I have a 96 XJ6 with the standard wheels and a 97 VDP with the 20 spoke wheels. Both wheels are diamond turned and clear coated. All the wheels have a strange situation. There are very fine scratches that show at certain angles all over the diamond turned faces. I did a 3,2,1 polish with orbital buffer and two coats of a high tech wax. The face is smooth as glass but the scratches seem beneath the surface of the clear coat. I do remember the spare on the 97 was never used and was perfect and didn't have these scratches. It has since been on the ground and has developed them. Am I losing my mind trying to chase these scratches? Any ideas would be helpful.

 

Are you sure it isn't the clear coat itself that is starting to fail?

I have a similar pattern on my 95 Riviera's paint, and it is the color base that has "shattered" under the clear (that series has a known paint issue) and at certain angles looks like someone took steel wool to the finish.

I just picked up a 97 XJR and the wheels are in excellent shape, but I'd like to get them back to near new as well. So I'll look into polishing them as you have with yours.