Alloy Wheel Painting Question

[Cheep3]

I think I will go buy some Duplicolor Wheel paint today and finally paint the RSX alloys sitting in my garage. Question... The instructions on this paint (both on the can and the website) make no mention of using primer let alone what primer to use. Does anyone know?? Should I save my money and just go color coat and clear coat? Any advice would be greatly appreciated before I get started. Thanks!

[RedSiBaron]

I think I will go buy some Duplicolor Wheel paint today and finally paint the RSX alloys sitting in my garage. Question... The instructions on this paint (both on the can and the website) make no mention of using primer let alone what primer to use. Does anyone know?? Should I save my money and just go color coat and clear coat? Any advice would be greatly appreciated before I get started. Thanks!

well the point of primer is to make an adhesion layer between the material and the paint...i used duplicolor primer on my own wheels before painting them with duplicolor wheel paint. It helps a lot, make sure you clean and lightly scuff the wheels with abou 300-400 grit paper before painting to promote a bond between the painting processes and the wheels and after you hit the wheels with primer do a light sand on them as well with 400ish grit...with that wheel paint i would also suggest using a can of paint per wheel, start out light and lay up a nice dusted layer with the first shot of color to ensure a good smooth covering...take your time building up the paint. give the base coat a few hours to setup before hitting it with your clear (i didnt clear mine, but im interested to see how that turns out). make sure to let the paint set up in a regulated environment (hopefully something between 60 and 75 degrees) for a couple weeks before doing anything with the wheels...thats what i found when using the duplicolor paint is that it holds to the wheels great and holds up great over time, but you'll risk chipping it easily in the first week or so, especially if you mount tires on them, since most places hire dumb shit kids who cant use their critical thinking skills to save their life and beat the fuck out of other peoples wheels and cars (theres a personal story behind that after painting my own wheels and i am still angry about it)

after all that you should be good to go...OH and while you are at it use duplicolor clear as well, that way all your paint is 100% compatible...buy 2 big cans of the duplicolor primer and that should be enough

Hope that helps man!


heres how well my wheels have held up

RIGHT AFTER THEY WERE PAINTED
http://www.redpepperracing.com/gallery/d/205185-2/Picture+016small.JPG

ALMOST 3 YEARS LATER
http://www.redpepperracing.com/gallery/d/242428-2/IMG_2678.JPG


the lighting in the pictures is different, but the finish is still the same satin black it was when i painted them and thats red pinstriping tape btw, it got destroyed when they put the new tires on...

ACTUALLY! i want to add, if you want to protect the lip of the wheels when they put the tires on, you could put some tape around the lips to help protect the fresh paint, i bet it would help :mwink:

[Cheep3]

Thanks, yours still look excellent for 3yrs! I didn't see a special Duplicolor wheel primer, but I will pick up some regular Duplicolor brand primer. As for who to have mount tires? I guess I'll have a few weeks to figure that part out... Thanks again!

[socmex7]

and to think; every time i saw pics of your ep RedSiBaron, i had always thought you got your wheel professionally painted! they came out and still look real good.

[RedSiBaron]

Thanks, yours still look excellent for 3yrs! I didn't see a special Duplicolor wheel primer, but I will pick up some regular Duplicolor brand primer. As for who to have mount tires? I guess I'll have a few weeks to figure that part out... Thanks again!

no no, i meant the normal duplicolor primer, but thanks...my suggestion is find out if you have older guys doing the work or 17 yr old kids...that seems to be the defining characteristic of whether or not they fuck up your wheels putting tires on


and to think; every time i saw pics of your ep RedSiBaron, i had always thought you got your wheel professionally painted! they came out and still look real good.

haha thanks, ya i get that a lot, or i get asked if i had them powdercoated. I just took my time laying up the coats of paint, wish i had put another can of paint on...I didnt clear them either