DIY: Painting Your Wheels...

[Adam]

Hello fellows,

Just a quick DIY to share. Holiday is coming up, and with some free time this can be done in a day or so. Below are the scanned copy of the DIY i found in one of my auto saloon mag. Pretty cheap mod i think, and looks really good too.


The result look:

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/6311/blackwheelsmq7.jpg

Higher Quality pix (http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/6519/blackwheelsre5.jpg)

This is only a photoshop image, i havn't attempted this yet, but as i said, holiday is coming up =)

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p162/shanethb/DIYPaintintwheels1.jpg

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p162/shanethb/DIYPaintintwheels2.jpg

[Flaps]

I wanted to do this with Golf rims but they don't fit :(.

Looks good!

[Adam]

I wanted to do this with Golf rims but they don't fit :(.

Looks good!

Hey Flaps,

Yeh, it's a real shame =( But, i found this guy over at club polo that "17" BBS MONZA" on his polo? =S
Link (http://www.clubpolo.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=64274&pid=628070&st=0&#entry628070)

maybe we can get replicas that will suit our car...

[Cygnus]

On that note, does anyone know whether the original "Denver" 17" wheels from the golf gti will fit onto the polo? Or are they the same as those BBS Monza's? I found a set of these selling on ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170122330365), they look alright. I would seriously consider them if I had the money.

[GT3]

My understanding is that the Golf GTI rims don't fit on a Polo GTI. I never knew those BBS rims existed though, could be good alternative and worth checking out. I'd suspect they wouldn't be cheap, being BBS.

[Flaps]

From memory

Polo stud patten is 5 x 100 Golf is 5 x 112.5, so they wont fit :(

[GT3]

Just checked BBS Aust site and they don't have them listed. I'm speculating but maybe BBS UK make them to fit/order Polo stud measurements (unlike VW). How else did that guy do it? It's personal preference but I reckon the original GTI rims are awesome, and in 17' with better and lower profile tyres, you're looking at improved handling dynamics too.

[Adam]

Just checked BBS Aust site and they don't have them listed. I'm speculating but maybe BBS UK make them to fit/order Polo stud measurements (unlike VW). How else did that guy do it? It's personal preference but I reckon the original GTI rims are awesome, and in 17' with better and lower profile tyres, you're looking at improved handling dynamics too.


Most definitely!! Best looking stockies for our kinda "budget" car. 17 on the polo would certainly look really nice, but i have to say, i can live with my 16 also!.. so, it really depends how much $$ a person got.. =P

[ryan_GTI]

hey the stock rims in gunmetal actually doesn't look so bad...

adam would you be able to lower the car abit and post it - it's gonna look tops!

[GT3]

Guess it all comes down to what you want to achieve. I wouldn't risk spraying my stock rims - what if was noticable, ie spray-on look, or it eventually came off? Definately experiment on your spare wheel first and if it doesn't look 100% and/or pass the test, at least its only cost you the price of the cans.

[ScienceVR6]

This looks like fun. I might put the VR6 up on blocks and paint up my rims. And whats a second coat of paint if i dont like black? they need painting anyway.

[rayray086]

This looks like fun. I might put the VR6 up on blocks and paint up my rims. And whats a second coat of paint if i dont like black? they need painting anyway.

White goes with anything ;)

[GermanwithaVdub]

hmm... white looks a bit rice to me if its not the right car... black is my choice. btw to add to what that article said, apply some primer first and lightly sand it after its dried before applying the paint.

edit: rayray if those are your rims in your sig, DONT PAINT THEM! you'll spend a week just trying to sand between the spokes and if you dont sand them the paint wont stick. i once painted some r32-like rims (spokey) but never again...

[rayray086]

hmm... white looks a bit rice to me if its not the right car... black is my choice. btw to add to what that article said, apply some primer first and lightly sand it after its dried before applying the paint.

edit: rayray if those are your rims in your sig, DONT PAINT THEM! you'll spend a week just trying to sand between the spokes and if you dont sand them the paint wont stick. i once painted some r32-like rims (spokey) but never again...

Haha sorry, I meant Science's white car goes with any coloured wheel ;) White wheels I only associate with rally, and personally can't stand them on a street car (I used to like them though...).

