Painting rims...
12-19-2005, 10:47 AM
#1
Painting rims...
I was thinking about spray painting the stock SE wheels black to match my car's color. Has anyone actually done this? If so can you tell me what you did and how they came out. Pics would be appreciated. I want to make them look as nice as possible and the paint stay on as long as possible. I was thinking about putting on a coat of white primer, because I already have it. Then proceed to add 2-3 coats of black spray paint over a few day period.
12-20-2005, 06:04 AM
#5
i painted my rims a few years back and never got around to doing a writeup. i might as well now and i'll see if i can get it stickied.
i haven't done the stock SE 4th gen rims, but i did my own set of 2001 GLE rims:
not to discourage you, but before you decide to do this read through what i wrote once or twice and see if you're still up to it. if not, too bad. if you are, great! it takes time and patience and work but what you get is unique rims that no one else has. when people ask me about my rims i'm always excited to tell them i refinished them myself. most people have a hard time believing you can get a quality finish from a spray can, but it's all in the details
remember that the end result is a direct product of how much work and care you put into this.
on the rims that i repainted the original finish was a horrible *****. I went through at least 10 cans of aircraft stripper. there's also another stripper that i found that works as well or better and is available at homedepot. i don't remember the name, just look for whatever has the most warnings. i think it comes in quarts in a metal container.
first off, the way i did it was, i believe, the best way. i've seen some other people that have tried this and i think my finished product looks pretty good, especially in comparison. seeing as how we're doing this right, a few words of advice: take your tires off. it makes the whole thing easier and you will be able to do a more complete job. you want to paint the inside lip of the rim where the tire sits because if you only paint the outside face of the rim when you are getting your tires remounted the paint may peel or scratch. even following this guide, you will still need to find a shop that has a urethane or plastic blade on their mounting machine. this should prevent any damage.
another piece of advice: do it right and do it right the first time. if you do a shoddy job you will have a crappy finished product. you can get away with a just a few coats of paint and a coat of clear. it won't last. prime, paint and clear. at least twice for each. i did three coats each. keep in mind that this is aftermarket spraypaint. it won't last like the manufacturer's baked-on professional thick glaze-type stuff. bearing that in mind, my paintjob has held up pretty well after two summer seasons of driving on crappy chicago roads. a grand total of maybe 20,000 miles. no matter what your rims will get chipped. even if you park carefully, rocks and debris will still chip away some of the paint eventually. the more time you spend on this the better it will last. if you do a coat of each a single tiny rock might tear through all the layers and leave you with bare metal. with adequate paint, though, it'll prob. only damage the clear and that doesn't look as bad, doesn't peel paint around it and can be filled in easier.
finally, one last word before i get started: this takes a while. it may be easier on different rims such as the 4th gen SE rims (i think it's just clear coated bare metal), but on the 2001 GLE rims the paint was really thick and the wheels were primed, too. i spent 2-3 hours every saturday and sunday for about a month working on this. keep in mind that when i did this i was more or less flying blind, so there was a lot of trial and error. hopefully with the things i've learned it won't take you as long.
since it takes so long and you should really do this without tires mounted on, you might want to have a second car or a spare set of rims. i have a winter tire set with snows, so i drove on those while i did this.
the thing that was really, really helpful was a sandblaster. I used my neighbor's compressor and bought a few bags of blasting powder at a construction supply place. blasting powder is tough industrial silica that is left over from other manufacturing processes. basically black powdered glass. it's nasty to work with because it irritates skin and is terrible for your lungs.
i combined everything all together. I did one wheel at a time. I hosed the rim down with stripper, let it sit for 10-15 minutes (not any longer because the stripper evaporates), then went to work. I used several stiff metal brushes (went through a few per rim) to remove some of the finish including the clearcoat. this took a few reapplications but eventually I got down to the primer.
