What paint to use on wheel rims?

[Richard Cope]

Hi thebeebe5,

I have had good success with powder coated parts.  Have to change the front wheels on my 39 Ply coupe due to installing disk brakes and will change the rears to keep consistent, believe the body of the 37 coupe is similar in size.  For your wheels, did you stay with the stock diameter and width, if the width was increased is there enough clearance, particularly in the rear?  Want to use 16 inch wheels as with the stock, however debating on increasing the width a little which would expand the tires available.  Croker indicated that when wheels are purchased, will powder coat for an additional $50.00.  Probably more expensive, than I can get done locally.  Thank you in advance for your help,

Regards, Richard

 

 

[kendall]

A great compromise between aerosol bombs and powdercoating is this stuff I get from my local auto body supply. Before you spray, you insert a provided tool into the bottom of the can. A hardener is then released into the paint and a super hard finish is the result. They mix any color of your choosing. I pay $23 a can at Finishmasters. Expensive but no reducers, hardeners, strainers, formulas, etc. and goes on smooth and opaque to the bottom of the can. Great for cab interior work too.

[plymouthcranbrook]

Not to be different but I used POR 15. Hard as a rock and not in the sun enough to fade.

[thebeebe5]

On 6/13/2018 at 9:21 AM, Richard Cope said:

Hi thebeebe5,

I have had good success with powder coated parts.  Have to change the front wheels on my 39 Ply coupe due to installing disk brakes and will change the rears to keep consistent, believe the body of the 37 coupe is similar in size.  For your wheels, did you stay with the stock diameter and width, if the width was increased is there enough clearance, particularly in the rear?  Want to use 16 inch wheels as with the stock, however debating on increasing the width a little which would expand the tires available.  Croker indicated that when wheels are purchased, will powder coat for an additional $50.00.  Probably more expensive, than I can get done locally.  Thank you in advance for your help,

Regards, Richard

 

 

When I got the car it had 235/75/15 on it.  They were quite wide and rubbed the inner wells in back when turning a corner.  When I looked for new tires I ran across a fellow selling Coker wide whites that were essentially new and including the 16x4 rims that would have come on my car years ago.  Was a huge $$ saver to buy his tires and wheels and eliminate the rub.   Had I not gotten that set I would have been very careful to buy a narrower tire if I’d kept the 15s on the car rather than installing them on the floor in the garage....  

[Lloyd]

On 6/13/2018 at 4:52 PM, kendall said:

A great compromise between aerosol bombs and powdercoating is this stuff I get from my local auto body supply.

 

Its 2K Urethane. Same paint you put on your car. If you have a compressor and paint gun you could get it cheaper by the quart. Put a couple clear coats over and it will be more durable. 

Better than enamel from a rattle can anyway. Although I’ve used rattle can paint before and it did OK. Lasted maybe a year. 

Thing is any paint is subject to scratching and chipping then rust. Proper prep and primer is a must. Spray can primer for enamel also pick up a couple cans clear coat.  For Urethane I would use an epoxy primer and a Urethane clear coat. All spray gun. 

Never used powder coat so I can’t say yeah or neigh but if I was painting my wheels I believe I would try that because paint is something you will have to touch up after maybe a year or so when it catches chips, scratches, lug wrench circles. 

Will powder coat scratch as easily as paint? I don’t know.