Hi guys, it has been a while, but here's another backyard DIY. This DIY takes a while (depending on your amount of wheel neglect), but as always is well worth it.
Here was my problem:
Curbage, dings, chips, age, and neglect.
Here's what I did to fix them:
1. Clean all dirt/grease/brake dust
2. Fill in chips/rash/dings with body filler
With this stuff, less is more, and LET IT DRY, else you'll be sanding away clumps instead of fine dust.
3. After the filler is totally dry, get some sand paper, and get sanding. Start coarse, end fine. I think I ended up using 1000-2000 grit to finish.
4. Get the wheels dust free, and ready for painting. I recommend using a lightly damp cloth to get all the dust, not too damp though, the filled LOVES moisture.
5. If your wheels have tires mounted, and you're too cheap to remove the tires (and you probably are since you're doing this budget DIY :tongue
. Use a lot of small pieces of tape, to best follow the curve of the wheel.
6. Cut out some cardboard. Remember these wheels are perfect circles, so poke a hole, get some string, and trace a circle the appropriate size (I recommend an extra inch or two in diameter) and get cutting.
7. PRIME your wheels. I recommend using some filler primer, to help fill in the tiny imperfections you missed while using your filler.
8. Re-sand your wheels if you used filler primer as it can leave a rough finished. I think now is a good time to use the 2000 grit. Repeat steps 7 again if the wheel isn't perfect enough (I gave mine an extra filler-primer coat).
9. Paint 'em! I used some super tough rust enamel because it looked to best match the OEM colour. One can gave me about 3 light coats on all four wheels. Here's the exact stuff I used. It actually ended up giving the wheels a light grey with maybe a 0.1% blue tint, not as metallic as I had wished, but it's got that OEM alloy wheel look guaranteed. As always, many light coats is always better than few heavy coats.
10. After you're happy with the paint job, time to clear coat the wheel. Don't neglect this step, as it will add that OEM glossy look and protect your paint while washing & handling.
11. Don't forget your centre caps (fat-five guys). I recommend using a tiny flat head to pry up the "ACURA" lettering. The letters are held in by an expanding foam glue type stuff, but is very brittle, so it's easy to break each letter loose. The letters themselves are also metal! So they can be bent a little during removal. However, be gentle, as too much back and forth bending will break it, just like bending a paperclip back and forth. Sorry, no photos, but I recommend using a clear super glue and lay each letter back into its respective slot. I contemplated masking the letters, but it was just too easy getting them off, and what a PITA to mask each letter, no thanks.
12. Enjoy your reborn wheels!
Based on all the drying times of the filler, primer, paint, and clear, this is probably a two weekend DIY. It costs under $50, and is a great return depending on the damage of your wheels. Mine we disgusting to look at, now I'm proud of them. I especially have a soft spot for the fat-fives, so I'm glad to see them refinished.
I wouldn't recommend doing this DIY on a valuable set of wheels, don't cheap out, get the pro's to do it. But for a set of wheels worth only a few hundred bucks, $50 isn't a huge tax to get them aesthetically pleasing again.
Cheers,
Lucas
Here was my problem:
Curbage, dings, chips, age, and neglect.
Here's what I did to fix them:
1. Clean all dirt/grease/brake dust
2. Fill in chips/rash/dings with body filler
With this stuff, less is more, and LET IT DRY, else you'll be sanding away clumps instead of fine dust.
3. After the filler is totally dry, get some sand paper, and get sanding. Start coarse, end fine. I think I ended up using 1000-2000 grit to finish.
4. Get the wheels dust free, and ready for painting. I recommend using a lightly damp cloth to get all the dust, not too damp though, the filled LOVES moisture.
5. If your wheels have tires mounted, and you're too cheap to remove the tires (and you probably are since you're doing this budget DIY :tongue
. Use a lot of small pieces of tape, to best follow the curve of the wheel.6. Cut out some cardboard. Remember these wheels are perfect circles, so poke a hole, get some string, and trace a circle the appropriate size (I recommend an extra inch or two in diameter) and get cutting.
7. PRIME your wheels. I recommend using some filler primer, to help fill in the tiny imperfections you missed while using your filler.
8. Re-sand your wheels if you used filler primer as it can leave a rough finished. I think now is a good time to use the 2000 grit. Repeat steps 7 again if the wheel isn't perfect enough (I gave mine an extra filler-primer coat).
9. Paint 'em! I used some super tough rust enamel because it looked to best match the OEM colour. One can gave me about 3 light coats on all four wheels. Here's the exact stuff I used. It actually ended up giving the wheels a light grey with maybe a 0.1% blue tint, not as metallic as I had wished, but it's got that OEM alloy wheel look guaranteed. As always, many light coats is always better than few heavy coats.
10. After you're happy with the paint job, time to clear coat the wheel. Don't neglect this step, as it will add that OEM glossy look and protect your paint while washing & handling.
11. Don't forget your centre caps (fat-five guys). I recommend using a tiny flat head to pry up the "ACURA" lettering. The letters are held in by an expanding foam glue type stuff, but is very brittle, so it's easy to break each letter loose. The letters themselves are also metal! So they can be bent a little during removal. However, be gentle, as too much back and forth bending will break it, just like bending a paperclip back and forth. Sorry, no photos, but I recommend using a clear super glue and lay each letter back into its respective slot. I contemplated masking the letters, but it was just too easy getting them off, and what a PITA to mask each letter, no thanks.
12. Enjoy your reborn wheels!
Based on all the drying times of the filler, primer, paint, and clear, this is probably a two weekend DIY. It costs under $50, and is a great return depending on the damage of your wheels. Mine we disgusting to look at, now I'm proud of them. I especially have a soft spot for the fat-fives, so I'm glad to see them refinished.
I wouldn't recommend doing this DIY on a valuable set of wheels, don't cheap out, get the pro's to do it. But for a set of wheels worth only a few hundred bucks, $50 isn't a huge tax to get them aesthetically pleasing again.
Cheers,
Lucas