a word of advice on brushes: i wouldn't recommend using drill attachments because they will form circular grooves or patterns if you're not careful. stick with a hand brush unless you have a fair bit of experience.
when the rim is down to the primer, hose it off and let it dry. you can start on another rim while one is drying if you like. Once dry hit it with the sandblaster. you will want to do this outside. an industrial one will make the work go faster, but good luck finding one that someone will let you use yourself. the one i used was a ten-year-old craftsman. it's basically a plastic receptacle for sand with a plastic filter and a few valves.
i mixed half blasting compound and half sifted beach-sand. you can use bag-sand, but it is almost always wet, therefore not suitible for our uses. do not use play-sand either because it is very fine, isn't as abrasive and most of all the grains shatter on impact creating minute silica dust particles. if you breathe these in you are basically making concrete in your lungs. the blasting compound doesn't have this affect but does have industrial byproducts in its composition by it's very nature, so it's no good to breathe that either.
wear goggles and a mask. by goggles i don't mean glasses. GOGGLES. something that covers your entire eye, including the sides. ski-goggles work well if you have nothing else. be prepared to have them damaged/scratched by flying sand, though. as for the mask, a regular particulate arrestor mask (the white cup-looking ones with a nose pinch) work fine. I put a bandana over mine on top of that because the blasting compound stings when it hits skin.
blasting compound, as I said, is industrial waste glass. this makes it great for sandblasting because it's cheap, plentiful, easy to find and works really well. the reason it works well is because each individual grain is jagged and sharp. hence why it stings when it's blown onto your skin. wear long sleeves and please wear goggles. i normally don't wear safety eyewear because it's cumbersome, but you do NOT want to get even a single grain of this stuff in your eyes. i can only guess that would be a BAD thing.
rants aside, i mixed blasting compound and beach sand (make sure you sift it so it doesn't clog the valves in the sandblaster) about half and half because the compound is nasty to work with and it may take off too much too quickly.
that's a good thing, right?
no.
you will get uneven results because some parts will clean up faster than others and you will be left with slight depressions in the finish when you paint it. all in all i think i used two fifty pound bags of blasting compund and about as much sand when i did this.
make sure you get all of the paint and as much primer as possible off the wheels. ideally you should do the entire rim, including the inside. if you don't feel like it, you can somewhat half-*** it on the inside of the wheel, which is not very visible. make sure you paint the outside and inside lip all the way around the wheel, with about a half-inch to an inch of paint past the edge of the rim where the tire seals.
another reason sandblasting is a good idea is because it leaves a completely uniform, clean and random surface on the metal. this is good because it looks much better than sanding marks or brushmarks and more importantly because it creates a perfect surface for primer to stick to. you can see the texture is still there in the close up picture. this is after three coats of primer, three coats of paint and three coats of clear.
after sandblasting you should have a clean, rough surface. it's a good idea to do this in a warehouse or a garage because you don't want any moisture or debris to fall on the primer or paint while it's drying -- you'll never get it fixed unless you redo the whole thing. keep in mind the ambient temparature while painting and drying should be 65-80 degrees and low humidity. this will make the dry time much faster and the paint will adhere much better.
when you're done sandblasting move the rims into a warehouse or garage and use a soft nylon-bristle brush or a clean soft towel to remove stray sand or debris. if you use a towel make sure you don't leave any fibers. these will remain there forever if you paint over them. if you try to pick them out while painting it will just make a mess.
i used paint that should be available at any autozone or most larger auto parts stores. i don't remember the brand off the top of my head, unfortunately. i got the primer and graphite/gunmetal paint as well as clearcoat. from what i remember i used about a can of each on each rim. don't skimp on paint. if you have extra you can always save it for touch-ups or other projects like a valvecover or intake or whatever you want.
if you haven't done a whole lot of spray painting before practice on a piece of cardboard. experiment with distance and strokes, etc. once you're ready start on the rims. situate them somewhere comfortable that isn't in the way of anything else. you shouldn't move them while drying, if at all. lay down a tarp or newspapers because you WILL have overspray. at least a foot away from each rim in every direction.
