Back in the 1960s and '70s, Detroit's Big Three introduced a myriad of sport wheel designs. During this era, the Pontiac Motor Division of GM had some of the most distinctive wheel designs ever seen in the automotive industry.

There is still a living legend with us from that era, which features a wheel structure consisting of a unique "six-sided" cell design. Dubbed the "Honeycomb" wheel, it was the first of its design to ever hit the blacktop. Considered to be state-of-the-art manufacturing technology, the Honeycomb wheel had an outer surface consisting of a polyurethane elastomer that was molded directly to the front of a painted steel wheel backbone.

With the introduction of Pontiac's 1971 models, the optional Honeycomb wheel, also known as the "polycast wheel," made its debut on the Firebird, Trans Am, CTO, Grand Prix and, later, the Grand Am. Although the Honeycomb started slowly in street appeal, the 1974 model year saw production numbers for this wheel soar until it was replaced by the aluminum "snowflake" in 1977.

The rejuvenation of Honeycomb wheels has been a dilemma for Pontiac restorers for quite some time. To begin with, the paint that Pontiac supplied in the late'70s and early'80s wasn't the correct color or texture. In addition, the Ditzler (PPG) Factory Pack was difficult to get and was discontinued in the mid-'805. So what were Pontiac restorers supposed to do! Go to any car show, and you'll note that the color and texture on Honeycomb wheels vary from car to car. Generally, the only finishes available were dull aluminum paint or other concocted coatings on the market that look bogus.

Thanks to the OEM Paints Co., the search is over. Finally, Pontiac restorers can bring those Honeycomb wheels back to life by using OEM Paints' "factory-packaged" aerosol specialty products. OEM Paints Honeycomb Wheel Coating No. 11015 not only has the correct poly fleck, pebble look and sandy feel with a vibrant grain, but also dries fast to a durable, flexible finish.

But OEM Paints didn't stop there. It also manufactures the correct color gray, Inner Rally Wheel Finish No. 12010, which was applied to the steel rim as well as to the backside of all Honeycomb wheels. lust like at the wheel manufacturing plants, this product was developed for maximum adhesion without the use of primers. By using both of these aerosol specialty products from OEM Paints Co., we'll take the mystery out of the refinishing process.

If the polyurethane surface of your Honeycomb wheels is damaged, we recommend using Duramix No. 4039 Flexible Plastic Repair Injection Kit to refinish the substrate. This durable product applies and sets in 60 seconds, sands great, and is easy to prime, seal and paint.

After the flexible plastic has dried, use 3M's No. 02620 "Super-Fine" SoftBack Sanding Sponge to feather-edge the substrate back to the original surface height. Note: We recommend using 3M's SoftBack Sanding Sponge instead of its Scotch-Brite General Purpose Pad No. 07447, because of the uniform grid on the sanding sponge surface.

Follow along as we rejuvenate an original Honeycomb wheel.