I wanted to clean up my rims and the results were really good. I figured I'd share in case someone else wants to do this. After sanding I painted with a caliper and rotor paint called VHT (can't figure out why anyone would paint their rotors, but oh well). The finish came out satin, so I hit it with a few coats of clear coat, This was all rattle can. I got a really glossy finish like the wheel in my trunk and the colour is extremely close. I actually did the lug nuts and center caps first, and the results were so good I decided to try a wheel.
It's hard to show what a great gloss I got in a picture. It's much better than I normally get from a rattle can. To look at it you'd swear it was body shop paint. As a bonus it's chemical resistant. I'm going to try attaching pics, but I usually have trouble doing it.
1. Wash the rim.
2. Sand, I used 220 and the results were great, most people will tell you to re-sand with 400. I just used 220.
3. I let the air out of the tire and removed the weights, then stuffed poly between the rim and the tire using a gasket scraper to act as masking for the tire
4. Use a good primer. The one I used was a sandable primer.
5. Within 10 minutes I painted with the caliper paint, 3 coats. It should look wet after each coat, but not enough to sag. 5 minutes between coats.
6. Apply another 3 coats of clear over it again 5 minutes between coats.
3. I let the air out of the tire and removed the weights, then stuffed poly between the rim and the tire using a gasket scraper to act as masking for the tire
That's a good idea. Whatever you have access to will work to mask. As long as you don't paint the tire. I usually use newspaper but I was afraid it would rip when I was jamming it in, then I spotted some thin poly lying around.
Do the same with the 15-holers? That's what I have, although there is a 14" bundt on the spare I could practice with. BTW, where could I get another 15"?
There's a set sitting down at my local Pick N Pull. They've been there for a month or more. You're a little far away though.
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