I laid the down flat on the floor with the faces up. make sure to leave at least a foot between rims in every direction. this will prevent overspray from landing on the other rims and making the finish uneven. this also gives you access to the inside lip so you can paint it right away. i eprayed from about 10-12 inches away. spray light coats with steady side to side strokes. make sure you don't overdo it in one coat because you will have runs. don't worry about getting the entire rim covered in a single pass. i primed the faces, the outside and inside lip in one go, then primed the inside of the rim once i was finished with the other parts.
apply at least two, preferably three coats of primer. follow the directions from the manufacturer as far as when to recoat and drying times. while you're waiting for one rim to dry enough to recoat you can work on another. if you time it correctly you can be ready to reapply another coat on the first rim only a little while after you're done with the fourth.
wait for the primer to dry before applying paint. again follow manufacturer's directions. for me it took I think 2-3 hours. just to be safe I waited 12 hours and painted after that. you shouldn't need to sand the primer unless you had runs or other imperfections. in this case consider sandblasting it with a 100% sand mix from a further distance than the first time. if you're going to do this wait until the primer is completely dry, otherwise the primer will come off too quickly or worse yet you will get sand in everything and have to start over.
after the primer is dry you can start applying the paint. it's the same procedure as with the primer. keep in mind that the paint is thinner and runs easier. apply lighter coats and be careful. if you have to do four coats because you went a little too thin, that's a lot better than redoing everything because you went too thick.
when the paint is all dry (not just tack-dry, completely dry), apply the clearcoat. same drill as with the paint. thin coats, recoat following manufacturer's directions. after the last coat, wait until the paint is tack-dry (not sticky to the touch). for a good margin, wait another hour or two. afterwards you can lay the rims in the sun away from flying debris and anything else that might fall and damage the finish. if this isn't possible just leave them where they are.
even though the paint is dry, it is still maleable and soft. you want to leave your project alone for at least another 24hrs. i left mine for about 36, i think. you can see if it's still soft by gently pressing on the finish with your nail on an inconspicuous area. i'd suggest the inside of the rim. it'll be very visible on the face and if you test around the inside lip the tires might not seal properly afterward. If it's still soft you will feel a little give and see a mark on the paint. just press on it gently, don't scratch.
once it's rock solid you're ready to have everything mounted. i can't overstress the importance of finding a trustworthy shop with a mounting machine that has a soft blade. you might have to call around or visit some shops, but it's worth it.
care and feeding is the same as any other clear coated wheel. you can use non-abrasive cleaners and brushes. the best thing is a conical soft plastic brush. it's flexible and you can get into the lugholes and all the little grooves to do a good job. since it's clear-coated, brake dust and dirt don't really stick too well, so you might not even need a cleaning product. other than that just be mindful of how you park and you're all good.
good luck and enjoy your one-of-a-kind wheels!
i haven't done the stock SE 4th gen rims, but i did my own set of 2001 GLE rims:
not to discourage you, but before you decide to do this read through what i wrote once or twice and see if you're still up to it. if not, too bad. if you are, great! it takes time and patience and work but what you get is unique rims that no one else has. when people ask me about my rims i'm always excited to tell them i refinished them myself. most people have a hard time believing you can get a quality finish from a spray can, but it's all in the details
remember that the end result is a direct product of how much work and care you put into this.
on the rims that i repainted the original finish was a horrible *****. I went through at least 10 cans of aircraft stripper. there's also another stripper that i found that works as well or better and is available at homedepot. i don't remember the name, just look for whatever has the most warnings. i think it comes in quarts in a metal container.
