[Jonnyboy]

I picked up a can of this stuff and it works great!

Enhance your wheel's appearance with Dupli-Color® High Performance Wheel Coating. This advanced, track tested, acrylic enamel formula restores original wheel appearance and protects wheels. This fast drying enamel also offers improved resistance to brake dust, chemicals, cleaning solvents, heat and chipping. The paint leaves a beautiful highly reflective metallic finish. Ideal for use on steel wheels, aluminum wheels and plastic wheel coverings. Available in silver, graphite anc clear. Price is around 5.99 for one 12 oz. can.

 

[GreenBird]

wow, can you say cut and paste?

I'd make sure your wheels are REALLY clean (maybe even buff them) before using that stuff.

 

[Drive XR7]

I will need to repaint my rims very soon.. they are very faded and look like crap. Where'd you pick it up? What kind of prep did you do before you painted?

 

[Jonnyboy]

Well I wasn't going to type all that crap!!

I got the stuff at AutoZone and paid 4.99 for it, I cleaned the rims really good with wheel cleaner and a tooth brush. hosed them off, wiped them down, and went to town.. I sprayed very light coats and used the whole can for all four..

 

[Drive XR7]

Did you remove the wheel first? Did you cover up the tires with something?

My 7 spoke XR7 rims were originally powdercoated and I think the exact color was... dammit.. I don't remember.

here's a pic... which color would get me the closest match to OEM color?

 

[GreenBird]

which color would get me the closest match to OEM color?

Available in silver, graphite and clear.

If only the clear coat is missing, clear!

 

[Drive XR7]

Did you clearcoat it after painting it?

 

[Jonnyboy]

I kept the wheels on the car and got very little on the tires. I even did the center caps.. I did get some on the rotors but a couple of high speed long stops took care of that.

drivex I used the clear..

 

[Kevin]

Jason - wanna swap rims ? I love the 7 spokes.

John,

I've got a set of SC wheels that I'm putting on that need a new finish, and I've checked out a few places. One guy wanted $140 to paint EACH wheel (screw that), and another wants $250 to powdercoat all 4.

But your idea is even cheaper .

When you get a chance, POST PICS.

 

[JustinH]

Fellas, I've been using simple green dilluted with water to wash my rims. I find it easier to take off all the rims, and wash them off of the car. I do this about once a month or so. Then I rinse them off good, and put on a thick coat of carumbra car wax to protect them. Keeps everything real nice and clean.


Justin

 

[Drive XR7]

Jason - wanna swap rims ? I love the 7 spokes.

Thanks!!

Okay.. so here's what I'll be doing. Cover up the tire, the holes by the rotor. Clean the rim really really really well with some Simple Green... let it dry, put a few coats of this paint on there... wait a few hours after the last coat, and apply clearcoat.

Sounds good? I really don't want to be screwing up my rims... but they DEFINATELY need a paintjob.

 

[Kevin]

What will simple green do for a rim that isn't clean, or have a good surface? While I'm sure it will do a good job of keeping a perfect wheel clean - it will only enhance crappy areas of a crappy wheel.

Jason - try steel wool for surface prep - but take the wheels off the car. Painting the sides of those spokes that are facing the ground will be tough, and due to the verticle surface of the wheel, you may run into sagging.

I may just do my own SC wheels too . Hell of a lot cheaper than paying other people to do it!

 

[Drive XR7]

Back to the top, guys.

Just wanted to ask how those wheels turned out... did the paint chip off or fade? Was it a day's work?

 

[ben_cline]

Well, I use that stuff. $5 a can at O'Reilly, and $4.50 at Auto Zone here. I've used about 6-9 cans of it, due to some painting mistakes. It wasn't on wheels though... :

 

[ementwelve]

keep your wheels clean!!!

i got a set of brake dust covers for my wheels because i was sick of cleaning them all of the time anyway... they are like 15 bucks at autozone and i guess they help cool your brakes with these cheesy little vents called Turbo Vents( look out honda's here i come) so now my wheels stay much cleaner, the only downfall is that it makes your wheels look like hubcaps.

 

[Lloyd330]

i guess they help cool your brakes with these cheesy little

i have heard the exact opposite, they trap heat in. could the vents let more air in to cool than if they were not there at all, i dont think so?

frank

 

[Drive XR7]

This thread was about repainting wheels, btw.

 

[Tim Groth]

DriveX...since you asked and I have also done this I will tell you that it did a darn good job, and hasn't flaked yet...shoot I didn't even prep my rims

I used duplicolor touch up paint...some sort of silver metallic for touching up a Yukon...came out really nice and everyone thought I had my rims recoated. For what I paid I'd do it again.

-Tim

 

[Drive XR7]

I used this stuff to paint my wheels today.

Prepped it using Westley's Bleachwhite, and alot of scrubbing. Dried em off, and sprayed a first layer. The paint seemed to clump in certain places and sometimes look wrinkled... I had no idea why, but after a few coats they seemed to disappear. Even painted the centercaps, but they don't look too great.. you can see the "wrinkle" lines. I cleared them twice, and remounted the wheels and remarkably, they look just about the same... just a very slight shade darker.

I'll post pictures when I get them... and tomorrow will be the real evaluation of how they look.

 

[Kevin]

Jason - was there any kind of oily residue left on the wheels?

I'm no expert when it comes to painting - but do know that if a surface isn't prepped properly, paint will do what you've described (wrinkle).