So my wheels are looking a bit average these days. The previous owner had the refurbished at some point, but the job looks a bit sub standard. The clearcoat and paint is peeling off and there are a few curb marks on some of the wheels.
I have decided to undertake a DIY refurbishment. I am taking 1 wheel at a time. Having the tyre removed and then sanding them down, prep and repaint.
I ordered some custom paint from Colourworks in Auckland (yes I am in NZ) who have made me up 4 cans of paint, 4 cans of Clearcoat and I have added 2 cans of primer. This should cover the 5 wheels.
Watch this space for progress.
EDIT: After completion and living with the work done for a few months
I thought I would do a quick summary of my experience of the DIY wheel refurb with a self directed Q&A
1. Am I happy with the result. The answer is a resounding yes, they look bloody awesome.
2. Would I do it again. That answer: Not a chance, not the same way anyhow. If it was a wheel with flat surfaces I would happily take it on, but any wheel that has grooves and corners is just too much hard work on the prep side. I lost my fingerprints for a while from all the sanding. The painting part is easy, it's the prep work that takes so much time.
3. How would I do it if I had it to do over again? Most likely would be getting someone to media blast them for me as I found the acid dip was a bit too destructive on the wheel. Then either find someone that does good powder coating or go through the painting process myself after that.
4. Any other words of wisdom? If you are going to do this kind of thing yourself, just take your time, any rushing will cause mistakes.
I also tried a different painting method for each wheel to see which gave the best results. Strangely enough it was the first wheel that worked the best.
First things first. Do this in summer when it is hot. The last wheel took much longer to cure because it was colder by the time I got to it.
1. Wash the wheel with hot soapy water and rinse it well. Make sure it is 100% dry before any paint gets near it.
2. Apply about 5 thinner coats of primer, then sand back with a 1000 or 1200 grit paper. Prime again if there any impurities in the finish. Then sand again. This is where your final finish is decided.
3. Wash the wheel with hot soapy water again. Make sure it's dry. Then about 4 or 5 thinner coats of paint, making sure that you let them dry enough between coats otherwise you will get runs. Let the last coat of paint dry for a day then wash and dry the wheel to get rid of any loose particles.
4. Apply 2 or 3 coats of clearcoat. Leaving time to dry in-between to get it to set properly. These need to be slightly thicker coats to get the paint to gloss over. If you apply too little paint you won't get the smooth finish