first off, the way i did it was, i believe, the best way. i've seen some other people that have tried this and i think my finished product looks pretty good, especially in comparison. seeing as how we're doing this right, a few words of advice: take your tires off. it makes the whole thing easier and you will be able to do a more complete job. you want to paint the inside lip of the rim where the tire sits because if you only paint the outside face of the rim when you are getting your tires remounted the paint may peel or scratch. even following this guide, you will still need to find a shop that has a urethane or plastic blade on their mounting machine. this should prevent any damage.
another piece of advice: do it right and do it right the first time. if you do a shoddy job you will have a crappy finished product. you can get away with a just a few coats of paint and a coat of clear. it won't last. prime, paint and clear. at least twice for each. i did three coats each. keep in mind that this is aftermarket spraypaint. it won't last like the manufacturer's baked-on professional thick glaze-type stuff. bearing that in mind, my paintjob has held up pretty well after two summer seasons of driving on crappy chicago roads. a grand total of maybe 20,000 miles. no matter what your rims will get chipped. even if you park carefully, rocks and debris will still chip away some of the paint eventually. the more time you spend on this the better it will last. if you do a coat of each a single tiny rock might tear through all the layers and leave you with bare metal. with adequate paint, though, it'll prob. only damage the clear and that doesn't look as bad, doesn't peel paint around it and can be filled in easier.
finally, one last word before i get started: this takes a while. it may be easier on different rims such as the 4th gen SE rims (i think it's just clear coated bare metal), but on the 2001 GLE rims the paint was really thick and the wheels were primed, too. i spent 2-3 hours every saturday and sunday for about a month working on this. keep in mind that when i did this i was more or less flying blind, so there was a lot of trial and error. hopefully with the things i've learned it won't take you as long.
since it takes so long and you should really do this without tires mounted on, you might want to have a second car or a spare set of rims. i have a winter tire set with snows, so i drove on those while i did this.
the thing that was really, really helpful was a sandblaster. I used my neighbor's compressor and bought a few bags of blasting powder at a construction supply place. blasting powder is tough industrial silica that is left over from other manufacturing processes. basically black powdered glass. it's nasty to work with because it irritates skin and is terrible for your lungs.
i combined everything all together. I did one wheel at a time. I hosed the rim down with stripper, let it sit for 10-15 minutes (not any longer because the stripper evaporates), then went to work. I used several stiff metal brushes (went through a few per rim) to remove some of the finish including the clearcoat. this took a few reapplications but eventually I got down to the primer.
a word of advice on brushes: i wouldn't recommend using drill attachments because they will form circular grooves or patterns if you're not careful. stick with a hand brush unless you have a fair bit of experience.
when the rim is down to the primer, hose it off and let it dry. you can start on another rim while one is drying if you like. Once dry hit it with the sandblaster. you will want to do this outside. an industrial one will make the work go faster, but good luck finding one that someone will let you use yourself. the one i used was a ten-year-old craftsman. it's basically a plastic receptacle for sand with a plastic filter and a few valves.
i mixed half blasting compound and half sifted beach-sand. you can use bag-sand, but it is almost always wet, therefore not suitible for our uses. do not use play-sand either because it is very fine, isn't as abrasive and most of all the grains shatter on impact creating minute silica dust particles. if you breathe these in you are basically making concrete in your lungs. the blasting compound doesn't have this affect but does have industrial byproducts in its composition by it's very nature, so it's no good to breathe that either.
wear goggles and a mask. by goggles i don't mean glasses. GOGGLES. something that covers your entire eye, including the sides. ski-goggles work well if you have nothing else. be prepared to have them damaged/scratched by flying sand, though. as for the mask, a regular particulate arrestor mask (the white cup-looking ones with a nose pinch) work fine. I put a bandana over mine on top of that because the blasting compound stings when it hits skin.
blasting compound, as I said, is industrial waste glass. this makes it great for sandblasting because it's cheap, plentiful, easy to find and works really well. the reason it works well is because each individual grain is jagged and sharp. hence why it stings when it's blown onto your skin. wear long sleeves and please wear goggles. i normally don't wear safety eyewear because it's cumbersome, but you do NOT want to get even a single grain of this stuff in your eyes. i can only guess that would be a BAD thing.