And I would NEVER attempt to paint the centres of the BBS RS I have! I had a bad time trying to sand my 5-spoke wheels (admittedly I did try to use paint stripper first but that failed miserably due to my part so I ended up sanding away ALL the paint on one of the wheels :mad:)

[rayray086]

Pictures of what I did over the weekends:

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2007/08/CIMG7386-2.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2007/08/CIMG7385-2.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2007/08/CIMG7387-2.jpg

Yeah, dodgy, and my paint layering skills are pretty sh*t. Only stock 14's though, a bit of fun.

[gldgti]

those rims would look hot on a mk1.... especially mine :-) how much ya want for em? ;-)

[rayray086]

Seriously??? I've got a VR6 brake conversion coming up when I get some other parts in (should be in a month's time) and will be fitting on 5 studded wheels from then on. I will need to get rid of those black Enkei's! I'll PM you :)

[benissatan]

just a question i know this thread is a old one, reckon i could do this without taking the tyres off? im sure it will still work? im not bothered that much about the insides??

[peedman]

Yeh u can, ive seen it posted up on vortex before. However some tyre places might even take the tyres off u for free if u can get them down there, it just makes things easier to do since u dont need to mask it up if u know what i mean.

[FknDubbin]

just a question i know this thread is a old one, reckon i could do this without taking the tyres off? im sure it will still work? im not bothered that much about the insides??

You can by taping the tyres off but it wont have the same effect. wont look as good.

[Golf Houso]

Wouldn't you have to apply primer? What type would one use?

[Golf Houso]

Done two of my rims :)

Not bad for a first attempt, they're not perfect by any means, but I polished em up good!

Warning the polishing can take up to 2 hours a rim, no joke!

Two more to go!

[ScienceVR6]

This looks like fun. I might put the VR6 up on blocks and paint up my rims. And whats a second coat of paint if i dont like black? they need painting anyway.
DONE!!!!
On wednesday i bit the bullet, went to autobarn with my $25 gift voucher, and $10 in change, bought 2 cans of polyeurithane gloss black wheel paint, a sheet of 1000 grit paper, and a tin of prepsol, (And got change from all that too! w00t 20% sales!) Went to my mates place, who has some painting experiance, and went nuts.


just a question i know this thread is a old one, reckon i could do this without taking the tyres off? im sure it will still work? im not bothered that much about the insides?? I painted my rims without striping the tyres, and without masking them, so it can be done. And i did not get any paint on the tyre, and no part of the rim is unpainted.
They look fantastic, and i got much love on friday night while out cruising!

Pics soon!

I'll also put up the pics of when my car fell off the stands and we had to dig the jack out from under the front of the car! No damage done.

[Jarred]

you painted your wheels without removing the tyre and completely covered the rim with out getting paint on the tyre?! Impossible!!

oh and the jack = ouch..

[Golf Houso]

I didn't take the tyres off the rims... check out the green 'boy racer' esque mk3 at the sydney cruise section to see how it turned out.. pretty good if you ask me.

Just tape the barstards up though, I used alot of it lol. I sanded it back with 220 paper, cleaned it like 100 times with turps, painted two coats of black and then two coats of clear, then spent like 1 1/2 hours on each rim polishing back the clear.

[Jarred]

did yod deflate the tyres at all? as to make sure you really get under the rim to paint it?

From memory yours looks good, but I was more concerned about sciences saying he didn't mask up!!

[Golf Houso]

Lol... oh dear, I got a spot of primer on my tire and it hasn't come off in a 3 weeks!

Hmnn I didn't actually, only because I've got 205 tires on a 7 inch rim. So there is some spread on the wheels, thats how I got the tape on. Otherwise yes I would deflate the tires, that is a very good idea jarred :).

I hope science's wheels turned out ok...

[ScienceVR6]

I was a detailer from way back, i had to paint steel rims while they where on the car! and that was with less preperation, so i got pretty good at it.

[Golf Houso]

Skills... Very good.

I had a bit of oeverspray on mine, but thankfully the tape was there. What colour did you use? Midnight/gloss black pj 0080? or something close, thats what I used on mine and the trimmings. Post up a pic, and show us amateurs how its done :D

[ScienceVR6]

Skills... Very good.

