This is NOT a question as to whether I should or should not paint my rims, but rather, how.

Yesterday I picked up a a set of rough looking 92 sawtooth rims at the junkyard for a steal! They didn't have much as far as curb damage, but the clear coat was garbage and they underlying aluminum was oxidized like no tomorrow.

I spent a few hours yesterday trying to strip the clear coat, and washing them. Then today I spent several more hours trying to strip all the paint and clear coat, and it wasn't working. I still had another rim to do, and still had to buff the shit out of them, and reclear them. Well, I decided I was through dinking around and pressure washing and using that damn Zip Strip, and was just going to buff them and clear them.

After talking to the owner of Bumper to Bumoer (where I was going to get the polishing compoung), there's a place in town that will sandblast them for $10 apiece. I talked to the owner there, and then dropped them off. They should be done by Monday. After that, I have to paint them.

Pretty simple, right?

No. Now I have to figure out what color(s) to paint them. So confusing.

The car is a maroon 2002 SL1, and the wheels are the sawtooth style from 1992.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o304/wotnartd/sl1/IMG_1782_800x533.jpg

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o304/wotnartd/sl1/IMG_1777_800x533.jpg

Looking at the wheel, I'd say I have three different levels that can be painted. The inner circle, the cut outs, and the outer area.

Anybody got some ideas for paint?

I'd just polish and clear them personally. Might look a little out of place any other way.

Well, I got the wheels back from the sandblaster the other day. They turned out awesome. I forgot to remove the weights, so had to do that prep at home, but it was nothing major. The oxidization and corrosion was just too much to think about doing by hand, so I went for broke.

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs009.snc1/2865_539737319987_6604575_31983075_4809652_n.jpg

They were so porous, all four took more than a can of primer. It was just a white primer, I forgot to snatch a pic.

But I got my base coat on, and my color scheme in my head. Red gloss flats and lip, gloss black cut outs.

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs009.snc1/2865_539787808807_6604575_31984761_1606959_n.jpg

They will definitely pop.

Just decided the new tire size for the new rims. 205/50-15. Only .03% slower showing. 2 fewer rotations per mile. Speedo will say 60, car will be moving 60.18. Kinda hurts my mileage factoring, but I thing that's a small enough discrepancy.

the blasters should've had sense enough to pull the weights off. looking good tho.

the blasters should've had sense enough to pull the weights off. looking good tho.

For a cheap cash job, I doubt it.