# paint or powdercoat rims?



## nismo219 (Oct 11, 2004)

just wondering if anyone is skilled in the painting or powder coating of aftermarket rims. i have silver 7 spoke rims and i like them alot but i want a black or gun metal look. so if anybody could help me decide if i should paint them or just buy new rims.

thanks nismo...


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

i'm changing the title of this thread because it has NO relevance to your question.

please start making thread titles relevant to your threads!!

this is also being moved to cosmetic. Please post threads in appropriate forums.


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## LIUSPEED (May 29, 2002)

i know a guy that does great work on powdercoating in the new jersey area... let me know if you are interested


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## konfuzion3 (Sep 17, 2004)

nismo219 said:


> just wondering if anyone is skilled in the painting or powder coating of aftermarket rims. i have silver 7 spoke rims and i like them alot but i want a black or gun metal look. so if anybody could help me decide if i should paint them or just buy new rims.
> 
> thanks nismo...


It all depends on your budget. Powder coating is cheaper than buying new rims. You can get a good powdercoat job for about $50 dollars per wheel. 

But if that is out of your budget, go to the #1 place all budget tuners go...HOME DEPOT!! :thumbup: 

Get some paint stripper, acetone, sand paper, Krylon(your choice of colors!) and some clear coat! Have fun and don't forget to paint in a well ventilated area! :cheers:


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

I would never recommend painting your rims. The paint on my interior panels can hardly pass the test of endurance, think of how spray paint will hold up to the elements. It'll prolly start peeling as you try to clean them. The only way I'd have painted rims is if they were professionally painted by a bodyshop (the same way a car is painted).

Powdercoat will almost never scratch, it'll never chip or scrape off. You ding your wheels, the powdercoat will ding with it why paint will just crack and fall off.


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## Radioaktiv (Feb 12, 2004)

well, ive painted mine
and i dont really regret it
as long as you know what you're doing, they will last
(granted you cant use harsh cleaners like on a bare metal wheel)

but if you have never sprayed anything, id have em PC'd


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

Radioaktiv said:


> well, ive painted mine
> and i dont really regret it
> as long as you know what you're doing, they will last
> (granted you cant use harsh cleaners like on a bare metal wheel)
> ...


i second this in my experience spray paint is extremely durable! if you prep the surface right first (sand and prime) is sticks like crazy glue. and krylon is by far the best quality paint i have used to date. i regret my color choice (but thats the great thing about rattle can......its cheap :thumbup: )but in no way do i regret painting them in general :cheers: i have also used duplicolors wheel coating and wheel clear coat. after a week or 2 the clear coat is rock hard and goo looking. they have a bronze, black metal flake, and OEM silver. over the winter i am going to sand blast my wheels and paint them an anthracite or gun metal color and polish the lip


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## sethwas (Apr 30, 2002)

Most rims are painted anyway. Meaning OEM/aftermarket ones. It's good to get paint becayse you can even repair nicks yourself. Just go slow and put lots of clearcoat to get that finish. 

Seth


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

Hmmm, are the SE-L rims painted or powdercoated. Anyone know?


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## konfuzion3 (Sep 17, 2004)

Ninety-Nine SE-L said:


> Hmmm, are the SE-L rims painted or powdercoated. Anyone know?


Factory painted.


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

konfuzion3 said:


> Factory painted.


yup that why if you dont take care of your wheels just like you would the body of your car the paint cracks, chips, hazzes, spiderwebs, all of which happend to my factory 14in. allots ( wood saw style) then i used the duplicolor oem silver and they are back to normal. but for some god un known reason i didnt prime it or snad it :waving: and it dosent really stick so when the summer wheels go back on ill paint them again :cheers:


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## samo (Apr 30, 2002)

Powdercoat will usually look better than paint on a wheel. It's tougher, doesn't chip or fade nearly as easily, and often can have a much glossier finish.

The disadvantages to powdercoating are that it is much more expensive, and if you do damage your wheel, you have to have the whole thing re-powdercoated. Also, if your wheels have plastic centercaps, those cannot be powdercoated, leaving you with trying to match the powdercoat with paint. Also, powdercoat has a limited number of colors, so if you're trying a complicated finish like a candy coat, there are only a few powdercoaters that can pull that off.

Personally, I will be painting my wheels, as they receive so much damage that I want to be able to easily and cheaply repair any chips and scratches. Of course, it won't look nearly as good as powdercoat, but frankly, I don't really care.


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

powdercoats do have a ton of colors though. If your idea of painting is grabbing some spray paint, top coat, sand paper, and masking tape. You're just as limited to the colors available, possibly more limited. Like I said, the only way I'd have painted rims is if they were professionally painted.

You can see the powdercoat colors at http://columbiacoatings.com

They got metallic, texture, chrome, ceramic, candy/translucent, etc.


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## Slayer2003 (Jun 4, 2003)

Ninety-Nine SE-L said:


> I would never recommend painting your rims. The paint on my interior panels can hardly pass the test of endurance, think of how spray paint will hold up to the elements. It'll prolly start peeling as you try to clean them. The only way I'd have painted rims is if they were professionally painted by a bodyshop (the same way a car is painted).
> 
> Powdercoat will almost never scratch, it'll never chip or scrape off. You ding your wheels, the powdercoat will ding with it why paint will just crack and fall off.


....this is another reason why i prefer Dupli-color over Krylon. they have a better selection.

Dupli-color has a pretty good selection when it comes to actuall, wheel/rim rattle cans. so far, its working prety good on our bike trailor, and its outside 365. road salt, snow, salt water, etc. still no flaws.

$0.02


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

Duplicolor and Krylon are the same company. Duplicolor is the automotive line.


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## Slayer2003 (Jun 4, 2003)

o.0

for real?

yep, k, sherman-williams branches.


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## apachewoolf (Mar 7, 2004)

gonna be painting up my sawz for this winter

and reading this I just have 1 question 

is there a way to get a silver lip? I am going to go with a flat black but I want a silver or gunmetal lip...can i sand the metal smooth and get a good look or do I need to just get some silver or gun metal paint?


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## samo (Apr 30, 2002)

You can polish the lip of the wheels. You'll want some sandpaper in various grits, from about 800 to 2000, some polishing compound, and a Dremel with a few polishing heads. Sand off the paint all the way to bare metal, going finer and finer with the sandpaper, then polish it with the Dremel. If you clearcoat the lip it won't oxidize, but it's not nearly as shiny.


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

se-r wheels but you get the idea


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## nizzan4u2nv (Apr 14, 2004)

professionally painted, used to be white










painted by me, used to be silver


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