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Thread: Painting Rims

  1. #1

    Default Painting Rims

    Story behind the rims.

    I’ve had a spare set of Sparco Racing rims sitting under my house for almost three years. The front and rear RHS rims were damaged when a kerb lost control around a roundabout and ran into my parked car......I was like ?? Anyway, the rims were staggered , 8” from and 9” rears, so I couldn’t do much with the undamaged LHS ones but just to hold on to the whole set. A few months back I got myself some track tires because the Federals I had were melting after two laps at QR and chunks the size of 5 cent coin were being torn off it! Which means I needed a set of track rims to accommodate!!!! Funding prevented me from getting a set of GL57s so was forced to resurrect the old faithful.

    The rims were fixed by Mike Warner Wheels up the sunny coast. Very nice guys and always up for a good chat.

    After Kerb running into me




    Now, this is the first time I’ve ever tried painting rims and I only had a rough idea what I was doing. These are the steps which made sense to me so if anyone who knows better please let me and everyone else know.

    Oh, another thing, this took me about 3-4 weekends and copious amounts of beer. Armthehomless can voucher for that..... Kept asking me whenever he came around “You still painting the bloody rims??”. So allow yourself plenty of time and to gain about 2-3 kgs around the gut area.

    Cost : Off memory I spent close to $120 in paint...... can’t remember due to the amounts of beer and about $200 to fix the two rims.

    Materials: I used VHT wheel paint. You can get it at the usual outlets. Etch primer, masking tape and sandpaper, from coarse to wet and dry.

    STEP 1 : PERPETRATION

    Perpetration is the MOST important part of the job. If you stuff this up, you’ll never get a good finish. You want it to be clean and free of dirt and grease. Metho or turps is good for this. You need to rough the surface for the prime to bite.

    Sending back the clear coat.



    STEP 2 : Prime
    Make sure etch primer is used and not normal primer. I did about 3-4 coats, very thin coats every time. It also helps if the rim is hot. If your rim fits in your oven, give it a short bake, I just relied on the sun.

    Follow the instruction on the can, i think waited around 2 beers in between coats. More beer is required if the suns not out or if the cricket is on.



    STEP 3 : Paint

    I chose mat black spokes and gloss black lip. All finishes can be bought in the VHT range. Also, grab a few cans of clear for the gloss, they turn up really good.

    Again, 2 beers between coats.




    Wash after wet and dry the lip to be gloss



    Day turns to night very quickly. By now, your missus should be yelling at you because you haven’t spoken to her all day, haven’t stepped foot in the house except food or beer. Warning : this is not a good time to send her down to the shops to get you more beer!



    Clear coat on the lip




    STEP 4 : Rubber on rim

    Cheap Federals back on and on the car



    STEP 5 : Rim on car




    I have to admit, it was a lot of work. But I’m the kind of person who can’t stand paying someone to do something that I can do myself.

    Obviously you wouldn’t want to paint your own rims if you want a pro finish, but for a DIY, I think it came up alright. There are a couple of little sport that were a bit thin on the black, I’m kicking myself for not taking the time. You wouldn’t able to find them unless I point them out to you anyway.

    Anyway, enjoy your creation if you’re attacking this yourself. I know I am.
    Last edited by Birdhouse; 11-11-2008 at 11:45 PM.

  2. #2
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    The pics tell a thousand words- great write up!

    Looks like user error on two counts...wrong album and wrong car (but very nice car by the way so I will let that slip for now...lol).

    How is the paint lasting now that they are on the car? Did they get scratched when installing around the nut holes? Have you coated them in any synthetic wax? Do tell...

  3. #3

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by armthehomeless View Post
    Not my fault - Birdhouse used the User Album! Boo!
    pfff not my fault you website can't handle my awesomeness!!!


    Thanks shinslinger.....


    The paint is alright. I’ve had them on the car for a little while and it has 1 or 2 stone chips and one gutter rash..... Stone chips were from driving down a dirt road.

    Scratches on the inside face of the rim, where the nut binds into the rim, but you should expect that and once the nut is on you can’t see it. The mat black has held up fine from the usual knocks associated with putting on a wheel to the car.