rants aside, i mixed blasting compound and beach sand (make sure you sift it so it doesn't clog the valves in the sandblaster) about half and half because the compound is nasty to work with and it may take off too much too quickly.
that's a good thing, right?
no.
you will get uneven results because some parts will clean up faster than others and you will be left with slight depressions in the finish when you paint it. all in all i think i used two fifty pound bags of blasting compund and about as much sand when i did this.
make sure you get all of the paint and as much primer as possible off the wheels. ideally you should do the entire rim, including the inside. if you don't feel like it, you can somewhat half-*** it on the inside of the wheel, which is not very visible. make sure you paint the outside and inside lip all the way around the wheel, with about a half-inch to an inch of paint past the edge of the rim where the tire seals.
another reason sandblasting is a good idea is because it leaves a completely uniform, clean and random surface on the metal. this is good because it looks much better than sanding marks or brushmarks and more importantly because it creates a perfect surface for primer to stick to. you can see the texture is still there in the close up picture. this is after three coats of primer, three coats of paint and three coats of clear.
after sandblasting you should have a clean, rough surface. it's a good idea to do this in a warehouse or a garage because you don't want any moisture or debris to fall on the primer or paint while it's drying -- you'll never get it fixed unless you redo the whole thing. keep in mind the ambient temparature while painting and drying should be 65-80 degrees and low humidity. this will make the dry time much faster and the paint will adhere much better.
when you're done sandblasting move the rims into a warehouse or garage and use a soft nylon-bristle brush or a clean soft towel to remove stray sand or debris. if you use a towel make sure you don't leave any fibers. these will remain there forever if you paint over them. if you try to pick them out while painting it will just make a mess.
i used paint that should be available at any autozone or most larger auto parts stores. i don't remember the brand off the top of my head, unfortunately. i got the primer and graphite/gunmetal paint as well as clearcoat. from what i remember i used about a can of each on each rim. don't skimp on paint. if you have extra you can always save it for touch-ups or other projects like a valvecover or intake or whatever you want.
if you haven't done a whole lot of spray painting before practice on a piece of cardboard. experiment with distance and strokes, etc. once you're ready start on the rims. situate them somewhere comfortable that isn't in the way of anything else. you shouldn't move them while drying, if at all. lay down a tarp or newspapers because you WILL have overspray. at least a foot away from each rim in every direction.
I laid the down flat on the floor with the faces up. make sure to leave at least a foot between rims in every direction. this will prevent overspray from landing on the other rims and making the finish uneven. this also gives you access to the inside lip so you can paint it right away. i eprayed from about 10-12 inches away. spray light coats with steady side to side strokes. make sure you don't overdo it in one coat because you will have runs. don't worry about getting the entire rim covered in a single pass. i primed the faces, the outside and inside lip in one go, then primed the inside of the rim once i was finished with the other parts.
apply at least two, preferably three coats of primer. follow the directions from the manufacturer as far as when to recoat and drying times. while you're waiting for one rim to dry enough to recoat you can work on another. if you time it correctly you can be ready to reapply another coat on the first rim only a little while after you're done with the fourth.
wait for the primer to dry before applying paint. again follow manufacturer's directions. for me it took I think 2-3 hours. just to be safe I waited 12 hours and painted after that. you shouldn't need to sand the primer unless you had runs or other imperfections. in this case consider sandblasting it with a 100% sand mix from a further distance than the first time. if you're going to do this wait until the primer is completely dry, otherwise the primer will come off too quickly or worse yet you will get sand in everything and have to start over.
after the primer is dry you can start applying the paint. it's the same procedure as with the primer. keep in mind that the paint is thinner and runs easier. apply lighter coats and be careful. if you have to do four coats because you went a little too thin, that's a lot better than redoing everything because you went too thick.