I had a bit of oeverspray on mine, but thankfully the tape was there. What colour did you use? Midnight/gloss black pj 0080? or something close, thats what I used on mine and the trimmings. Post up a pic, and show us amateurs how its done :D
It was VHT polyeurothane gloss black wheel paint. its only availible in a coulpe of major colors, and satin or gloss black.

[BlackVr6ix]

hahaha PJ0080 someone spends too much time at the paint stand!

VHT wheel paint is good stuff, highly recommend it.

[Golf Houso]

Hmnnn wheel paint. I just used generic automotive paint and acrylic clear coat. Its all about the colour codes hahahaha, gloss black and midnight black look the same but aren't, I found that out the hard way!

Wheel paint is obviously better than generic paint, but I've seen well done jobs lasting 5 years plus anyway.

I still don't see any pictures :rolleyes:

[ScienceVR6]

How about now?
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2008/02/IMG_2875-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2008/02/IMG_2874-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2008/02/IMG_2873-1.jpg

[rayray086]

Here's a DIY to add to all the others too. Here's some before pics for interest's sake:

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/05/IMG_3259-2.jpg

Baked on grease:
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/05/IMG_3261-1.jpg

Baked on brake dust and damages from an air impact no doubt:
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/05/IMG_3263-2.jpg

On with the DIY:

Materials needed:

Coarse sander
Sanding paper (60/120/240/400)
Metal/polyester filler
Etch primer
Spray putty (will help with hiding imperfections)
Base/Top coat paint
Wax and grease remover


You'll also want to have a bucket/water bottle for wet sanding, plenty of clean rags, masking material and safety bits like gloves and face mask.

Step 1:
Clean wheels to observe for damage that requires filling. Using your coarse sander (I use nylon brushes on a drill), rub back til you see shiny metal. If you're using metal filler, sand back to metal about an inch surrounding the damage.

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/05/IMG_3784-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/05/IMG_3785-2.jpg

Step 2:
Clean wheels thoroughly, and using wax and grease remover, thoroughly go over the bare metal areas to prepare it for filling.

Mix your filler as per label instructions. I usually use clean cardboard to lay my filler on and mix using paddle pop sticks. Once thoroughly mixed, lay onto bare metal. Create a very small mound over the damaged area and smear off the filler around the surrounding area.

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/05/IMG_3787-2.jpg

If the damage is deep, use the filler in two passes. It's best not to lay on a thick layer of filler.

Leave to dry overnight.

Step 3:
Using 60 grit sandpaper (dry), sand back filled areas. It's best to use a block but if that's not possible, try to keep the sandpaper exposed to a large area to keep with the contour of the wheel (e.g. use three fingers rather than one - that's what she said).

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/05/IMG_3795-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/05/IMG_3796-2.jpg

Continue using 120 then 240 grit dry (or 240/400 wet), making sure you sand back any heavy scratches caused by the previous grit. Make sure the entire wheel at this point is sanded down (especially parts with baked on brake dust, CV grease etc.) to prepare for a primer coat.

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/05/IMG_3799-2.jpg

Continued next post...

[rayray086]

Step 4:
Clean wheel thoroughly and dry. Mask off sections that don't need to be painted. Clean the wheel over with wax and grease remover just before laying on the paint.

Step 5.
Spray 2-3 even coats of primer, giving ~15 minutes between coats. Leave to dry overnight.

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/05/IMG_3814-2.jpg

Step 6.
Lightly sand primer using 240 dry (or 400 wet), paying attention to areas where repairs were made. At this point, if you're not using spray putty, skip to step 8.

Step 7.
Repeat steps 4-6 (for spray putty), then again for another layer of primer over the spray putty. Remember to let primer/spray putty dry overnight.

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/05/IMG_4524-1.jpg
^Note - see how the spray putty fills the slight low spots.

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/05/IMG_4533-1.jpg

Step 8.
Repeat step 4 in preparation for paint. Follow label instructions for paint. Leave to dry over a few days before any buffing/polishing work or mounting any tyres.

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/05/IMG_4553-2.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/05/IMG_4555-1.jpg

:)

[Mrk_Mickey]

The king strikes again! Nice write-up mate.

[rayray086]

Cheers :) Updated with finished pics.

[Silver dub]

Nice job, how long would you say it took you?

[rayray086]

Started around this time last week. Did it on and off as I had work and weekend was filled with VW events.

