What do I have to do to save these?

[httrdd]

Are these wheels done for? What can I do to fix the finish myself? I might powdercoat later in the next few months if I cannot get a fix! This is the drivers wheel. The rest are not that bad.

I would like to paint the outside a darker silver or a light polished black and keep the inside gold. Photoshop anyone?

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/10/utf8BSU1HMDAxMjgtMjAwOTA5MjEtMT1-1.jpg

[d1giPhux]

I actually have been spending MONTHS re-fabbing a set of these.

1. What i did was.. tape over all the gold. make sure this is done well the FIRST time as this is the most important step.

2. Then get the 'aircraft aluminum / paint stripper gel' from an autoparts store like autozone.. or whatever. Its like $20-30 or so. Paint that on all the metal areas and let it sit. Wipe off the clearcoat that comes up. Continue to do this till you are down to the metal.

3. Polish the metal using various types of steel wool. Start out at a medium.. then move onto fine.

4. Polish the metal very well using either your hands.. or some other method.

5. Clean all the crap off.. and have the wheels clear coated.


Since were on this subject anyways... does anyone know a good type of clearcoat to use for this? Also, after polishing for the final time.. what should the rims be cleaned with to prep for clear coat? Thats currently where I'm at...

Hope it goes good for you.. mine look awesome after all that work! Now they just need some clear!

[httrdd]

Thanks man good work! I need to see some pics! I never thought of taking the clear off. I am painting or diping the rims to get a tinted aluminum look. It should be baddass!

[d1giPhux]

whaaat? your going to go over the gold / silver look! in my opinion.. thats a waste of these awesome rims. I wish i had a stock set to trade you.. because id rather see that get done to a stock set.. and NOT the limited rims (they are SUPER rare.. especially in good condition)!

btw.. i am going to make a thread as soon as mine are finished. Ive been working on and off on them for about a year since they are a spare set i bought specifically just for the project. They are pretty much done and just waiting to be clear coated. I just need to clean them up real good.. then clear them!

[Huffer]

Want to do it the quickest way?
Dismount the tires, take the wheels to a media-blasting shop to have them strip the paint. It looks pretty badly corroded.

Then tape off the area you want to remain gold and spray the gold down. Then tape the gold area off and spray rest of the area the primary color. You could use an airbrush to soften the color change but it's easiest just to let the seams/edges provide that.
Shoot a clearcoat over the top and you're done.

Also, if you're using a paint stripper gel, use one that's biodegradable don't let it touch the tires (hence the dismount). When mounting and balancing the tires, use adhesive weights not clip on ones to avoid paint damage.

Have fun!

[phi11]

Yeah, have them media blasted.

[d1giPhux]

Media blasting is only a good option if you want to drop a lot of money for it...

[httrdd]

Yea I am just trying to figure something else out that is cost effective.

I am keeping the gold on the inside the only thing I am painting is the outside.

Good ideas everyone!

[d1giPhux]

Yeah.. the way i described is the most cost effective, quickest way to do it yourself.. or so I found. Make sure you get the gel however.. and not the spray stuff in the can.. or else you will go through lots of it. Also, i think the gel would be easier to use. I used the spray at first.. and eh.. just makes more of a mess.

[Dead91silvia]

With the corrosion they have, your gonna be working on them for a while.

I have to agree with the others that said blasting. I have re-finished a few sets of wheels, but they were never that far gone. Your going to need to sand down all the corrosion, then get it close to the polished look again so you dont have sand scratches, blasting will take out that step....

Good luck, would like to see them all done!

[Huffer]

Cost effective... how much of your time is it worth to spend buffing out the corrosion that is likely deeper than the paint? Stripping paint just removes that. If something has eaten into the paint, it's likely gone beneath into the metal. Media blasting will expose that and make priming that much easier.

A good, friendly media blast shop will have these done in an hour, tops, provided you dismount the tires and the wheel weights. They'll come out bare metal, ready for primer.

[rougeben83]

corrsion=it has gotten down past the paint and into the bare metal. You really need to sandblast it. If you only have a little corrosion here and there, you could get away with some sandpaper to take the corrosion back to bare metal (after paint stripping) but in your case, it's a little too much trouble for what it is TBH.

[phi11]

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2008/11/gtrim-1.jpg

blasted!!!

[d1giPhux]

So if you wanted to get them blasted then.. and then get the poilished look back.. you would have to get them blasted.. then hand polish them.. or what? Looks pretty cool.. what they charge you to get it done. I know places ive looked before around here are like $50+ per wheel.

[httrdd]

I guess that is an option. What is media blasting? I have sand blasted before, but media.................

Nevermind I searched it.

[httrdd]

Wow just stumbled upon this.

After a good full day of prepping. Damn you gold paint! I swear it was powder coated on! :smt011 Say hellow to the new shoe style for the torque monster.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/10/utf8BSU1HMDA0OTEtMjAxMDEwMDgtMDkxMi5qcGc-1.jpg

Before.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/10/utf8BSU1HMDA0OTItMjAxMDEwMDgtMjA0My5qcGc-1.jpg

Stripping.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/10/utf8BSU1HMDA0OTQtMjAxMDEwMDgtMjExMS5qcGc-1.jpg

Stripped and washed.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/10/utf8BSU1HMDA0OTgtMjAxMDEwMDktMTM0My5qcGc-1.jpg

Primerd.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/10/utf8BSU1HMDA0OTktMjAxMDEwMDktMTc1My5qcGc-1.jpg

Painted.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/10/utf8BSU1HMDA1MDEtMjAxMDEwMDktMTgwMS5qcGc-1.jpg

Well almost done! Laying the red lip with a pizza pan. :lol: The pics it is brighter. In person it is a nice red.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/10/utf8BSU1HMDA1MDMtMjAxMDEwMTAtMTkyNi5qcGc-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/10/utf8BSU1HMDA1MDQtMjAxMDEwMTAtMjAwMC5qcGc-1.jpg

[Huffer]

So how long did the stripping take you?

[httrdd]

about a good full day. The clear came off no problem, but the gold did not want to budge even with the stripper. I tried soft plastic scraper, hard plastic scraper (took forever to get little off) tried metal scraper (made scratches on rim, but some came off), soft brass brush (took some off) finally gave in with frustration, gooped up the gold to be stripped, cut off a copper cleaning round brush and shoved it in the drill! Worked well as long as you did not try and do more than 4 sections at a time due to drying. In the end the primer covered up any scratches and filled in nicely. A nice new rim mirror finish and that is without the clear on it. Clearing them today and on tomorrow. :smt026