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paint the rims????


WebbsNeon
09-17-2008, 10:45 AM
I was pricing rims and wow ridiculous is there anyway i could just paint my stock rims black and if so what should i use??

denisond3
09-17-2008, 07:13 PM
You can paint your stock rims, sure - but unless you do a LOT of work, it will look good for a year or so, then begin to peel. The problem is you would need to get all of the rust and old pait off, down to clean metal, and put on a primer, then a top coat. If you just scrub it down with a brass bristle brush and a cleanser, you will not have as smooth a surface as if you had the wheels dipped for cleaning/derusting.
That said, I scrubbed mine with a commercial cleanser, then wiped them with acetone, then sprayed them with rustoleum primer. The next day I sprayed them with gloss black - a mist coat and a final coat an hour later. I used masking tape and newspaper to cover the tire. If I had wanted a professional job, it would have cost about as much as new wheels would have cost. Instead I wanted quick and cheap.
Also, to put a nice thick coat of paint on without massive runs, you need to have the wheel rotating slowly (on an axis that is horizontal) for an hour or two after you spray it. I made up a jig to do that for the wheels on my antique truck, but its a fair amount of trouble.
And if you are painting alloy rims - you need to get the wheel really clean, and use a primer that is made for the alloy, not a primer meant for ferrous surfaces.

WebbsNeon
09-17-2008, 10:18 PM
ok sweet man thanks for the info do u have an idea on what you spent???

das2123
09-18-2008, 08:16 AM
My 2nd gen rims are painted black...
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/das2123/97%20Neon/th_97Neon2.jpg (http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/das2123/97%20Neon/97Neon2.jpg)

WebbsNeon
09-18-2008, 09:09 AM
dang das those look really good man u do them your self?

das2123
09-18-2008, 09:40 AM
dang das those look really good man u do them your self?
Yep. Just sanded them down to take the clear coat off and spray painted them flat black.

MoparMaiden
10-07-2008, 11:51 AM
On 2 of our cars (04 Neon & 05 Magnum) we had the wheels powder coated. It allowed us to choose whatever wheel we wanted as well as the color, texture & sheen. Being of the 'less is more' mentality we chose a slightly textured flat black that looks very cool and is unique to us.

Painting is certainly an option and is cost-effective but it can't be stressed enough that success or failure lies in the amount of prep you do. I know it was mentioned already but it bears repeating: DO YOUR PREP WORK!! Otherwise it's a waste of time and money, not to mention frustrating.

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