[Tim]

good work ray! they come up awesome!

[mikinoz]

That is a great transformation - top effort!

[rayray086]

Thanks guys. More to come :)

[dylan8]

Digging up a old thread... Im looking at buying thestu wheels and painting them, my dad is saying it wont stick for long unless i get them anodized... Can you guys that have sprayed your wheels give me some feed back on how they were 1 year on pleeeease.
Thanks in advance!

[Golf Houso]

Digging up a old thread... Im looking at buying thestu wheels and painting them, my dad is saying it wont stick for long unless i get them anodized... Can you guys that have sprayed your wheels give me some feed back on how they were 1 year on pleeeease.
Thanks in advance!

Perfect, the old wheels on my GL stayed on fine for an entire year +, so as long as you do your prep properly and don't go to cheap on the amount of paint/primer you use you really shouldn't have a problem with a $60 backyard jobbie :banana:

[dylan8]

Perfect, the old wheels on my GL stayed on fine for an entire year +, so as long as you do your prep properly and don't go to cheap on the amount of paint/primer you use you really shouldn't have a problem with a $60 backyard jobbie :banana:

Thanks. $60 sounds good to me! Wheres a good place to get paint? just auto-barn or something? cant say iv ever looked...

[Mrk_Mickey]

Autobarn, Supersheet, repco, any of those stores would have it.

$60 is the price for a spraycan respray. Reason mine cost more mate is cos I'm going through a proper respray with a spraygun and lots of little detailed bits.

Good spraycan jobs are hardly different though.. :)

[dylan8]

Autobarn, Supersheet, repco, any of those stores would have it.

$60 is the price for a spraycan respray. Reason mine cost more mate is cos I'm going through a proper respray with a spraygun and lots of little detailed bits.

Good spraycan jobs are hardly different though.. :)

Yeah i did see notice that, well i still have the a8s and the 15" stockies so these would just be a bit of fun to start with. So cheap is good :rolleyes:

[Mrk_Mickey]

Haha yeah that's the way :)

[Manaz]

Digging up a old thread... Im looking at buying thestu wheels and painting them, my dad is saying it wont stick for long unless i get them anodized... Can you guys that have sprayed your wheels give me some feed back on how they were 1 year on pleeeease.
Thanks in advance!

It's paint on metal - just like on all the panels of your car. No reason for it to wear off unless you run them into gutters, etc. Your wheels come painted from the factory - as long as you prep them well, there's no reason for you to have the paint come off.

Anodising is a chemical process done to aluminium and some of its alloys, it changes the outer layer of the metal chemically. Hard anodising is probably what he's thinking of - it gives you a pretty strong coating, but you can still scratch it off.

[POLARBEAR666]

HERE IT IS GUYS... THE ABSOLUTE BEST WAY TO PAINT A RIM. PERIOD, WITH AN EXTRA FULL STOP AFTER THAT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-ukb9Hjppk&NR=1

Hint Spinning the rim on a turntable while holding the can full open and then moving up and down at different angles to get best result. Think of a lathe and how that works.

[ben]

(e.g. use three fingers rather than one - that's what she said).


Made my day haha..

Great writeup and an excellent result RayRay. Out of interest, what sort of silver do you use and how does it compare to a 'stock' wheel colour?

[rayray086]

I bought a tin of Concept Paints' Wheel Silver from a local auto paint shop. It's a single stage metallic silver (no clearcoat required) and to me, it looked just a touch darker than most OEM wheel silvers.

I've tried Wheel Silver from Septone paints (what you can find @ Supercheap) and their shade was very close to OEM silver. No pictures but I used it to spray the lips on my sister's wheels and they matched the colour of the spokes pretty well (no blending work).

[governor22]

such a useful thread! What do you guys think about getting these wheels: http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/forums/f24/set-4-x-17-denvers-my11-polo-gti-62120.html

and then DIY matte black paint ?

i'm not 100% sure if they'd fit the bora though; they're off a Polo GTI and he says he thinks they're 5x100 but doesn't the wheel guide say they're 4x100 ?

[brad]

i'm not 100% sure if they'd fit the bora though; they're off a Polo GTI and he says he thinks they're 5x100 but doesn't the wheel guide say they're 4x100 ?
it's a new polo GTI. Ask him for a photo & count the holes

[governor22]

yeah, you're right. Offset is 45mm though, and bora has 57. does that mean I need spacers ?

