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Rim restorers in San Jose

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TR6oldtimer

TR6oldtimer

Darth Vader
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From the beginning, I knew my original rims needed to be refinished and there was some concern as to whether they ran true.

Well I found a shop in San Jose who will check the for run-out and repair them if necessary. If a rim needs to be trued, that work plus media blasting and painting (powder coat) will cost $125-145. Media blasting and finishing would run around $100 per rim.

So I have finally found some rest. $500-600 for refinishing 5 rims seems a lot, but after thinking about it, it seems to be a fair price in this market.

Now to decide whether to powder coat or paint. Not having experience with powder coated rims, your advice would be appreciated.

The other thought is paint. Painting has some advantage in that with the right paint, I think I can paint the faded wheel caps as well.

Oh, the car has red-lines. Four of the tires still have tread. Now I know the tires are not suitable for driving, but is there a market for originals in good visual shape?
 
Ray - yes, someone will buy the red lines for show purposes.

Powder coating the rims has been my choice, since the powder coating is nearly free (around here anyway) after paying for the blasting. Powder coating seems to be a tougher finish, but get lots of other opinions on that.

If I had a good home compressor I'd blast and paint. Being able to touch up with matching paint is nice.
 
If you have the ability to paint at home I can give you a paint code that is very close to the original silver/grey that was used. I've painted several wheels with it and everyone seems to like it.
 
BRSLimited said:
If you have the ability to paint at home I can give you a paint code that is very close to the original silver/grey that was used. I've painted several wheels with it and everyone seems to like it.
Click to expand...

Yes, please post the paint code and manufacturer.
 
Ford Argent Silver OEM code M5299A. I get it by the quart in Omni acrylic enamal and put in a hardner. I think I pay about $35 a quart for it. I have painted a set of 5 spitfire wire wheels and a set of 5 TR3 steel wheels from this last quart and still have about a pint left. After I sandblast the wheels I spray them with black epoxy primer which seals the metal and 24 hours later spray this right over the epoxy. No bleed thru problems and unless you get a big chip in it shouldn't have any rust problems again. Can't figure out how to post pictures on here but if anyone wants to see the spit wheels painted I can email them to you or tell me how to post pictures.
 
Basil said:
Dale said:
Am still trying to post my first pics on the forum. You guys that do this as naturally as breathing leave me with my mouth agape. I have pictures off my camera in a folder in "my computer". I e-mailed some to myself as that was the only way I could downsize them. When (if) they show up in my mailbox can I post them from there? And if so, what dark spirits must I invoke to accomplish it. I appreciate your patience with me, but be forwarned that I am determined to master this, so your patience may be strained. Dale
Click to expand...

See if this video helps.

If you still have trouble or have any questions, email or PM me with your phone # and I'll call and talk you through it.

Basil
Click to expand...
 
BRSLimited said:
Ford Argent Silver OEM code M5299A. I get it by the quart in Omni acrylic enamal and put in a hardner. I think I pay about $35 a quart for it. I have painted a set of 5 spitfire wire wheels and a set of 5 TR3 steel wheels from this last quart and still have about a pint left. After I sandblast the wheels I spray them with black epoxy primer which seals the metal and 24 hours later spray this right over the epoxy. No bleed thru problems and unless you get a big chip in it shouldn't have any rust problems again. Can't figure out how to post pictures on here but if anyone wants to see the spit wheels painted I can email them to you or tell me how to post pictures.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the paint code. I checked with my PPG distributor, and this paint is compatible with the epoxy primer I already use and can be used on rigid plastic.

So this is what I decided to do. First I will check my rims for run-out, which, given I have owned the car since the mid 70's, I believe will be ok.

Next, I will have them media blasted.

I will then do what is necessary to prepare them for painting and paint them myself.

If the center covers are faded or of a different color then the paint, I will paint them as well.
There should also be enough to paint the valve cover and air filter.

So, here I am, having saved around $400, I plan to buy a set of 205/70R15 Michelin HydroEdge with Green X radials.

some times things work out.
 
For 5 steel wheels, the center caps, valve cover, and air cleaner housing I would say you probably only need a pint but that depends on how heavy you lay it on. I've found that it covers fairly well and most my rims I only put on 2 coats. Thick paint chips a lot easier than thin does. If you buy it in a quart you'll have plenty left over to fix any chips or do any other parts you feel the need to paint. Just be sure if you do it in acrylic enamal to use a hardner and let the rims set for a few days (in the sun if possible) before mounting the tires.
 
I learned the hard way that thicker is not better. The difference in price for a pint and a quart is not that much, given the hardener is sized for a quart. Also, because of space, I tend to use more paint as I spray in smaller batches, so some is wasted.

Thanks for the heads up on allowing the paint to fully cure before the tires go on.

My big challenge now is the weather, but I am hoping for our normal breaks in December and February.
 
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