Essex · SS1
Alloy wheel refurbishment in Thorpe Bay
Thorpe Bay is a half-hour away and sends us some of the nicest cars we handle. The wheels tend to be big, diamond-cut and expensive to replace — which is exactly when refinishing makes obvious financial sense. We also see a lot of estuary corrosion from SS1: park within a few hundred yards of the water and the salt gets under the lacquer within a couple of winters, whatever the wheel cost new.
- From Thorpe Bay
- 15 miles
- Drive time
- ~28 min
- Postcodes
- SS1
- From
- £75 / wheel
The run from Thorpe Bay
Through Southend and out on the A127, then the A132 north into Wickford. Roughly twenty-eight minutes.
There is no travel charge and no premium for coming from outside Wickford — the price is the price. If 15 miles is an awkward round trip to do twice, bring the wheels loose instead: four in the back of an estate or a van works perfectly well, and plenty of our Thorpe Bay customers do exactly that.
What we do for Thorpe Bay cars
Everything happens at Unit 40 — nothing is sent away and nothing is subcontracted. That matters most for the two jobs a mobile repairer genuinely cannot do: diamond cutting, which needs a CNC lathe, and crack welding, which needs a TIG set and a pressure test.
- Full refurbishment — chemically stripped to bare metal, repaired, powder coated and oven-cured. From £75 a wheel.
- Diamond cutting — on our own lathe, with a corrosion-inhibiting lacquer. The fix for wheels that have gone cloudy or milky.
- Crack repair — veed out, TIG welded, machined back and pressure-tested. A cracked wheel is an MOT failure.
- Buckle straightening — runout measured, not guessed. This is what that vibration at 60 usually is.
- Caliper painting — calipers off the car, stripped and coated properly. The obvious moment to do it is while the wheels are already off.
- Locking nut removal — no key needed. From £20 per wheel.
We also run the tuning side out of the same unit — Stage 1 remapping written for your exact engine, plus proper DPF and AdBlue diagnosis. Check what your car should make.
Questions from Thorpe Bay
Do you cover Thorpe Bay?
Yes. Thorpe Bay is about 15 miles from our Wickford workshop — roughly 28 minutes. Through Southend and out on the A127, then the A132 north into Wickford. Roughly twenty-eight minutes.
How far is Wheel Masters from Thorpe Bay?
15 miles, around 28 minutes on a normal run. Through Southend and out on the A127, then the A132 north into Wickford. Roughly twenty-eight minutes. We are at Unit 40, Andersons Industrial Estate, Lower Park Road, Wickford, SS12 9EJ.
Can I drop the wheels off without the car?
Yes, and from Thorpe Bay a lot of customers do exactly that — four wheels in the back of an estate saves you doing the drive twice. Just make sure the locking wheel nut key comes with them if you have one.
How much does it cost from Thorpe Bay?
The same as anywhere — from £75 per wheel, with no travel charge. Price moves with wheel size, finish choice and whatever turns up once the old coating is off. We call you before anything changes the number.
Nearby
Thorpe Bay to Wickford — about 28 minutes
Standard powder-coated wheels in by 9am are usually ready the same day. Send a photo first and we will tell you what it needs before you set off.