When I do a car I just about always strive to do it to as high a level as possible (2+ or 1). Which has always meant having Harvey do the wheels as his craftsmanship is impeccable. Having Harvey as the default meant that I have never really researched the differences between the various wheel refinishers. However, my present project is a '68 911L Soft Window Targa that I'm taking to a driver (3) level. Which means I'm trying to stay within a budget. I was curious why the cost varies so much from vendor to vendor and I decided to do a bit of research. Here is what I have found out so far

o Harvey Weidman
Cost: $275 per wheel + $25 for special stem
Turnaround: Varies, but can be long
Harvey's process takes over twice as long as his competitors. His quality is show level and second to none.

o Al Reed
Cost: $140 per wheel
Turnaround: 4 weeks
Al's process is simpler than Harvey's. For example, painting is done with spray cans. His finished product does not have the "frosted lip" that Harvey's does. His quality is perhaps more suitable for a nice driver as opposed to high-end show.

o Wheel Enhancement
Cost: $200 per wheel
Turnaround: 2 weeks
Wheel Enhancement acts as the middleman and does not do any of the work themselves - they farm it out to other shops. Quality level similar to Al's.

Perhaps other listers can add information.

Cheers,
JohnA