How to paint steel wheels?

[scoobie]

So I've got my factory new steel 13x5 Hyundai wheels, for my 1995 Mitsubishi Colt, for 67$ each, they are just about the exact match for the Mitsubishi Colt, because Mitsubishi sold their design to Hyundai;
they only seem to differ in about 2mm of offset, otherwise the centre bore is identical, and these are nice light wheels, they only weigh 13 lb. each. They come with a factory black paint finish. My car is a beautiful sky blue. I would like to either:
use duplicolor "anodized" finish, and give them a blue "anodized" like finish, or should I use
duplicolor blue ceramic engine enamel, or duplicolor silver wheel paint?

after i finish the paint job, i would like to bake the wheels in my kitchen oven to really harden the paint well.

which of these paints should i use, how high can i bake them in my oven? or should i not be so cheap and hand them over to the body shop, who will paint them for $50 per wheel?

 

[moribundman]

Don't bother with a rattle can finish. You need to have those wheels properly prepped, painted, and heat-cured. Don't forget that a metallic finish requires clear coat. I agree, don't be cheap.

 

[Steve S]

A special paint is needed to bake it on. Clean the wheels with a strong cleaner a couple of times then wipe and dry with Acetone or MEK and dry off the solvent to remove any residue you dissolved with the solvent rather than letting it stay on the wheel .I learned the wiping off the solvent part to remove the residue the solvent lifts when learning to repair fiber glass. Then scuff the finish on the wheels with the proper grit sandpaper so the paint will stick then thoroughly wash and dry the wheels and paint the wheels with your choice of paint. You then can touch up scratches and dings as they happen. A little elbow grease some purple cleaner a gallon of solvent some paper towels sandpaper and up to 4 cans of spray paint will get the job done. It will be fun.

 

[Audi Junkie]

imo, the best results painting wheels is with BBQ black gloss. Rustolium "Ultra" BBQ in a bonus can is $6 and it looks great. Otherwise use a Duplicolor wheel paint in silver. Just cure them near a decent heat source, like quartz heater, and leave them alone for at least a week before installing.

 

[dave123]

any thing less than a 2K finish will not hold up and waste of time and effort.

 

[slalom44]

Don't forget to use metal primer before the base coat. This is essential for good adhesion to steel.

 

[ksJoe]

Around here Oreilly's can match the factory paint (by code or scan) and put in a rattle can.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

why not just rattle can some cheap wheel covers?

 

[moribundman]

Why not just drive around with black wheels like a cab?

 

[moribundman]

Pre-post-apocalyptic black is very nice.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
why not just rattle can some cheap wheel covers?


Or just new wheel covers. A professional paint job on steel wheels for a 1995 Colt?!?

Joel

 

[lyle]

If you're willing to spend $50 per for a body shop to paint them, then I'd look into getting them powder coated. It's probably not too much more than painting, and the finish will be tougher. Any good powder coat shop should be able to get you a blue or silver color to your liking.

 

[Zaedock]

Originally Posted By: scoobie
So I've got my factory new steel 13x5 Hyundai wheels, for my 1995 Mitsubishi Colt, for 67$ each, they are just about the exact match for the Mitsubishi Colt, because Mitsubishi sold their design to Hyundai;
they only seem to differ in about 2mm of offset, otherwise the centre bore is identical, and these are nice light wheels, they only weigh 13 lb. each. They come with a factory black paint finish. My car is a beautiful sky blue. I would like to either:
use duplicolor "anodized" finish, and give them a blue "anodized" like finish, or should I use
duplicolor blue ceramic engine enamel, or duplicolor silver wheel paint?

after i finish the paint job, i would like to bake the wheels in my kitchen oven to really harden the paint well.

which of these paints should i use, how high can i bake them in my oven? or should i not be so cheap and hand them over to the body shop, who will paint them for $50 per wheel?


Scoob,
It's a little cold for painting(unless you have a nice, warm garage), but I can tell you that rattle cans will put a great finish on your wheels and can last a long time if you prep them right. I paint the wheels on my trail rigs every couple of years with cheapie Walmart paint and it holds up great. I imagine Rustoleum would be even better. Just be good about the prep. I would go with the blue "anodized" look. Silver never seems to work out right and IMO, is easier to see any runs.

Good luck dude.

 

[mrsilv04]

So, after he gets done... he'll have a set of tires and wheels that exceeds the book value of the car by far...

???

 

[Steve S]

Originally Posted By: slalom44
Don't forget to use metal primer before the base coat. This is essential for good adhesion to steel.
The wheels are painted black .

 

[scoobie]

Hi, the wheels are starting off factory black, so I'll give them a
good cleaning with acetone, a slight sanding with ultra fine paper to give the new paint something to bite into, a base coat of
Duplicolor silver wheel paint, followed by Duplicolor metalcast, and top coat of Duplicolor anodized blue.
I will bake the paint for a couple of hours at 325 degrees in the oven, let the paint cure for another week, before getting tires mounted on them. I just ordered the paint, and the job will start
in a couple of months, when it warms up a bit. The book value of the car is artificially low due to its age, but the cars are otherwise mint. I will also do up a set of wheels for my wife's Impreza. The Impreza comes with 16" alloys, but I was able to find a nice couple of sets of 15" steel Subaru wheels. That way I can buy 15" tires for the Impreza, which are about 20$ cheaper per piece than the 16" tires. Such as General Altimax. And I'll go 1.5% larger than stock diameter, with 205 65 R15. The combined weight of the steel wheel, and slightly oversize tire will still be the same as the stock alloy wheel and stock tire, but I will get more durability, since the roads are heavily salted here, and very slightly lower engine rpm for the same speed. The other set of steel wheels will be shod with dedicated winter tires, also 205 65 R15.

 

[HTSS_TR]

When I saw this: "... factory new steel 13x5 Hyundai wheels, for my 1995 Mitsubishi Colt, for 67$ each". I thought that this guy is nut to pay that much for 13" steel wheel, but I did not post that thinking for not upset you. Now, you're saying the wheel size is 15", then the price is fair.

 

[TylerL]

Originally Posted By: dave123
any thing less than a 2K finish will not hold up and waste of time and effort.

Most 2K clear coats should only be used with a fresh air mask or sprayed outside.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Scoobie, 205/65-15 is a very usefull size for rough roads.

 

[CharBaby]

Scoobie,
$67.00 per steel wheel and $50.00 per wheel to have them painted, Yikes! That's like $470.00. You could get aluminum wheels for that price.
Are they 13" or 15"?
Are you having them painted by a shop or are you painting them yourself? If painting them yourself, what is the cost of the paint and materials? I still think that you could have gotten aluminums for about the same cost! discounttiredirect. $50.00 of any set of 4 and free shipping.