MerlintheMad
10000 Posts Club!
I'm convinced just by the pics that only the rib is gouged, not the actual structural sidewall/belts. So, even though it has been suggested that you could still go WOT up to the car's maximum speed, if it were my damage, I'd just be careful: wouldn't corner hard to the right (to the point of oversteer or howling tires) and would moderate my straightaway speed (I think I'd put a 130 MPH limit on myself). And definitely I'd get the tires swapped so the damage is inside and out of sight.Thanks to all for comments, suggestions etc so far, really appreciated. One thing with the gouge out of the tyre, I can swap the front tyres around to hide it, but is it worth keeping in easy view to monitor it in case it gets worse though or in theory should it not get worse? Yer, not really up with the tyre biz!
Vis-à-vis repairing the rim: the deepest scratches look (by the pic) to be really down there. I'd sand only far enough to get rid of the upper (shallower) damage, then fill the deepest (remaining) scratches with the right color of rim touchup paint to match the alloy. You won't be able to see it from five, six feet away (that's my benchmark for "perfectionism"