    I’ve taken them off my car for a track day a while back and haven’t swap them back over, so ones again they’re sitting under on house for the last 4 months......and prob will stay there for the next 10 months while i'm away.

    Never thought about protective coat... i’m sure it will make the paint last longer. I don’t know what to use though.......

  4. #4
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    Zaino 2pro or OCW will do the trick.

  5. #5

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    Might have to give them a go. it will be a good job over the xmas holidays.

  6. #6
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    Don't wait. Do it now.

    One of the guys in QLD must have a bottle of OCW that you can try out on a wheel?

    (Sydney guys would have offered you a full bottle by now...lol)

  7. #7

    Default

    Good job, lookin to pick up some FD rims for my 3 and will be painting black also.

  8. #8

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    Black on Black will look tough

  9. #9

    Default Wet or Dry Sanding ?

    looking at painting my wheels and going through the various threads and youtube vids on how to go about it... there are varrying sanding processes.. but the main diference i had found is some use a wet system... or detergent and water mix while sanding and others use just a wire brush strapped to a drill and then sandpaper to do edges with no water at all...

    what are peoples thoughts on wet or dry sanding ?? and which one is better if that's the case ?

    sample vids and links...
    [YOUTUBE]q5eK5OnHfqA[/YOUTUBE]


    How To: Wheel / Rim Painting (Very Detailed) - Focus Fanatics
    Last edited by PaulG; 02-04-2009 at 08:44 AM.

    BLACK 06 MPS3 - HKS SRi/K&N - SU REM - TWM STS & Bushings - Custom MP

  10. #10

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    I think wet will give a smoother finish you can use a finer grade of paper
    and yourpaper will last longer

    my 2c

  11. #11
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    I'd just get someone to do it proffessionaly...

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by EVILMPS View Post
    I'd just get someone to do it proffessionaly...
    To be really honest that is exactly what I would do
    Maybe get then powder coated

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by teedee View Post
    To be really honest that is exactly what I would do
    Maybe get then powder coated
    2000MN reckons it cost him around $800 to get his done in Shadow Chrome (expensive paint), so another colour would be around the same or less I would imagine...

    Plus, you get some kind of come-back for poor quality if it's done at a shop.

  14. #14

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    yea... just deciding what road to go.. budget is big concern haha.. and i like to be able to say... yea i did that... haha.. bit of a hands on man... haha

    just wish i had a spare rim to practice on !!

  15. #15
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    ive been quoted by a bloke in artamon, sydney, that powder coating them black would cost 40 a wheel, + another 40 per wheel if they have to be sandblasted, which they would have to be. he said factor in 100 per wheel to be sure, as it wont cost more then that.

    im not sure of powder coating black is much different from shadow chroming. He would have got that painted on not powder coated right?

  16. #16
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    $100 bucks a wheel? That's not bad!
    I had a quote to repair the gutter-rash and re-paint in Shadow Chrome etc - around $300 a wheel dammit!!!
    Would be cheaper to buy a set of bloody mags

    Would the powder-coating/sand-blasting take the chrome off the Mazda logo on the centre-caps? I'd still want that left on I think...

  17. #17
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    yep $100 per wheel max.

    Not sure about the Mazda logo. i think is still want that too. I wonder what the chrome Mazda logo would look like in the middle of black powder coated wheels though.

    Is shadow chrome the same colour as the Sports Pack MPS wheels?

  18. #18
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    Yeah, apparently that is the official colour.
    Hence why I have a set of MPS rims for sale, as I was not aware that the ones on my Sport Pack were different to the ones I bought off a normal MPS dammit...

    Could alwys get those powder-coated I spose...

    Did you see the pics of teedee's wheels? VERY noice!!!

  19. #19
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    teedee? I don't think I have. Unless, is he the guy with the black MPS and painted wheels. He posted up 15 or so pictures the other day. I saw those, and they looked pretty good. So many things, so little money. haha

  20. #20

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    just priced everything to DIY... under 100 easy.. 60 to 70 bucks... just the skill and lack of warranty on any work is the issue now.. got to take the jump and either do it or go professional help

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