$$ SIMPLE DIY -- Wheel / Rim Prep'ing and Painting... $7 $$

[TRE_]

I've seen a couple people ask about painting their 06-07 Civic Wheels ... So last weekend when I was painting my beater / winter 06 EX wheels I decided I'd take some pics along the way and post up some tips that yield good results. PRODUCTS ::: ** 3M Sandpaper -- 80 & 140 grit ( varies depending on your preference ) ** Krylon Black Primer (I only used ONE can for all wheels... you may wanna grab an extra can tho) ** Krylon Gloss black spray paint ( """"" ) ** Masking tape ** Brakecleaner / soap and water STEP 1 --- Start off by cleaning your wheels -- I used 3M brake cleaner and a rag -- you can also use soap and water. Make sure your wheels are completley dry before proceeding STEP 2 --- Using 80 Grit sand paper begin scuffing / sanding the facade of the wheel (everywhere you plan on applying paint ) - You can follow this up with 140 + Grit if you want a super clean / smooth finish - prolonged sanding will result in a polished look Use some masking tape and/or index cards to prevent overspray on tires STEP 3 --- In a WARM envrioment that is fairly dust-free begin applying LIGHT coats of primer. This paint dries quickly so you wont have to wait around too long. you dont need an excessive amount of primer but make sure you get full, even coverage. http://www.trevorgillphotograp...1.jpg (( I was almost tempted to leave them in this state and follow-up with some clear coat -- that flat primer look almost gives a "spoon" feel... kinda cool but with a glossy black car I didnt think it'd flow well. )) STEP 4 -- After your primer is completley dry apply even, THIN coats of your glossy / final coat. Remember THIN coats!! Getting impatient will leave you with a blochy/shitty finish and you'll regret not taking your time. A few coats should do it... allow ample time for drying and touch spots up accordingly. If you want an even shiner look apply clear coat. Picture after one coat of gloss paint -- right wheel Short and simple DIY... its really not hard but hopefully this will encourage some of you to do it on your own. Powdercoating is the obvious best choice but for people on a budget OR beater rims painting is the way to go. Keep an eye out for final product pics -- waiting on a new battery for my D70

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[Demonis]

Nice, lets see em on the car.

[TRE_]

Originally Posted by Demonis

Nice, lets see em on the car.

Originally Posted by TRE_

Keep an eye out for final product pics -- waiting on a new battery for my D70

[LxRacer]

looks good. i might just try that to mine in the summer .. thanx

[tonybui]

let's see it on the car !!

[VTEC_Club]

Sleeper

[Michael Bolton]

Looks good but i have a few questions...
I have stock 16 RSX wheels and I am thinking of doing this now. Did you sand them by hand or did you use a machine? Did you plug the lug nut holes with anything or were you just careful not to spray in there? Will more than one coat of the black yield a shinier result or can you use a clear spray or not? Im looking for a shiney black not so much a flat black look. Also what are you going to do with the center caps? Can they be sanded and painted as well?
Thanks Trevor once again you get the BIG

[TRE_]

Originally Posted by Michael Bolton

Looks good but i have a few questions...
I have stock 16 RSX wheels and I am thinking of doing this now. Did you sand them by hand or did you use a machine?

Sanded them down by hand... if you've got a strong right arm its not too bad With a 5-6spoke simple design wheel it really doesnt take long.. hardest part isnt the flat face of the rim but the inside of the spokes/curves. Make sure you take your time on the inner spokes as the finish is usually different/thicker and its more difficult to sand being as its hard to get your hand in there. If you halfass the inner portions when you go to paint it they turn out super crappy because the paint/primer wont stick.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Did you plug the lug nut holes with anything or were you just careful not to spray in there?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Only thing I taped off was the tires... its hard to get a lot of paint in the lug holes but i wasnt concerned about it to be honest. it would look silly if those were free of paint IMO and it wont effect anything if theres SOME paint in the lug holes.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Will more than one coat of the black yield a shinier result or can you use a clear spray or not? Im looking for a shiney black not so much a flat black look. </TD></TR></TABLE>

As long as you use black primer you SHOULD get a deep shiney finish. Apply at least 3 coats of paint, any more and it'll yield a somewhat shiner finish but if you go overboard you'll end up with overly coated rims. You can definantly use some clear coat to seal and shine the wheels up.. should only use 1-2 coats of clear tho

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Also what are you going to do with the center caps? Can they be sanded and painted as well?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yep, sanded, primed and painted the center caps just the same as the wheels.

I used a space heater in my garage to speed up the drying process... only drawback was i got super ****ed up off the fumes

[Michael Bolton]

Originally Posted by TRE_

I used a space heater in my garage to speed up the drying process... only drawback was i got super ****ed up off the fumes

That sounds like a bonus to me
Thanks again man....Im gonna try this out for myself.

[Type X]

Originally Posted by Michael Bolton

That sounds like a bonus to me
Thanks again man....Im gonna try this out for myself.

i'm in lol

[TRE_]

yea its chill if youre into the whole naseau / wanna vomit / dizzy high. might just be cheaper to huff it out of a sock tho

[Michael Bolton]

Originally Posted by Type X

i'm in lol

Ill supply the paint you bring the munchies

[Michael Bolton]

bump for new pics!

[TRE_]

lol I JUST took them off the car because I wanted to rock the works again... never even took any mounted pics with the black EXs.... sorry y0 i'm sure it'll start snowing again shortly so I'll get some for you then

[cashdealer07]

anyone got ne pics of this im thinikin bout doin this really soon thanks

[hellbound1221]

i like this idea...but i dont want black rims. i'd rather paint em bronze or something..but it would probably look shitty

[Michael Bolton]

http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread/1859091

check it out