Problem: Wheels are badly scratched
Cause: You backed into a curb while parking
Difficulty Level: 2/5 (hardest thing to do is to remove and install the wheels. Bondo and painting is just time consuming.)
Time: 3 days (Paint took a while dry and it was cold outside)
Materials: Bondo/body filler, 1Z Silver Spray Wheel Paint (Exact match to factory European alloys), Wurth High Gloss Clear Lacquer, 100 grit sand paper, 220 grit, and 400 grit, news paper, and of course your curbed wheels.
Solution:

Part one: Make sure your wheels are clean! Your efforts will be pointless if you have grease/brake dust. That said, bondo the areas that require refinishing http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/autogeek_1990_38166092
http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/764/minidsc03716qx3.jpg
http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/3476/minidsc03718mh7.jpg
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/6349/minidsc03719ba6.jpg
http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/5884/minidsc03720fq3.jpg
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/9166/minidsc03721zm7.jpg

Sand the areas once the bond dries. Start with the roughest grit (that being the 100) and work your way up to the lightest (that being the 400). Clean areas once done and begin taping up the tires.

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/4941/minidsc03761to0.jpg
http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/5852/minidsc03762re6.jpg
http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/9743/minidsc03764bi6.jpg
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/6397/minidsc03765ai0.jpg
http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/3145/minidsc03766pg4.jpg
http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/6559/minidsc03767wp4.jpg

You don't want to repaint the entire wheel so only spray the areas that require work. Practice painting before you actually spray the wheels. Put a few coats on and wait for it to dry. Paint when its relatively warm otherwise the paint will take forever to dry. Once dry, spray the clear coat on. Repeat the clear until it is what you desire. Wait till it dries and then you're set.

Keep in mind that I have had no prior experience with bondo and minimal experience with painting. Wheels are a 3 footer...not perfect but it looks good enough.

Enjoy your rash free wheels.

Wow! looks brand New!

I might try this sometime.........Great results. Keep me updated on how they hold up. The paint and clear coat that is...........

i'd try this, but itd require me to paint my entire wheel :rofl well, all 4 of them

Paint when its relatively warm otherwise the paint will take forever to dry.


Even though it's snowing outside..


:D
I need to do this myself.

I destroyed my rim after i took a turn and thought i wasnt going to hit the damn thing.
NOT.
:(

Even though it's snowing outside..


:D
I need to do this myself.

I destroyed my rim after i took a turn and thought i wasnt going to hit the damn thing.
NOT.
:(

:rofl Thats why I warn others to paint while its warm...plus I was itching to try this diy out myself

Wow! looks brand New!

I might try this sometime.........Great results. Keep me updated on how they hold up. The paint and clear coat that is...........

So far driven 400 miles, washed three times, and new brake pads. Finish is holding up really well. Heat is not an issue so the paint didn't flake off. Def. a must if you have a few hours to kill

:rofl Thats why I warn others to paint while its warm...plus I was itching to try this diy out myself



So far driven 400 miles, washed three times, and new brake pads. Finish is holding up really well. Heat is not an issue so the paint didn't flake off. Def. a must if you have a few hours to kill

I want my rims to go black. But i don't wanna powder-coat......Maybe Spray paint?????????

The powdercoat on these wheels are starting to flake off. So it would give it a nice cover...........

I was just about to powder coat my stock 17's on my 323ci, but its going to be a pain, how doable is spray painting them a different color? should be easy if you can get in every nook and cranny and properly prep the aluminum wheel right? What If I want flat black rims? would a good sanding and thick coat in many layers of spray paint work with out clear? I also have thousands in paint guns and supplies at my disposal, was supposed to start painting cars but never got around to it.

I was just about to powder coat my stock 17's on my 323ci, but its going to be a pain, how doable is spray painting them a different color? should be easy if you can get in every nook and cranny and properly prep the aluminum wheel right? What If I want flat black rims? would a good sanding and thick coat in many layers of spray paint work with out clear? I also have thousands in paint guns and supplies at my disposal, was supposed to start painting cars but never got around to it.
If they're your stock wheels, they're not bare aluminum so you don't have to worry about preping aluminum. Just give them a good wet sand with some 600grit, you don't have to sand everything off of them, just make sure there is no gloss left before you paint, and then get a good flat black paint to paint them with. Dupont Hot Hues has a nice Semi Flat black called Hot Rod Black. It's not real cheap, but it's damn good stuff. (I work in a paint shop)
HHM-6400 is the number on the Dupont. Its probably your best bet as far as quality.

Wow, nice! I might try this on my wife's car, her Volvo has a HUGE turning radius so they're kinda scuffed.

One thing to mention, is that I personally wouldn't do any painting outside. Anywhere you have wind and open air, you have dust. That dust will get caught in your paint and make it look like crap, unless you're lucky. Also, all it takes is your neighbor deciding to apply Armorall to their car, and your paint will fisheye (gets little rings in the paint) or orange peel (duh, looks like orange peels). You were probably a bit safer because the snow locked the dirt down, and the cold kept your neighbors from detailing their cars. Also, wheels don't tend to have as high-gloss a finish that would show those flaws.
The way I paint is in a garage or shop that has been thoroughly swept and washed. You paint with the floor wet to avoid kicking up dust. Since it's an enclosed area you also should use a mask. My dad's learning that lesson painfully after painting for years.
Overall, an excellent writeup. I didn't know you could use Bondo on your wheels!

Problem: Wheels are badly scratched
Cause: You backed into a curb while parking
Difficulty Level: 2/5 (hardest thing to do is to remove and install the wheels. Bondo and painting is just time consuming.)
Time: 3 days (Paint took a while dry and it was cold outside)
Materials: Bondo/body filler, 1Z Silver Spray Wheel Paint (Exact match to factory European alloys), Wurth High Gloss Clear Lacquer, 100 grit sand paper, 220 grit, and 400 grit, news paper, and of course your curbed wheels.
Solution:

Part one: Make sure your wheels are clean! Your efforts will be pointless if you have grease/brake dust. That said, bondo the areas that require refinishing http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/autogeek_1990_38166092
http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/764/minidsc03716qx3.jpg
http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/3476/minidsc03718mh7.jpg
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/6349/minidsc03719ba6.jpg
http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/5884/minidsc03720fq3.jpg
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/9166/minidsc03721zm7.jpg

Sand the areas once the bond dries. Start with the roughest grit (that being the 100) and work your way up to the lightest (that being the 400). Clean areas once done and begin taping up the tires.

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/4941/minidsc03761to0.jpg
http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/5852/minidsc03762re6.jpg
http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/9743/minidsc03764bi6.jpg
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/6397/minidsc03765ai0.jpg
http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/3145/minidsc03766pg4.jpg
http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/6559/minidsc03767wp4.jpg

You don't want to repaint the entire wheel so only spray the areas that require work. Practice painting before you actually spray the wheels. Put a few coats on and wait for it to dry. Paint when its relatively warm otherwise the paint will take forever to dry. Once dry, spray the clear coat on. Repeat the clear until it is what you desire. Wait till it dries and then you're set.

Keep in mind that I have had no prior experience with bondo and minimal experience with painting. Wheels are a 3 footer...not perfect but it looks good enough.

Enjoy your rash free wheels.


Hi - Where did you buy the paint and clear lacquer?

Thanks

your better off sending him a private message.

your better off sending him a private message.

was it really necessary to quote the whole thing:shifty