Re: Aluminum Wheels

by Dinomyte Wed Jun 25, 2014 2:19 pm

I think I got it figured out. I put about 4 or 5 coats of enamel paint on, but it's only cured for two maybe three days, so it's still "soft" and as such gums up the wheel / disk and makes them useless. Especially the fine stuff as it doesn't take much.

I got some 80 grit disks now to get the bulk of the paint off, and then back to the green zip wheel and then 400 paper to remove the swirl marks that the wheels will have left.

Live and learn . . . Maybe I don't need to clear coat them?

by Limey SE Wed Jun 25, 2014 2:21 pm

next time use aircraft stripper for enamel paint LOL works in 5 minutes and rinses off with water

by driveit Wed Jun 25, 2014 3:06 pm

I may do that when I go to paint my car "the right way". I don't know how many cans of rattle can paint are on that car.

by Dinomyte Thu Jun 26, 2014 10:19 am

Limey wrote:next time use aircraft stripper for enamel paint LOL works in 5 minutes and rinses off with water

How do you propose I get just the flats, and leave the rest of the paint behind? I want them to look like they did originally only black now. Or is this a get it all off kind of thing.

by dynchel Thu Jun 26, 2014 10:21 am

dynchel wrote:If that doesn't work, try wiping the spokes with reducer to soften up the paint some.

Try reducer if the paint is still fresh...wipe it ob with a rag.

by Dinomyte Thu Jun 26, 2014 11:21 am

dynchel wrote:
dynchel wrote:If that doesn't work, try wiping the spokes with reducer to soften up the paint some.
Try reducer if the paint is still fresh...wipe it ob with a rag.

I got that, just need to get some reducer. The issue is that some of this stuff is not sold to anyone unless you've got proper documentation, that says you know how to use / dispose of it safely.

by dynchel Thu Jun 26, 2014 11:23 am

Really? That sucks... Mad

by Dinomyte Thu Jun 26, 2014 10:17 pm

Things are much better.

My buddy Greg who's a machinist came over took one look at what I'd done grabbed a razor blade from the drawer and proceeded to scrape / cut the paint off, holding the blade almost on it's side on the wheel. That made things 10 times faster, got one wheel done in less than an hour. Still need to go over them with a scotch bright zip wheel but this way they may be done before Canada!!!

I'll post another picture tomorrow.

I hadn't take into account that I'd sprayed paint from each side of the spoke, to get both sides of it, and so there was almost twice as much paint on the flats as the rest of the wheel.

by Limey SE Fri Jun 27, 2014 10:47 am

Dinomyte wrote:
Limey wrote:next time use aircraft stripper for enamel paint LOL works in 5 minutes and rinses off with water

How do you propose I get just the flats, and leave the rest of the paint behind? I want them to look like they did originally only black now. Or is this a get it all off kind of thing.

You brush it on with paint brush, pour some into a bowl you never will use again for food, and simply brush it everywhere you want the Paint off. Don't leave to long on the alum wheel though as the stripper may pit the wheel, so do an area at a time ( on backside of wheel ) on one wheel to see how long to leave on. I usually only left it on less than 4 to 5 minutes and worked well

by Dinomyte Fri Jul 04, 2014 12:42 pm

This project has taken a bit of a back seat to the axle swap, but here's a pick of what the wheels are looking like right now.

Need to fix my slip with the zip wheel but that will be easy, then it's clear coat...

Aluminum Wheels - Page 2 Dsc02310

by dynchel Fri Jul 04, 2014 12:44 pm

very nice. I once had a set painted like that, nowhere near as nice... I never used them, sold them for a profit.

by Limey SE Fri Jul 04, 2014 8:24 pm

looking very nice Buddy !! Makes me wanto black out all the chrome on the American Racin wheels on me ride

by Dinomyte Fri Jul 04, 2014 9:35 pm

Thanks for the compliments. I like them, I like them a lot. I don't know about blacking out AR wheels, that will be way too much black in the middle, at least for my taste, unless they're not the ones I'm thinking of.

Did I mention I've got chromed lug nuts, and the black centres, I can't decide between a polished aluminum disk (like the flats on the wheels) in the middle of the cap or the chevy logo on a domed plastic sticker like the Z/28 logo is now.

by Limey SE Fri Jul 04, 2014 10:25 pm

I vote for chevy logo, would look kinda plain with nothing on it

by 77mali Sat Jul 05, 2014 8:52 am

Dinomyte wrote:This project has taken a bit of a back seat to the axle swap, but here's a pick of what the wheels are looking like right now.

Need to fix my slip with the zip wheel but that will be easy, then it's clear coat...

Nice job restoring those puppies. (My vote is for the 'vette flags- you can get fender emblems just like the inserts to match) Very Happy

by dynchel Sat Jul 05, 2014 9:51 am

I seriously considered "vette flags" for my slot mag caps, but chris aka 1973 454 monte has them and since he is local to me i didn't want to copy. I ended up with "ET" caps that match the wheel better.

by Dinomyte Sun Jul 06, 2014 11:25 am

Well I don't have to worry about copying somebody, there's only a couple of G3s around here. The guys that own them are "purists" so the closest thing to a modification is they've got new tires Smile

by Dinomyte Sun Nov 09, 2014 3:51 pm

I finally got around to putting these on the car, it's a miserable day here, great for working in the garage. The picture is in close quarters, I'll get another one next time I get it out.

These are 255/70/15 BFGs and they still look like they're lost in there. . . .

Aluminum Wheels - Page 2 <a href=

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I ended up painting the centres, used an adhesion promoter and the same black enamel as the wheels, I think it worked real well to cover up the Z/28 logo in the middle of them.

by Limey SE Sun Nov 09, 2014 4:09 pm

looks nice glad you painted the centers to match looks a lot better like that.

by Dinomyte Sun Nov 09, 2014 5:15 pm

Thanks. To be honest I'd actually covered one with tin foil and one with black tape before deciding which way to go. black was the ticket.

by Mcarlo77 Sun Nov 09, 2014 7:50 pm

I like 'em! I've always liked the contrast of black accents/trim with yellow paint. Nice job!

by driveit Mon Nov 10, 2014 3:45 pm

I like those!

by Dinomyte Mon Nov 10, 2014 3:51 pm

thanks guys

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