Had a crack in my rim. Took rim to a welding establishment (yes i know tisk, tisk). Had them weld inside and out, making it in my mind somewhat structurally sound.

Been trying to look for paint now. Not trying to go crazy and powdercoat either. Anybody know of a paint already that matches this? Or should I just wander the aisles of walmart and spray til I find something suitably close? I did so today, and let me tell you it's not as easy as it sounds.

I snapped this picture before I just plasti-dipped the rim at the moment to protect the bare metal from the elements. Any suggestions?

 

Buy a new wheel

 

Haha, good one, and the logical choice to most people. But what's done is done.

Would something like this have to be primed as well for a rattle can?

 

Are you really repairing rotas?

 

Thanks again for the help. Rota slips are 129 a piece on ebay. This was 50. Anybody have anything insightful to say? Or just trying to declare that i am a dolt.

 

That's a Rota Boost not a Slipstream, and had you shopped around it could have been had for $75.

Now you're paying $50 for a crap repair job (on a cast wheel I might add), plus you need to factor in the cost of paint. Now subtract any value from the resale of this wheel whatsoever. Had you just spent a little more money and used a little more intelligence, then maybe strangers on the internet wouldn't be making fun of you.

 

That wheel is technically ruined. You'd be better off throwing it out, and calling whatever was spent on it a loss and moving on to buy a replacement.

 

only way to get a perfect match would be to repaint all 4 wheels. Or go to a high end body shop, have them scan the color, mix up a batch and paint it yourself. It'll run you over $100 for primer, base, clear, and the supplies to prep.

As stated before, you would of been better off buying a new wheel if they're only Rota's.. beware of knock-offs though

 

Repairing bent, cracked, curbed, and damaged wheels ect. is my job and I would not recommend repairing a cracked spoke. You need to use so many amps to properly puddle a piece of aluminum that thick that by the time you're actually done with the weld your heat affected zone around the weld is going to be substantially weaker than the wheel when it was originally cast. IF the weld is good, then the weld itself it will be perfectly fine, but the area around it will be your problem child eventually. Just keep an eye on it, if it starts to crack around the weld then it's time to toss the wheel. I hate to keep harping on it, but I really would advise against driving on it at all.

That said, in regard to color matching it, find an auto body supply store in your area and take it to them. Have them color match it the best they can and then get them to pack you an aerosol can of the color. If they can't fill an aerosol can, then get them to mix the color pre-reduced for you. Just buy a half pint because that's the smallest size most places will sell and more than you will need. Then get a preval fill-able aerosol sprayer http://www.tcpglobal.com/AutoBodyDep...FSnxOgodCEkAZQ You can fill it with your freshly mixed paint and then spray your wheel.

I would suggest you spray the welded area and then blend into the rest of the wheel to match the original color better. Make sure you lightly scuff the wheel with 800 or so grit before you spray it so that the paint will stick. After that go down to lowes or home depot and get some aerosol clear to re clear the whole wheel with.

 

This, the structural integrity of the wheel is ruined. Then even more damaged by the weld job. Toss it

 

Just use it to hold the garden hose of your front lawn.

 

Ive heard horror stories about fixing wheels like that, i would personally call it a loss and get a new rim or set, cheap is not always the right way to go

 

1998gsrintegra thanks for the helpful post as always.

I haven't done anything with rim, but may end up going the route you had suggested, or just paint all of them if its more cost effective.

It is a worry driving it everyday, and i, in that time, needed a car with 4 rims and tires. If i could play it out again, id order the rim and wait. in the meantime buy a steely or pick one up at the junkyard to get around. But whats done is done.

With that said, the rim in question is still holding up (knock on wood).