To Paint or not to paint.
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To Paint or not to paint.
I've asked this before with a chopped pic of my car but I'll ask again now thats it's lowered should I paint/powdercoat my rims to look like they have a polished lip?
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Re: To Paint or not to paint.
I normally don't like black w/ polished lip, but if they were done exactly like the chop, I'd go so far as to call it sexy
Re: To Paint or not to paint.
i think it looks real good. in all honesty, if you spend enough time prepping, i dont see any reason why you would need to pay someone to do it. index card off the wheels and then tape off anything where you dont want paint. This sounds like it can easily be done in a weekend. you can buy oe color paint online for like 15-20 a can. id say a can of primer, 2 cans of paint(more depending on how many coats you want), some sand paper, tape, and youre all set. it can easily be done for less than $50. i was gonna get my center caps painted to match the wheels and the cheapest shop i found was asking 25 per cap, so i imagine painting/powdering the entire wheel will cost like 4-5 hundred. my advice would be to try it yourself and see how it looks. if your not satisfied, your out maybe $50
Last edited by chawski; Jun 2, 2007 at 05:53 PM. Reason: i cant type
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Re: To Paint or not to paint.
Ok, here's the story, i've already been through this adventure.....
If you want to change the color of your rims, then yes you can either paint them or poweder coat them, and in my opinion, I think that would look cool. However, there is a dilemma when it comes to powdercoating. If you want to powdercoat the rim, then you will most likely have to coat the entire rim including the lip. It is (apparently) very difficult to 'tape off an edge or line' when powdercoating. The electric current allows the powder to get into all kinds of small crevices. The people I spoke to when looking to get my rims powdercoated said chances are extremely high that he will not be able to get a clean line on the rim for the polished lip to stay.
The flip side to powdercoating is the finish is in fact very durable, more durable then that of paint. One guy suggested that he try to tape off the lip and although he wasnt going to guarantee that it's a clean line, said I could take it to a machinist to machine the lip back down and get that polished edge.
I have a set of Axis rims, which came painted black from the factory. No rock chips or anything, the gloss and everything is great, had them for a couple years now.
I say get someone to paint it......I think it'll save you a lot of time in the long run.
If you want to change the color of your rims, then yes you can either paint them or poweder coat them, and in my opinion, I think that would look cool. However, there is a dilemma when it comes to powdercoating. If you want to powdercoat the rim, then you will most likely have to coat the entire rim including the lip. It is (apparently) very difficult to 'tape off an edge or line' when powdercoating. The electric current allows the powder to get into all kinds of small crevices. The people I spoke to when looking to get my rims powdercoated said chances are extremely high that he will not be able to get a clean line on the rim for the polished lip to stay.
The flip side to powdercoating is the finish is in fact very durable, more durable then that of paint. One guy suggested that he try to tape off the lip and although he wasnt going to guarantee that it's a clean line, said I could take it to a machinist to machine the lip back down and get that polished edge.
I have a set of Axis rims, which came painted black from the factory. No rock chips or anything, the gloss and everything is great, had them for a couple years now.
I say get someone to paint it......I think it'll save you a lot of time in the long run.
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Re: To Paint or not to paint.
I'd have to agree with Eyger. Just take it for paint. I'm in the middle of painting my rims as we speak, at home, with my own gun. All I'm doing is baking them in the oven for 25 minutes a piece at 250 degrees. I'm not going to clearcoat them today, but even without clearcoat they look pretty damn good.
Re: To Paint or not to paint.
since your going through a dilema i say you paint two wheels and leave the other two alone that way you'll have both...lol but naw i think it looks nice powdercoated.
A long winded 7th genr
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Re: To Paint or not to paint.
I'd have to agree with Eyger. Just take it for paint. I'm in the middle of painting my rims as we speak, at home, with my own gun. All I'm doing is baking them in the oven for 25 minutes a piece at 250 degrees. I'm not going to clearcoat them today, but even without clearcoat they look pretty damn good.
What kinda equipment you using? What paint are you shooting?
I've got A 12gallon Craftsman 1hp compressor, 2.0mm ATD Leonard HVLP, and a Titan 1.4mm & 1.7mm.
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Re: To Paint or not to paint.
Yah I think I'm going the paint route because the rims are only on my car for about 6 months outta the year anyway and I might ust be putting it in the garage this winter and driving a truck. But my dad is a supervisor at a metal fab shop and they use a type of black paint for some of there parts and it's very durable paint and it's blacker then black we used it on my bro's truck rims and it turned out really good. Whats with the baking in the oven though??
My Pony Princess is the inspiration for my ride.
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Re: To Paint or not to paint.
Cures the paint and makes it more resistant to scratches, nicks, and small children's hands when you run them over. Their nails will scratch up a good set of rims in no time flat if you're not careful.
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Re: To Paint or not to paint.
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