i recieved a set of stamped/painted ltw's yesterday that werent quite as nice as i was expecting. the p/o let the brake dust eat in to the paint so now it wont come off. and the paint seems to be fading. there also is some slight curbing so im jsut gonna bite the bullet and have them refinished. my question is should have them powder coated or painted? i have been told that i will get a oem finish with powder coating which is what i am concerned about and that the powder coating will be much more durable. opinions?

powder coating is more durable and a lot cheaper

only thing is, you can't polish or wax power, like you can paint

I am going through the same thing. Paint can be repaired with paint. If powder gets damaged your screwed. Also if the lips are damaged you can't use filler to fix them. You need to weld. I am talking to a guy who will strip, weld, true, balance, powder prime, paint and powder clear for $135 per wheel. It depends on the result you want. You can get the mobile guys to knock off the crud and spray them for less than 150 for all 4. My wheels are ACS at a grand a pop. You get what you pay for. GH

I recently refinished a set of style 42s with some Einszett Silver European Blend wheel paint.

OP, you might want to try Goof Off and a Scotch bright pad on the brake dust. I got a half gallon of the stuff at Home Depot in the paint section, soaked a towel, let it sit on the wheel for a couple of minutes and it not only took off the backed on brake dust but the previous owners ricey gold spray paint too! (intended) :eek: Also cleaned up the inside of the wheel REALLY well.

It came out pretty nice and the silver is REALLY close to factory/OEM silver. Then finished it with some clear lacquer. I haven't mounted tires yet so I can't tell you about durability but I have no qualms. I may pick up another can of lacquer and do another coat just for good measure.

I can provide pics if you want.

thanks guys.

i went with powder coated then cleared. i should have them back on wednesday. so we shall see. 120 a wheel.

thanks guys.

i went with powder coated then cleared. i should have them back on wednesday. so we shall see. 120 a wheel.
sweet! nows a good time to detail your wheel wells and calipers. Good Luck

got them back today and man. what a difference. i am more than happy with how they turned out. i will post pics when i get my camera charged up!

I'm interested in seeing detailed pics. I have had some reservations about which process to go for. Cheers