dis1

I think I did a nice job on this so thought I would post about it. I used VHT wheel paint and a sand blaster to prep the wheels. The color I got doesn't match up with the old color perfectly but isn't being different ok? I think so I also got flush mount valve stems, which I think are pretty darn cool. Anyway there are naturally more pictures and a complete how to on my web site. The picture below is a before/after deal. I hope its size doesn't annoy any of you.

1FAST7

awesome!!! so how long did it take you? got any pics of them on your car?

1FAST7

clearthinker

Dude, you can not post such sweet pics without giving more info!!!

we want everything...hell, give us a clinic on the process!!!

Mr rx-7 tt

iTrader: (5)

Dis 1, You did a great job...I think they look fantastic...

dis1

Thanx guys A detailed description of the process is on my site. It's way to long to post but to sum it up I sanded using a sand blaster and then painted them. It sounds simple and well... it kind of was. The hard part was deciding what process to use. For example there is regular sanding, paint remover and what I did, sand blasting. Also picking a paint wasn't easy because of my fear of getting a crappy paint. As for the amount of time it took I would guess maybe 20 hours of work. Much of that time was spent waiting for paint to dry between applications though. The sand blasting took only about 30-45 minutes each. Masking took maybe 10 each but I painted right over my old tires. What sucked though was that the tire shop couldn't get them off without touching the rims with the machine because they were too dry rotted and stiff This caused some scratches that took about an extra 5 hours to fix, most of which was spent masking everything but the minor scratches for repainting. I don't have any pictures of them on my car... yet.
cvs

spyfish007

Wow great job and a great write up. I think I'll do this . . . .

Tad

absolutely awsome!
i've always thought the FD wheels were really pretty nice stock
wheels, the only problem was the finish,
it was silver... not like, not shiny, and kinda bumpy.

I always thought that if they were the same silver type coat
as aftermarket wheels, they would be really beautiful!

and you're proved me right

I cant wait to see pics of them on your car,
post em ASAP!!

JConn2299

The refinished wheel looks great. You did a nice job.
One question though......did you clearcoat them?

I think the factory finish has a clearcoat on it. It helps to keep the wheel looking good.

SleepR1

Where did you get the flush-mounted valve stems? I'd like to use them on my wheels (SSR Integral A2s in 8 x 16).

dis1

Thanx again for the nice comments guys. A few questions to answer. Yes I did use a clear coat, again a wheel paint made by VHT. However I applied it in coats much like I did with the paint. 4 coats each. This made the wheels a bit more shinny but if you want a really shinny look from the clear coat you would need to apply one thick coat at the end. I have seen stock wheels where this was done and didn't like it. Personal preference there guys. My main reason was protection. The valve stems were purchased through racesearch.com There are 3 brands that I found in my research w/part numbers. One is probably just as good as the next but here they are.

Mr. Gasket Flush Mount Valve Stems 5102
Gorilla Flush Mounts w/Flat Top VS406C
Gorilla Flush Mounts w/Grove VS407C
Gorilla Extra Adapter FT-1
Summit Racing Flush Mounts SUM-G1958

I got the Mr. Gasket ones. They were pictured with a grove for a screw driver but as you can see there is no grove. The summitracing.com ones come in a pack of 2 instead of 4.

Here are the paint colors made by VHT:

Aluminum SP181
Gloss White SP185
Gold SP182
GM Rally Wheel Silver SP186
Satin Black SP183
Gloss Black SP187
Clear Gloss SP184
Ford Argent Silver SP188

I used SP181 Aluminum. For the life of me I couldn't find examples of the other two silver colors and believe me I did my best. I took a gamble with the color I picked.

I'll get a picture up of them on my car tomorrow.
cvs

dis1

Here is the pic of them on my car that I said I would post. Enjoy.
cvs

turbojeff

iTrader: (30)

The wheels look nice, I'm wondering though, did you try and clean them? If so what did you use?

I've cleaned similar spots off wheels with Castrol Super Clean. It is a very harsh cleaner, so I just left it on for a few minutes and then scrubbed them with a toothbrush and the stains came off. Rinse with plenty of water.

Good job on the wheels, I just want to point out to others that they might not need to refinish.

Jeff

dis1

Yes, I tried cleaning them but not with anything really harsh. The problem is that the spots were from the brake dust eating through my finish so even if I had been able to clean them I would have had to paint them with something. I had some curb burns too so it made sence to do it this way. Cleaning should always be tried first though.
cvs