# Sanded & Repainted Rims this weekend...



## Rays_Golf_III (Mar 11, 2005)

DISCLAIMER: First I have to say that I'm not even remotely a competent painter so I certainly welcome any feedback or criticism that helps me learn a better way to do this... That also means if you're reading this to learn how to do it, there may be a better way. That said, lets begin...
I recently bought a set of well used 16x7" Motegi MR7 rims & 205/45 16" tires for $150 via an on-line for sale/trade forum. It was a decent value/deal but the rims had their fair share of chipping and curb rash but I figured I could paint them. 
I started by doing a quick search on this forums to see what was entailed with refreshing these rims. I then paid a visit to a local home center (Home Depot) for paint supplies...
- Primer: Rust-oleum Professional gray primer
- Paint: Rust-oleum Professional Aluminum (p/n 7515)
- Tools: Rust-oleum Spray Grip (trigger grip for spray can)
- Tape: Scotch 3M 1" wide Safe-Release Painters' Masking Tape
- Drop Cloth: .7mil plastic sheet (so I didn't paint the ground/table I put the wheel on.
I then paid a visit to a local car parts store (Autozone) for more supplies
- Sand Paper: 3M Imperial Wetordry Automotive Assorted Sand Paper Pack (2x P320 grit, 1x P400 Grit, 1x P500 Grit, 1x P800 Grit)
Other items needed...
- Degreaser/Cleaning solution
- 28 sheets of 8.5x11" paper so tires don't get painted.
- Exacto Knife w/ sharp blades (to cut the paper)








Once I had all the necessary supplies, I began the process..
First I used a citrus based degreaser to clean the wheels of any dirt, brake dust or grease. For each rim (already pretty clean) I went through 3-4 clean & dry cycles to ensure no dirt or dust remained.
I know there are other cleaning solutions you can use but this worked for me.
Next I sanded down any areas that had chipped or scratched paint. In some cases it was simply the upper silver coat but in other cases it went down through the color coats, primer coats all the way into the aluminum. I simply sanded down a reasonable amount in areas I knew I could repair. For other areas that were too deeply gouged, I left them be.
















I had decided early on, that I didn't want to paint "everything", just the areas that were easily seen. Also since I was painting silver rims silver it wasn't as critical. These factors helped me determine where to tape off areas and what areas didn't need taping off.
































In my case there were natural areas where I could paint to w/out it looking like crap.
This did mean taping off each spoked section (7 total/rim) I did it slowly using small sections of masking tape.
Once each section is taped off, I taped off the tire area right next to the rim. I then took the paper and cut out semi-circular sections from one side and positioned them around the tires. Since this was a 7 spoke rim, I used that to orient 7 sheets around he perimeter.








I then placed the tire on a section of the plastic drop cloth & painted it first with primer. I made numerous sweeps using the spray can paint with the Rustoleun Spray Grip.








*Note:* I highly recommend using something like the Spray Grip (I'm sure there are other brands).








I made several complete passes rather than try to put the primer on too heavy and waited 10-20 minutes between passes to allow the primer to completely dry.








Once the final coat of primer is completely dry (doesn't take too long... follow the directions on the can) I then start painting it. Again, I use multiple thin coats allowing dry time between each coat. 
This part is tricky and you'll have to figure it out carefully... After about the 3rd or 4th thin coat of paint, I applied a thick enough coat of paint to get a smooth glossy finish.
After this step, I waited 2-3 hours to allow the paint to dry well enough that I can handle the rims without damaging the finish. Follow the directions for your paint. Rust-oleum says 1-2 hours but I went a little longer to be safe.
Once dry, I used a paper towel to buff out the area where the new paint meets with the old paint. Here you can barely see the line between the new paint & the old paint. You can also see a slight chip where I didn't sand/paint.








Once this was done, I simply sat back and enjoyed the shine...








Now question I have is should I also clear coat them? My guess is yes so I'll buy some clearcoat and apply that next.
As soon as I can find a good source for tuner lug bolts (ie least expensive source) I'll have some pics with these rims mounted on my Golf. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
Ahh, almost time for a








What do you all think?


_Modified by Rays_Golf_III at 1:26 AM 5-24-2005_


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## GolfMedic (May 20, 2001)

*Re: Sanded & Repainted Rims this weekend... (Rays_Golf_III)*

Nice Work!







http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif Now get you a


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## Maddave10 (Feb 19, 2002)

*Re: Sanded & Repainted Rims this weekend... (Rays_Golf_III)*

Definitely clear coat em


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## Rays_Golf_III (Mar 11, 2005)

*Re: Sanded & Repainted Rims this weekend... (Maddave10)*

Thanks for the compliment.
Yup just finished 3 coats of clear on them. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
Those dual 50W halogen work lamps at HD I bought 3 years ago have certainly been worth it. Great for helping to bake paint on.








Now I'll do one more coat of clear and then I'll mount them.
Since these use tuner lugs instead of normal ones, I also found that the best place to buy them isn't on ebay but locally at an independent tire shop. ebay price as $28 + $7 shipping. I bought them locally for $31 http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
So is there a diagram anyone can put up showing where can I use a floor jack on my golf (95GL)? I assume A-Arms & Frame rails?


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## Rays_Golf_III (Mar 11, 2005)

*Re: Sanded & Repainted Rims this weekend... (Rays_Golf_III)*

Rims are on! Here are some pics...


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## [email protected] (Mar 11, 2005)

Can't see the pics







(


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## Rays_Golf_III (Mar 11, 2005)

*Re: ([email protected])*

Still?


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## Murphy95 (Jul 18, 2008)

*Re: (Rays_Golf_III)*

looks nice http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Row2wiN (Aug 24, 2007)

*Re: (Murphy95)*

looks good! i am about to polish my lips out this coming weekend.
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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