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Salt resistance of alloys depends to a greater extent on the type of finish.
Normal BMW alloys for example are heavily paint finished, and unless damaged by kerbing will withstand many years of abuse, even when chipped the paint still adheres well beside the immediate damage.
Many alloys are diamond cut and lacquered, a thin barely there layer, usually giving a sparkly spectrum type of effect in the sunshine, whilst they look very pretty new the lacquer will chip if you look at it too hard, once chipped game over snakes of corrosion creep under the lacquer, all visible, before you know it the wheel's a mess....refurb is the only answer and most people at that point get them powder coated and baked like the Beemer jobbies, get them recut and lacquered they'll be shot again within the year.
The only way to keep them nice is to immediately touch up any scratches, though on lacquered finshes you're fighting a losing battle from day one and unless never used on salty roads a couple or three years between refurbs is about the very best you can expect.
Weekly washing is the only way to keep them nice whatever the finish, using normal car wash chemicals and cleaned often the dirt doesn't get ingrained.
The only way to keep really nice alloys really nice is to keep a manky spare set for winter tyre use....i do, and they last years that way...assuming lady drivers or i don't kerb them..;)
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