

Another thing, I did not get a genuine Mitsubishi key. It doesn't feel "official" without one lol. They installed an alarm system that I don't think came with the model, so that's a plus.

[Dirk Diggler]

Oh, I didn't mean the size. I know that's not the dealer. What I meant was the dealer (or the auction house) plasti-dipped the rims to make them look in good shape but in reality they're all scratched up underneath the coating. And I'm pretty sure they did because the peeling is happening on all the wheels now after only 1 week of having the car

Another thing, I did not get a genuine Mitsubishi key. It doesn't feel "official" without one lol. They installed an alarm system that I don't think came with the model, so that's a plus.

Did they give you 2 sets of keys? I had to fight for that at my Mitsu dealership. If the keyless entry works fine I'd wouldn't worry about it looking janky.