[dainese]

Polo PCD is the same as bora.

hub centre should also be the same.

check offsets, but should not be any real dramas. spacers if needed

[dylan8]

as above
PCD should be ok. centre bore should be ok. offset SHOULD be ok... your wheels are 16x6.5 et42 IIRC, so those wheels are close... but its worth finding out the exact details and we can help you out and tell you exactly how they will fit
Get him to confirm the width and offset

[governor22]

no worries, cheers for the info. i'll have a squiz under the wheel tonight (or maybe tomorrow; it's raining and 5C here :( )

EDIT: noob question: does that mean the new wheels have to be 42mm as well ? Or can they be anywhere between 42 and 57.1 ?

[dylan8]

no worries, cheers for the info. i'll have a squiz under the wheel tonight (or maybe tomorrow; it's raining and 5C here :( )

EDIT: noob question: does that mean the new wheels have to be 42mm as well ? Or can they be anywhere between 42 and 57.1 ?

57.1 is your centre bore, nothing to do with the offset.
centrebore is the hole in the back of the wheel.

but no, your offsets dont have to be the same. and offsets are useless without widths, you need the two.

no stress pulling your wheel off. send me a PM when you find out the specs of the polo wheel and ill let you know the details rather then filling up this thread.

[russ83]

Before:
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/01/e21f8970-1.jpg

After:
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/01/0258a1fc-1.jpg

:)

[Boeta]

(Sorry I've posted this in the Polo 6R forum, but I was very happy with the paint job I figured I'd share here too!)

So I bit the bullet and opted to have my denver rims painted to match the 18" detroits, and I'm quite happy with how they've turned out!

Admittedly was expensive $160+ gst per rim, but cheaper than buying new ones/importing them.

Alliance Rim Repairs in Malaga, WA did the job and very satisfied customer here!

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/03/IMG_7539-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/03/pologti-1.jpg

[dylan8]

(Sorry I've posted this in the Polo 6R forum, but I was very happy with the paint job I figured I'd share here too!)

So I bit the bullet and opted to have my denver rims painted to match the 18" detroits, and I'm quite happy with how they've turned out!

Admittedly was expensive $160+ gst per rim, but cheaper than buying new ones/importing them.

Alliance Rim Repairs in Malaga, WA did the job and very satisfied customer here!

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/03/IMG_7539-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/03/pologti-1.jpg

looks good. is the face machined or grey paint?

[Boeta]

looks good. is the face machined or grey paint?

Unfortunately machined face was double the cost, so its just the original alloy rim that remains (aside from the black that was powder-coated on)

[thefitzies]

Has anyone gotten any rims powdercoated instead of painting them? What's the benefits/disadvantages of the two treatments?

Nick

[dylan8]

Has anyone gotten any rims powdercoated instead of painting them? What's the benefits/disadvantages of the two treatments?

Nick

Powdercoat is stronger, and doesnt scratch as easy compared to normal paint.
touching up powdercoat if damaged is hard/needs to be completely re done.

[Dubstein]

Powdercoat is stronger, and doesnt scratch as easy compared to normal paint.
touching up powdercoat if damaged is hard/needs to be completely re done.

I plan on getting some rims powercoated, love the look of them! Maybe a off white colour :)

[Rob4mo]

this is my before and after effort :-)
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/04/151-1.jpg (http://s931.photobucket.com/user/robertgolfy18/media/151.jpg.html)
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/04/165-1.jpg (http://s931.photobucket.com/user/robertgolfy18/media/165.jpg.html)

[Wigspotter]

Have a new black oak brown alltrack arriving soon. Was thinking the standard 17 rims are ok but in graphite would be more interesting.

Do you reckon it's be better to strip and paint/pc or just buy some aftermarket wheels on the same size? Don't want it to look ricy. Have looked for appropriate mesh wheels but can't find any so far that could look factory at a glance...

Any thoughts appreciated!

C

[MountainBikeMike]

Does anyone know where I can buy a good quality GOLD wheel paint in melbourne? Going for the Subaru look. Hard to find that paint! Or any gold!

[boo5td]

nice post

[Scottygreg]

Will be trying this