Appropriate Finish for Wheels

[Mike Costigan]

Replacement spokes were certainly supplied painted: back in the 'sixties when I was raiding village garages for Seven spares, most caches included a few spokes, and from memory they were all painted. Austin publications refer to early cars having stove enamelled wings, but I don't think they were what we now understand as stove enamelled; I think the paint drying was merely accelerated by heat, and I would expect the wheels were similarly treated.

[themaces]

For completeness... I collected the wheels yesterday from MotorCool in Thornaby (Stockton-on-Tees) and the finish is splendid.  They applied a base-coat before adding the power coating in gloss black.  It certainly wasn't the cheapest way of doing things but it looks just right and shouldn't need any attention for many many years.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Looks great!

[Ian Williams]

I agree they look very good.

[Matt_Harnden]

Chris,

All my wheels are powder coated. I've had more than 10 done now by a company called 'The Wheel Specialist'. There are several branches throughout the UK. I have used the Nottingham branch and have been 100% satisfied. As always, you get what you pay for.

www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk

Good luck.

Matt

[Dave Wortley]

I never get a run at doing things these days and I seem to do many jobs in the early morning when I don't want to upset our neighbours. So I don 't manage to do a batch of wheels at one go using my compressor. Hence I end up using Plastikote spray cans for lots of small items eg. Headlamps, number plates and wheels. I start with Jenolite or Kurust for steel bits after wire brush, emery paper and wire wool followed by
2 coats of Plastikote primer and 3 or more coats of PlastiKote gloss. I have also used Moss brake drum black gloss in the past but it doesn't seem available any more.
Cheers,
Dave.

[andrew34ruby]

Personally after refinishing numerous sets of wheels I agree that powder coating looks plasticky, my preference today is for 2K over a LOW build primer, that last point being important, I use a thin black primer. the 2K is extremely durable and finishes well, being chemically hardened you do not suffer dry spray like you do with solvent borne paints, the finish is not too thick which is the problem with powder coated wheels. A couple of further points, you can adjust the level of gloss .....

Ian, 

2K,    where do you find black primer please? And how do you adjust the level of gloss?

[Ian Williams]

Good Automotive Paint supplier should be able to help you Andrew, I use Car Colours in Auckland, they have black primer on the shelf, not much help to you in the UK I know. Most paint systems would appear to be available as full gloss and matt, mixing them gives you a satin finish, I can simply specify the % gloss I require when ordering the paint. Some of the paint systems are more glossy than others but in general 80 to 90% seems to work for my eye, Car Colours will do me a small sample pot so I can spray a test panel.