when the paint is all dry (not just tack-dry, completely dry), apply the clearcoat. same drill as with the paint. thin coats, recoat following manufacturer's directions. after the last coat, wait until the paint is tack-dry (not sticky to the touch). for a good margin, wait another hour or two. afterwards you can lay the rims in the sun away from flying debris and anything else that might fall and damage the finish. if this isn't possible just leave them where they are.
even though the paint is dry, it is still maleable and soft. you want to leave your project alone for at least another 24hrs. i left mine for about 36, i think. you can see if it's still soft by gently pressing on the finish with your nail on an inconspicuous area. i'd suggest the inside of the rim. it'll be very visible on the face and if you test around the inside lip the tires might not seal properly afterward. If it's still soft you will feel a little give and see a mark on the paint. just press on it gently, don't scratch.
once it's rock solid you're ready to have everything mounted. i can't overstress the importance of finding a trustworthy shop with a mounting machine that has a soft blade. you might have to call around or visit some shops, but it's worth it.
care and feeding is the same as any other clear coated wheel. you can use non-abrasive cleaners and brushes. the best thing is a conical soft plastic brush. it's flexible and you can get into the lugholes and all the little grooves to do a good job. since it's clear-coated, brake dust and dirt don't really stick too well, so you might not even need a cleaning product. other than that just be mindful of how you park and you're all good.
good luck and enjoy your one-of-a-kind wheels!
12-20-2005, 03:07 PM
#10
Originally Posted by JSutter
a) dont strip the original paint
b) prep work is key
c) take your time
b) prep work is key
c) take your time
I went through the Stickies and they recommend aircraft stripper or whatever it is called. Taking the rim to bare metal will most definetaly make the paint stick better.
Im going to clean the rims thoroughly, spray a layer or two of primer letting it sit for about an hour b/w each coating, then spray 2-3 coats of regular paint, letting each coating sit for an hour or two, and finally a coat or 2 of clear coating.
Im going to wait for the weather to get nice before I try it but Im hoping it doesnt look like *** in the end.
Do you guys reccomend primer?
I really like the black with the metal lip theme....oooweee
12-20-2005, 05:29 PM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Manitoba
Posts: 1,805
Originally Posted by dko
i painted my rims a few years back and never got around to doing a writeup. i might as well now and i'll see if i can get it stickied.
i haven't done the stock SE 4th gen rims, but i did my own set of 2001 GLE rims
i haven't done the stock SE 4th gen rims, but i did my own set of 2001 GLE rims
12-20-2005, 05:59 PM
#14
yea why wouldn't you want to strip the old paint? Besides that, there's also a coat of clearcoat that you need to strip down as well. So might as well do it in one shot and strip everything off of the wheel. 
Originally Posted by devilz05
Why is that?
12-20-2005, 06:20 PM
#16
So you didn't strip the old paint on yours?? I thought stripping the old paint gives the new paint a good surface to bind itself to. It's simply basic painting 101.
Originally Posted by 2 Da Max
you dont even need to sand it, but i did it to mines neways so i could get that nice shine
btw its too cold to paint rims
btw its too cold to paint rims
12-20-2005, 06:40 PM
#17
its all unnecessary work trust me. http://www.forums.maxima.org/showthr...ighlight=paint
12-20-2005, 07:09 PM
#18
So the question now is, how long do you expect the paint on the wheels to last w/o clear coat? Also, when its time to get new tires mounted on those wheels, would the tire mounting machine mess up the edge of the lip and chip the paint off?
In addition, for those who have painted their wheels, how long has it been since they were painted and how are they holding up so far? Oh and btw, would the 220 grit sandpaper be enough to sand off the original clear cloat from the wheels?
In addition, for those who have painted their wheels, how long has it been since they were painted and how are they holding up so far? Oh and btw, would the 220 grit sandpaper be enough to sand off the original clear cloat from the wheels?
