Wheel Painting

[G0DZLR]

as the title says, im interested in getting rims painted. i may be buying a mates wheels off him, but they're white, and i don't really think i want white rims on my car, would wreck to look. so im thinking that id paint them to suit my taste.

iv read up on various DIY tutorials around the forums, seems easy enough, but just a matter of getting the time to do it really, whihc is something i dont have, also the fact i dont plan this to be a temp job, i want it to last. would it be easier and more effective to take it to a professional spray painter and get them to do it instead? i should have a bit of money to spend since its that time of the year (tax returns yo) but i dont want the job to cost more than the wheels did!

what are your opinions?

[bluey33]

would it be easier and more effective to take it to a professional spray painter and get them to do it instead?

Easier, of course. More effective, I would say so, (they are professionals)

Though cost more, Yes.

I just painted r33 Stockies gloss black. And they came up sweet.

If you don't mind doing a bit of labour, are patient and half smart then paint it yourself.

though if you are a perfectionist who doesn't have an eye for detail then get them painted.

Though as you said, it may cost more for the wheels to be painted then buying them so you may end up paying as much as you would for real nice 2nd hand wheels or brand new ones.

I say DIY to save some cash and when people go "they are nice", you can say "I did those"

[4drftn]

a pro or a bodyworks will use 2pac paint which is said to be stronger than acrylic you buy in a pressure pack. but i have seen the result with acrylic and if done proper and well comes up a treat and an easy diy job that costs you next to nothing.

something else to look at would be getting them baked or powder coated...

[G0DZLR]

yeah, powder coating and 2pac are my 2 top preferences atm. have a bit of exp with getting custom 2pac jobs done, tho its quite expensive still.

dont know how 2pac would go with brake heat tho? it has a hard time coping with my cup of coffee sometimes

[SS8_Gohan]

don't spray them, won't last. No where near hardy enough to cope the abuse wheels do..

powder coat, that's what i did. Place i got them done was $70 a rim (including wheel caps)

[G0DZLR]

don't spray them, won't last. No where near hardy enough to cope the abuse wheels do..

powder coat, that's what i did. Place i got them done was $70 a rim (including wheel caps)

did you have tires on the rims when you got that done?

[cheez]

no tyres on rim when they do it. i got my old 33 rims done for 50 a rim, 25 to sand blast first and 25 to powder coat and they through in a can of touch up to spray the centres with.

id go powder coat for sure

[75coupe]

definitely powdercoat...

[G0DZLR]

the rims on the rear, are the ones that i would be re-painting, that pics on a mates car. do you think it would be possible to do the spokes like a metallic grey or black and then have a chrome rim/dish aswell? or if it would look decent even

Edited July 27, 2008 by G0DZLR

[75coupe]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought to polish alloy rims you will either be forever polishing them (cause they corrode easily and stain) unless you clear coat them and I haven't see a clear coat on alloys that either lasts or looks any good...

You could I think get them chromed but I think you will be lookin at some cash once you do the powder coat then the chrome along with blasting.

Alternatively you can get a silver metallic powdercoat, I haven't seen chrome powdercoat but I have heard of it, talk to craved on these forums, he knows his powdercoat and does it professionally...

But don't think you can get away with polishing the raw alloy as my experience with it is you'll be forever cleaning and polishing them.... it will suck just like polishing cam covers, its just not worth it in my opinion, I would get everything powdercoated if I could afford it...

I've just done similar things with my new rims, but I did just one colour.