Si Speed's Guide to Wheel Painting

[Si Speed]

This guide is to be used after the curb rash repair. (http://preludezone.com/showthread.php?t=9665) I've gotten many PM's and seen many threads asking about how to do this so I'm giving you this guide as a tutorial. As always, I take full responsibility for all positive changes in your life and to your car be following my guide, and absolutely none for anything that might be broken or damaged.

Items Needed
-2 cans of Aircraft Remover (If the wheel is already painted)
-T-shirt Rag (No Terry Towel Material)
-Water Hose
-80 Grit Sandpaper
-150 Grit Sandpaper
-Canned Air or Air compressor with blower attachment
-Acetone
-Masking Tape (If you are leaving the tires on)
-Dupli-Color Automotive Primer
-2 Cans of Dupli-Color Wheel Paint
-Dupli-Color Wheel Clear Coat

NOTE: The sandpaper grits don't have to be specifically as stated, but something close to it.

Firstly, make sure any iron weights on the edge of the wheel are off. No matter what you do, the paint will eventually flake off of it and look terrible. I highly recommend doing this with the tires off, but I'll still guide you if you leave the tires on.


Step 1: Lay the wheel on flat pavement. Shake up your can of aircraft remover well and simply spray the wheel down thoroughly. Let it sit 10 minutes. Make sure you avoid skin contact as much as possible and wash it off when contact is made with the remover as it is highly irritant. You will have something like this:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d53/si_lude/Wheel%20Paint%20Guide/DSC00262.jpg

Step 2: Take your old short and wipe off as much of the paint as possible. You may have to repeat step 1 if a good amount of paint is still left.

Step 3: Spray off any left over stripped paint. You'll have something like this:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d53/si_lude/Wheel%20Paint%20Guide/DSC00263.jpg

Step 4: Start sanding everything you plan to paint with the 80-grit sandpaper. Be sure to get any paint off that wasn't removed by the paint stripper. Your wheel will look something like this:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d53/si_lude/Wheel%20Paint%20Guide/DSC00264.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d53/si_lude/Wheel%20Paint%20Guide/DSC00265.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d53/si_lude/Wheel%20Paint%20Guide/DSC00267.jpg

NOTE: during this step, if you have rust around the lug holes, now would be a good time to get the wire brush wheel attachment on your Dremel and clean the rust off.

Step 5: Just blow off the wheel, and start sanding away with the 150-grit sandpaper.

Step 6: Now use your air compressor or canned air to get ALL dust off.

Step 7: Primer it up. When you're done you may have some imperfections but you can go back over it again with the primer. This is what it could look like after the first coat and light sanding in certain places:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d53/si_lude/Wheel%20Paint%20Guide/DSC00345.jpg

Step 8: After getting the prepping out of the way. Now en lies the part where lots of patience is required. Painting. Make several consistent passes. DO NOT just glob it all on at once! If you're doing this right, you'll be making more coats so like I said, be patient. At the end of 3 coats, you'll have this:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d53/si_lude/Wheel%20Paint%20Guide/DSC00390.jpg

Step 9: After giving the 3rd coat of paint a good 30-45 minutes to dry, time for a good, solid coat of clear coat. Like this:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d53/si_lude/Wheel%20Paint%20Guide/DSC00391.jpg

Repeat these steps on the 3 other wheels and you're set.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d53/si_lude/Wheel%20Paint%20Guide/DSC00392.jpg

Once again, this is MY write-up. Share it with whomever you like as long as a link to this article is included. Enjoy and post up any questions you have for me.

[Si Speed]

FRESH OUT OF THE MOD SECTION!
I've finally finished this damn write-up.

[HondaNeedsBoost]

good write up E...i read it all when it was in the mod section and im glad to see u got them done

[jimmyznutz]

Very precise and informative. Good Job. Definately planning on doing this to my SH's soon. Gonna try white 1st.

[93[BB4]Prelude]

PRIMO JOB! haha i was going to make this DIY with the bronze 7 spokes i just painted but ive been inactive with graduation and all. IM DONE CLASSES AND I GRAD IS THURSDAY WOOT

[Si Speed]

Prelude;153143']PRIMO JOB! haha i was going to make this DIY with the bronze 7 spokes i just painted but ive been inactive with graduation and all. IM DONE CLASSES AND I GRAD IS THURSDAY WOOT

I thought I got outta shcool late when I graduated May 30th and all the shcools around were out 1-2 weeks earlier.

There's already a wheel paint guide on here but some people weren't seeing it and still asking how mine turned out so good. Now I can link them to this. The paint is a little lighter and more metalic than stock SH but doesn't look bad. Sad thing is, it's all coming off today since I sold them to my dad to put on his FGP Lude. I got something else in mind for mine. Putting new valves in them too, thats why I didn't take it off.

Oh and, that was the wheel that made me have to do these 2 wheel guides because it was so f'ed up. Look closely on the face and you can still see where I couldn't perfect it but it's 100x better than it was.