Spray paint wheel color options...

Great question - all the cost is labor - materials I could have done it all for less than $60 including paint - easily under $100
Rustoleum self-etch primer - 1 can = 2 coats per wheel. I expect paint to be the same. I went with Rustoleum "High Performance Wheel" which is a "steel" color - the cap came closest to matching my center cap and it supposedly works on plastic. I intend to do some accents on the bumper and/or grill surround.

I scuffed the back side and de-crudded them but didn't go full retard. I don't know if I'm gonna paint or not - if I do it will be primer/paint combo in black just for protection. Maybe self etching primer and a coat of black - I still have a can of primer and cans of black laying around. I'm in New England - lots of salt/chem on the road...add 4 hrs for painting.

• Initial cleaning, scraping was a lot - about 6 hours iirc. Took me about an hour to sort out what worked and what was needed. Those guys painting don't need to use 600 or more grit - just wasting time.
  
• wire wheel was about 4 - in the sun, with coffee/beers, relaxed pace
  
• sand and prime was about 3 hrs total - relaxed pace. I forgot to add rinse and alcohol wipe down prior to prime, watch those pockets for dust after rinse.
• paint will be another 2-3 hrs
• clear coat as above

I've only worked on these on 3 separate days so far - it's a relax thing

I took them to a local wheel expert - he wouldn't even touch them - told me to go buy from KLQ or whoever - That's when I said to myself - Relax, enjoy the doing.

Total time budget for the wheels in post #16 - I'd bet 24 man/hrs. I numbered my wheels and worked on the worst one first every time.

Be careful with a wire wheel on a drill - my drill crapped out from the heat of constant use - I have a compressor and used a die grinder with wheel.

 

the worst one before



and the group after prime

 

You can rent a sandblaster. That's what I did on my last wheels, then spray painted them.

 

If you blast - research media and understand how they each work - you want to take the finish off not cut the wheel in two...

media like corn cob & walnut shells might serve you better than black beauty...

 

Just got 2 of mine done came out about 90 % couple small little imperfections but you cant see them unless your less then a foot away. 3 coats paint 4 coats of matte clear

 

What color is this?

 

Duplicolor graphite

 

Teaser... Almost done

 

Color courtesy of @rjbiii

 

Looking great!!

 

Oh yeah, and here's what i started with just after power washing them. After that was strip, sand, primer, sand again and paint.

 

Any pictures of these mounted?

 

Here’s an idea of what the Rustoleum Dark Steel color looks like - center cap not painted to show the difference. gives the wheel a great smoked silver look. Highly recommend this color if you find the silver is too light, and graphite too dark

 

Another picture Rust-oleum dark steel under different lighting conditions:

 

Any of you painted aluminum bullet holes mine are faded and don't polish out good anymore but they are aftermarket eagle alloy jw if the paint would stick good or should I just plasti dip? I wanna go with the dark graphite since my trucks white any pics of painted bullet holes? Thanks

 

Hey OP any pics of the wheels installed?

 

Here's a pic of the rims with the original color I picked, Rustoleum Weathered Steel.

 

I thought they were still a little too light... So I sanded them and painted them with Rustoleum Soft Flat Iron. Now I am happy with the color. Not too light, but not as dark as the Duplicolor Graphite. Still have to do the center caps though.

 

Sexy