Originally Posted by JSutter
its all unnecessary work trust me. http://www.forums.maxima.org/showthr...ighlight=paint
12-20-2005, 07:36 PM
#19
i have had tires mounted on them. they guy did a pretty good job and left a minor mark on 1 or 2 wheels. they have been on the car pretty much the whole time they have been painted and they are perfectly fine. i have pinted wheels many times and tried it different ways each time. once i bead blasted my old wheels to get them ready for powder coating. i ended up painting 2 white and stripping them because the paint didnt stick. then i painted them black with regular 99 cent spray paint. they were fine. i then painted them with duplicolor silver, then 99 cent black again. they were mint each and every time. do i really need to explain further?
12-20-2005, 07:37 PM
#20
Originally Posted by DR-Max
So the question now is, how long do you expect the paint on the wheels to last w/o clear coat? Also, when its time to get new tires mounted on those wheels, would the tire mounting machine mess up the edge of the lip and chip the paint off?
In addition, for those who have painted their wheels, how long has it been since they were painted and how are they holding up so far? Oh and btw, would the 220 grit sandpaper be enough to sand off the original clear cloat from the wheels?
In addition, for those who have painted their wheels, how long has it been since they were painted and how are they holding up so far? Oh and btw, would the 220 grit sandpaper be enough to sand off the original clear cloat from the wheels?
As far as mounting new tires goes, yes the machine may mess up the lip. Im going to leave the lip metal to give it that nice black rim w/silver lip look.
All this info is in the HOW TO sticky, you should read it, there is a good amount of info in there
12-20-2005, 07:39 PM
#21
Just wondering what is the 99 cent black for? I'm getting ready to graphite my wheels as well that is why I am just asking a lot of questions. I have read the write-up and put it to heart so that I know what to do when I finally decide to do it. Now I came across a different method and I'm just wondering.
Originally Posted by JSutter
i have had tires mounted on them. they guy did a pretty good job and left a minor mark on 1 or 2 wheels. they have been on the car pretty much the whole time they have been painted and they are perfectly fine. i have pinted wheels many times and tried it different ways each time. once i bead blasted my old wheels to get them ready for powder coating. i ended up painting 2 white and stripping them because the paint didnt stick. then i painted them black with regular 99 cent spray paint. they were fine. i then painted them with duplicolor silver, then 99 cent black again. they were mint each and every time. do i really need to explain further?
12-20-2005, 08:24 PM
#24
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 17
Originally Posted by dko
i painted my rims a few years back and never got around to doing a writeup. i might as well now and i'll see if i can get it stickied.
i haven't done the stock SE 4th gen rims, but i did my own set of 2001 GLE rims:
i haven't done the stock SE 4th gen rims, but i did my own set of 2001 GLE rims:
those look nice !
12-20-2005, 10:36 PM
#26
Originally Posted by JSutter
a) dont strip the original paint
keep in mind that evreything I say is not gospel and i'm not some sort of paint guru, these are all just my ideas and my experience.
Originally Posted by Northern Maxima
Wow, those look amazing...nice job!!!
Originally Posted by devilz05
I believe you have to use aircraft stripper on the wheels at first, that will remove the clearcoat as well as the paint. Then you should use 400 grit sandpaper to smooth out the surface of the rim.
As far as mounting new tires goes, yes the machine may mess up the lip. Im going to leave the lip metal to give it that nice black rim w/silver lip look.
As far as mounting new tires goes, yes the machine may mess up the lip. Im going to leave the lip metal to give it that nice black rim w/silver lip look.
