painting wheels ?

[BHOUST528]

has anyone painted there wheels like a graphite color similar to the color of there 3 ...i was wondering about doing this but would like to know what the outcome of it was ?

 

[JOS3]

you have to prep them right otherwise it will just chip off.

 

[Vermilion]

Powdercoat will hold up much better than paint. Not as cheap but, looks a lot better and holds up a lot better.

 

[ElDudo]

Yeah, I've done it using Duplicolor Wheel paint. Get your self some 100 grit sandpaper, and spend some time sanding the rims themselves...It's scary the first time, but it'll pay off when they are done. I've pinted mine twice. The first time I went with the gunmetal color, then I did a custom two tone designe with Laser Blue Mica on the rim "dish" to match my car. Duplicolor Wheel Paint is the way to go, after you put the color on it, get a couple of cans of the clear, it rocks, use many coats, and get one can per rims just in case. It'll pay off, just be patient, don't rush it

 

[jbiird317]

powdercoating the wheels and painting them black would probably look cool, going just to a graphite color might be a waste of effort... just my .02

///threadjack\\\ nice to see a fellow delaware member in here!

 

[Andres]

I went the powder coating way, and after quoting my way around, I got it down to $100 per wheel for a custom graphite shade. That was 3 1/2 years ago, and Miami could be more expensive...
Results wise, the paint has held up fine, just a couple chips on the lip of 2 rims, but only small stuff. Paint still looks shiny and all.
The blue stripe is a special tape I added inspired in TechArt Porsche wheels...
I think the option of painting them yourself like someone above mentioned is a good choice if you can really commit a good sunny day.
If I had to do it all over again, I'd just buy graphite-finished wheels for starters.
Link to a close-up of one of my wheels below...
http://www.msprotege.com/members/Andres/Most%20recent%20P5%20photos/P5%20wheels%20&%20CF%20winglets.jpg
Good luck,
FEDE.

 

[BHOUST528]

Thanks for the help i was thinking of getting the duplicolor in like a graphite or black being i have a titanium grey 3 so i think it would look alright...I knew it was gonna take time but i didnt know that it would take that much time to do 1 can per wheel and lots of clear...im nervous as hell to sand my wheel but if it comes out ok ill be happier then a pig in s***...and it will save me lots a $...thanks again guys....yall rock !

 

[ElDudo]

Thanks for the help i was thinking of getting the duplicolor in like a graphite or black being i have a titanium grey 3 so i think it would look alright...I knew it was gonna take time but i didnt know that it would take that much time to do 1 can per wheel and lots of clear...im nervous as hell to sand my wheel but if it comes out ok ill be happier then a pig in s***...and it will save me lots a $...thanks again guys....yall rock !

Make sure to mask it off good too, so that you don;t get paint on the tires, here's a helpful way to make it come off easy, coat the hell out of your tires with any of the tire shine sprays out there, that way you can just wipe the paint off the tire as it won't adhere properly due to the oil in the tire shine. There's pictures of the first time i did my rims out on my CarDomain site. Click here It's on page 5 i think. just check the front page for a list of what's where.

 

[grey]

Yeah, I've done it using Duplicolor Wheel paint. Get your self some 100 grit sandpaper, and spend some time sanding the rims themselves...It's scary the first time, but it'll pay off when they are done. I've pinted mine twice. The first time I went with the gunmetal color, then I did a custom two tone designe with Laser Blue Mica on the rim "dish" to match my car. Duplicolor Wheel Paint is the way to go, after you put the color on it, get a couple of cans of the clear, it rocks, use many coats, and get one can per rims just in case. It'll pay off, just be patient, don't rush it

How lond did the process take to paint the wheels? I am very interested but the car is my daily driver. I am concerned that I would be stuck without a car for a long period of time.

 

[JOS3]

i would imagine that you would only have to let it sit for a day.

 

[RevLimitLaunch]

theres a place in nh...if anyone is around here that does powdercoating for 50 a wheel and will bead blast each wheel for 15 each. its in deering. 603-464-5607 called longwoods. awesome place and they did it for me in a day or so. no problems whatsoever. awesome service too...i've also done sanding and painting on some winter rims. used 100 grit paper and sanded past the clear some bit and then used a regular 99 cent wal mart primer and gloss black. then just went over it in dupli color clear. lasted all winter without a scratch and i beat the crap out of the car they were on intentionally lol.

 

[ZoomVT]

i am in VT so NH is fairly close...
50 bucks a wheel is not bad and that is very tempting to get my stockers painted. Im gonna check the map and give them a call...

 

[RevLimitLaunch]

yeah wheels looked nasty after wards

 

[ZoomVT]

hey do you have some close ups or bigger pictures of the wheels?

 

[voiceKoil]

yeah wheels looked nasty after wards

Purrtttty Talon......... I loved mine, it was white with the black top and black rims. Still have a seat from it in my bedroom lol, and a chunk of the connecting rod on my computer desk, fun reminder lol.

For those saying to paint them and prep with 100 grit.......... YOUR CRAZY!!! Maybe use 100 grit if you want to sand off the rims clear coat, after that work your way upto 800 or more if your bored. I honestly dont believe that the wheels looked good with just using 100, you would have mad swirl/scratch marks... And if you drive your car in the snow, it will really show on a fast cheap paint job, I recommend powder coating, or painting with a few good layers of clear coat on top...