My father has let his 93 Allante wheels go to long with no cleaing.

Now they have some spots on them that I have trouble getting off. He has no desire to keep them clean himself - thus it falls upon me to keep a nice car nice.

I've tried some wheel cleaners and let them sit for a period........no good.

What can I attempt that will not be too harmful to the wheels themselves?

I'm not sure if I should be posting this in the wheels&tires section or the show&shine/cleaning section........

 

If the surface of the wheels isnt pitted, and you are just talking about discoloration or stains, try Mothers Aluminum wheel polish. Apply generously, and buff off, it will remove most stains (brake dust etc) without harming the finish.

I stay away from the wheel cleaners, as they contain harsh chemicals which often damage the surface of many wheels.

If Mother's doesnt work, you might have to take the wheels to a refinishing place. The factory clearcoat on my old '92 Z28 wheels was flaking off. I got them refinished for $100 per rim, came out looking good as new.

After you get the problem solved, keep the wheels clean, and coated with wax, to protect them from brake dust, and contaminants from the road.