Almost everyone agreed that bead blasting was the way to go, although
finding (1) a place to do it or (2) getting beads in a bag (like sand)
might be tough. In fact, there seems to be only one place in Austin
that does bead blasting; I didn't find anyone who actually sold beads
or shells...
I know a place in Manhattan that sells beads and shells for $24...
SORRY
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As for repainting, well I got a bunch of mixed responses. The wheels
had already been done "properly" -- 2 part epoxy primer, body colour
paint, and a couple of coats of clear.
I can't remember (or maybe you haven't told us) whether the tires
are already mounted on the rims. Either way, you will need to find
out whether you are supposed to have a polished or a painted rim
around the middle of the wheel and mask it accordingly.
My suggestion would be to find the best-quality paint shop in your
neighborhood -- something like a Standard Brands but owned and
operated by someone who knows what they're doing -- and ask for
recommendations on a good-quality primer that will adhere well to
aluminum. Buy that as the primer, then use Moss silver if that's
the color you like. Then get a good clearcoat from the same paint
shop.
Now, for the tips from experience. One thing is to remember that
your wheels will get hot under braking, so get paint that will withstand
the high temperatures. Miq painted the alloy rims on his IBC with
dark silver engine paint; it looks pretty good, and it will easily
stand up to the temperatures of even hot brakes after ten or twelve
autox runs.
It does tend to chip, though, and engine paint runs something terrible
if you get it even the slightest bit too thick. The trick to using
engine paint (whether on wheels or on engines) is to make many, many
layers of a very light mist. Engine paint doesn't really want to
mist, either, so you'll get a somewhat globby appearance on the first
ten or twelve coats. Don't mind it, just keep applying light coats
and eventually it will even itself out.
If you're really worried, you can try color-sanding to get things
smooth. Use 400 or 600-grit paper and a bucket or bowl of water
with a tiny amount of dishwashing liquid added to it ("you're
soaking in it!") The detergent will keep the bits of paint that
you sand off in a suspension and help ensure that it doesn't get
rubbed back into the paint. If you color-sand engine paint, be
sure to use a VERY light touch.
Color sanding, by the way, is a real kick. It takes quite a bit of
nerve to take a piece of sandpaper to your newly painted car, but
the results are DRAMATIC. (Time consuming, though.)
If you're more interested in permanent appearance than in pride
of authorship, find a shop that will powder-coat your wheels and
have them do it. That stuff will almost never come off; the
paint is applied in a powdered form that is electrostatically
made to cling to the pieces you want painted, then baked to form
an almost impenetrable glaze.
Just a few options...
--Scott
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