Paint For Wheels

[Obey_R 23]

Am going to be refurbing my wheels soon but trying to find out what paint is best.

 

From all the threads I've read on here everyone is using a normal automotive spray then lacquering over the top, but there's some stuff at work just called Wheel Paint by Carplan, which aparently you would primer like normal but you don't lacquer over the top....

 

Does anyone know if this is any good or should I just stick to normal sprays and lacquer them?

 

Also just some opinions...

 

Will be spraying standard 1.6 14"s, but not sure whether to experiment on a spare and try a darker 'gun metal' grey, or just to stick with standard silver?

 

 

 

Ross.

[Iain-gti 6]

I just did mine, i used filler primer, primer, normal paint and lacquer looked good and very simple. bought them all from halfords.

[gixxerash 0]

All i did with my wheels was gave them a rub down, normal primer then paint and a good few coat's of laquer and they look spot on.

[Tom Fenton 1,548]

I did mine in proper 2 pack. 1 year later and they still look like new. Before you spend £50-odd at Halfords price up having them done by a paintshop. It may only cost you a little bit more to get a pukka job.

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

Carplan wheel paint is quite easy to work with but is quite a light silver and can look a bit cheap and tacky

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

As Tom said, paint shops can be quite cheap and provide a much better finish. Most of the cost is in the prep, so the more of this you can do then the better. Paintshops can get a good finish if they can bake them in the oven, so that would be a tyres off job, which will cost more for removal, refitting and balancing. Just make sure you agree with them if they are going to do the inside of the wheel as well as the outside for the price you agree if that is what you are expecting.

 

Depending on your car colour, dark ones may look nice. You can polish the rim goodwood style if you wanted and even the centres

[Obey_R 23]

Have thought about goodwood but don't think they'd suit cherry red. Will toy with the idea of darker ones, not sure yet.

 

As for costing up compared to a specialist, I can get the paint at cost price plus 20% GP through work, so the tins you'd normally buy from Halfords will work out at £1.50 a can, so can't complain at that!!!

 

 

One other thing I'm not sure of, I have done a lot of searching and reading but not found anything...

 

Do I need to sand back the wheels to primer/bare metal?? As most of the wheels I am doing only have flaking or bubbled so will it be okay if I just rub back all of the loose/texured bits to get them flat?

 

Obviously go over the whole face etc to give the primer a key, but dooes it need to go back to the metal or will a rough painted surface be okay for it to stick to?

[welshpug 1,666]

you only need to rub the corroded/damaged areas right back, the rest of it you can just give a light key for the primer to stick to.

[SurGie 54]

HERE you go.

[Russell_ds80 3]

i got some wheels powdercoated for my escort, they looked very good and only cost £10 a wheel!

[Obey_R 23]

Gave them a clean today but are absolutly filthy!!

 

It also turns out I have 3 SMR's and 2 Speedlines.. I read somewhere that Speedlines have better caliper clearance, is this very true? If so would it be worth putting them on the front for if/when I upgrade the brakes?

[SurGie 54]

Yes they do, the SMR's are heavier than the speedline's.

[DaveW 6]

Just leave the standard 1.6 brakes on mate unless you want to fit 266mm ones?

[Obey_R 23]

Well I've got no plans to, but for that reason I might as well stick the speedlines on the front....

[GeorgeXS 32]

i got some wheels powdercoated for my escort, they looked very good and only cost £10 a wheel!

 

Whereabouts did you get that done mate?

[stuart1298 6]

i sell the carplan stuff where i work, had my old bmw wheels done in it, looked the tits