Originally Posted by Maximasaresweet
those look nice !
my final thoughts are this:
JSutter has his way of doing the job. I have mine. You should do what you think will be best for you. JSutter's procedure is much faster and simpler. I believe that mine yields better results, but there's no way to tell because we haven't painted the same rims. He painted the 4th Gen SE rims and I painted the 2001 GLE rims. From looking at the 4th gen rims it looks like they have far less paint on them and it might even just be a thick clearcoat over bare metal.
keep in mind this is sheer conjecture, so none of this is irrefutible fact. i know that on the 2001's that i did the paint was super super thick as was the clearcoat and primer. i decided to go the long way and do it the right way (what i think is the right way). I think it yields a better end result.
then again it does take much longer, but with my method you're not just repainting the wheels you're also refinishing them and removing any chips that are in the paint and even minor curbrash. and like i said i believe it leaves a much more durable finish.
YMMV, but i have had my wheels for three seasons now and gone through two sets of tires. I've yet to have the paint on the lip damaged by a mounting machine, even though there are some minor scuffs that buff out. i do have a few chips, but they are not noticeable even a few feet from the car because only the clearcoat suffered. this has been the case after a few roadtrips (chicago to austin, tx), a lot of highway driving and some nasty roads.
whichever way you decide to go i hope i at least helped someone out.
12-21-2005, 02:28 AM
#27
its the same principle as painting a car. YOu need to rough the surface slightly and remove any Damaged paint, IE chips etc. You sand all the way down your more susceptible to rust and damaging the wheels.
Use 320 grit sand paper or a red scotch brite, that is plenty to rough the surface. From there ensure you use a good primer, I used high build, and its possible to scuff this as well if you need, from there it was onto the paint, (5 or so coats), then clear.
Its self explanitory and common sense.
You dont use chemical stripper because of the likelyhood of it being in the pores of the metal. The additional washing is just extra wasted steps. Note its the exact same as finishing a car, and even whack *** maaco doesnt chem strip your car to paint it for the ambassador service.
1-320 grit
2-Prime
3-320 Grit
4-Paint
5-Clear
Thats your how to.
Use 320 grit sand paper or a red scotch brite, that is plenty to rough the surface. From there ensure you use a good primer, I used high build, and its possible to scuff this as well if you need, from there it was onto the paint, (5 or so coats), then clear.
Its self explanitory and common sense.
You dont use chemical stripper because of the likelyhood of it being in the pores of the metal. The additional washing is just extra wasted steps. Note its the exact same as finishing a car, and even whack *** maaco doesnt chem strip your car to paint it for the ambassador service.
1-320 grit
2-Prime
3-320 Grit
4-Paint
5-Clear
Thats your how to.
12-21-2005, 08:22 AM
#28
Originally Posted by Cant_Get_Ryte
its the same principle as painting a car. YOu need to rough the surface slightly and remove any Damaged paint, IE chips etc. You sand all the way down your more susceptible to rust and damaging the wheels.
Use 320 grit sand paper or a red scotch brite, that is plenty to rough the surface. From there ensure you use a good primer, I used high build, and its possible to scuff this as well if you need, from there it was onto the paint, (5 or so coats), then clear.
Its self explanitory and common sense.
You dont use chemical stripper because of the likelyhood of it being in the pores of the metal. The additional washing is just extra wasted steps. Note its the exact same as finishing a car, and even whack *** maaco doesnt chem strip your car to paint it for the ambassador service.
1-320 grit
2-Prime
3-320 Grit
4-Paint
5-Clear
Thats your how to.
Use 320 grit sand paper or a red scotch brite, that is plenty to rough the surface. From there ensure you use a good primer, I used high build, and its possible to scuff this as well if you need, from there it was onto the paint, (5 or so coats), then clear.
Its self explanitory and common sense.
You dont use chemical stripper because of the likelyhood of it being in the pores of the metal. The additional washing is just extra wasted steps. Note its the exact same as finishing a car, and even whack *** maaco doesnt chem strip your car to paint it for the ambassador service.
1-320 grit
2-Prime
3-320 Grit
4-Paint
5-Clear
Thats your how to.
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