Our Automotive Blog: Insights and Tips from Metro Wheels & Accessories

by Tim Gowens

Why do some folks have such affinity for the wheels on their car? Why do some people get worked up about whether their wheels look perfect or not? Well, the answer is simple: Alloy wheels are very expensive and, when they look great, so the entire car does. I have seen some BMWs and Porsches that looked really beautiful until I noticed the scratched-up wheels; then the car just looked very used.

That is why in 1989 I started a company called Metro Wheels and Accessories to repair and restore damaged wheels back to a like-new condition. Today, Metro Wheels is one of the largest factory wheel repair and replacement companies in the U.S.

Not long after I graduated from college and had just started my company, I met an old gentleman who formed his own equipment out of parts from old cars – Buick, I believe – that completely restored the wheels back to their factory tolerance. He trained me on his machine; with his help I improved on the concept, making my own.

Using the practical knowledge I'd gained from him, as well as what I already knew, I hired engineers to come up with our current set-up. As a result, our structure repair department is the best in the country. While lots of industry players have created and marketed their own machines, I don't believe they’ve done a better job than what my team and I created years ago. Our motorcycle repair jigs are unlike anything anyone has ever created, and our motorcycle repair department’s ongoing growth is proof positive.

Our past production manager was an industrial engineer from Germany who understands German processing and engineering – he's very, very picky and helped define our processes. The welders are certified TIG welders who know how to properly weld a wheel. Our detail guys know that we expect them to detail a wheel completely when it arrives using a coding system; and our painter is the best we have ever had. Our tire equipment can accommodate sizes up to a 26" wheel. And we can provide high-speed car balancing.

We have worked very hard at getting the correct equipment to do the job right the first time. We use a factory process of powder coating all our wheels with a top-of-the-line clear acrylic, a beautiful material that dries rock hard. Metro Wheels also does brakes, alignments, steel wheel replacement, hubcaps, centercaps, valve stems, lug nuts, lug bolts, and a huge variety of lobby items to make your car smell nice and look great when you leave.

Metro Wheels is truly your one-stop wheel shop and we are eager to help you. We've been in business in Marietta, Georgia, since 1989 and are still going strong.