How To: Paint wheels on the cheap

gcon45

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South Derry
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and rides
Prime, solvent basecoat and lacquer will be a nicer finish.

Powder coating is definitely more durable but isn't just as nice finish-wise I've found.
 

gcon45

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Turned out real nice! Crap picture...
image.jpg
 

Jason

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Ballymoney
Having the wife's Fiat 500 wheels done sort of on the cheap.

Got them soda blasted by Maine surface refinishing in Ballymoney and getting a local painter to prime and paint.

Having them done in BMW ferric grey.

Was £10 per wheel for the soda blasting.
Paint, primer and lacquer circa £50.
Painter is charging £50.
So, £140 in total.

Will post the results!

Blasted:

View attachment 75128

Did/Do Maine do any prep to kerb marks or anything or just blasting?
 

Kerzo

RMS Regular
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15,699
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Lisburn
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Leon FR
Don't even need to primer either if the base isn't too bad from what I have found - I did mine almost 2 years ago now and they are holding out just fine....in relative terms!
 

KevM

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7,247
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Banbridge
I wee skiff of lacquer gives a nice glassy finish though.

I did a set of Cavalier Cesaro's white for the MX5 (couldn't justify proper Revolutions). They dried just ok, but the lacquer finished the job nicely!
 
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Kerzo

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Lisburn
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I found the lacquer dulls the finish of it, depends what you are after I guess.
 

KevM

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Banbridge
Thats the complete opposite of what its meant to do...

Are you waiting long enough before lacquer coat? Do you use heat? Are you putting it on too thick? Are you painting in a steam-room?? :p
 

Kerzo

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Lisburn
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Leon FR
All of the above :p

When I did it I didn't waste any time so probably just rushed it, anyway having done without it before I don't think I would bother with it next time.
 

pablo

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pablo
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Glengrimley
I think I tried lacquering one and it looked crap. Was ages ago tho so not 100%
 

Walder

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3,224
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infinity and beyond !
@weeloaney - literally going for a silver colour. It is just an old set of wheels nothing important. Ideally looking a one tin does it all job , and if or when I am using a wheel cleaner they are not going to melt away !!
 

weeloaney

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19,046
Location
Fermanagh
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Mazda 3 MPS AERO
@weeloaney - literally going for a silver colour. It is just an old set of wheels nothing important. Ideally looking a one tin does it all job , and if or when I am using a wheel cleaner they are not going to melt away !!
That's a bit more awkward.

You can get silver aerosol paint in 1 coat that will be slightly Shiny

Think most if not all alloy silver aerosols are 1 coat.

Then you get silver basecoat aerosols that you would need to lacquer, but should be a better shinier finish.

If using the former then it should be fine with alloy Wheel cleaner.

Un lacquered basecoat won't tho, it's soft as there isn't any hardener in it, just air drys.
 

S2K-Aaron

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Daily Hack
Anyone know of a nice bright silver? Like a hyper silver or original Audi silver?
 

weeloaney

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Fermanagh
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Mazda 3 MPS AERO
At work we get a vw/audi alloy Wheel silver mixed for us from the local motor factors.

That's what it's called

Vw/audi alloy Wheel silver.

Basically the same as reflex silver (LA7W) just a lot more sparkly
 
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