Painting steelies

[what2do]

Taken the cheaper version of DIY. Had them blast cleaned, I've put on one coat of etch primer and was wondering what results people have had with top coating by using a rattle can. Also, what products are recommended, smoothrite, rustoleum combicolour, anything else?

Cheers, mitch.

[what2do]

Looking at the 4 wheels, it may be better to buy a small tin and brush/sponge thingy them due to the cost. I used 2 and a half tins of etch primer to give all 4 wheels a good coating. Even with DIY, it soon starts to add up. At least the rims were free and kwikfit removed the old tyres for free, other garages wanted between £6 and £10 per wheel!!!

[Titus A Duxass]

My winters are finished in rattle can paint, still looking okay after a couple of years.

[what2do]

Aha, I'm planning on putting winter tyres on my steelies also. What prep, paint did you use?

[fairwynds]

Why the need to etch prime them? I thought etch primer was for alloy, to allow a suitable base and key for paints?
After several attempts at painting wheels and always finding they rust in the end, I went down the galvanising route. Reckon in a hundred years time there will be a pile of rust in a field somewhere and tour decent wheels!

[what2do]

I'd seen your pics about galvanising when you first put them up. As said at the start of my post, these are DIY in order to keep costs down.

[nevill3]

How much does it cost to get four wheels galvanised? Yours look great and is just the look I would like.

[fairwynds]

(Medway galvanising....under 100 quid, inc the arms. Don't expect them to stay shiny though )

To the OP, my question was more about the need to 'etch prime' first... I'd have thought a proprietary steel primer would do the trip...?

[what2do]

Ordinary primer would be 'fine' but the additional cost of etch primer (if any), is negated by the reportedly better adhesion. That's all I know.

[the_fever]

I went down the rattle can route - used 3 tins of primer, 6 tins of colour, and 2 tins of lacquer. Just used Halfords spray paint as I managed to borrow a friends trade card to keep costs down.

still looking good after 1 year

Prep -


Primer -


Finished -


Installed -


Cheers

[what2do]

Ow, my eyes!!! Quality looks a-ok from where I'm sitting. Thinking of getting a tin of rustoleum and giving them a coat with a brush/sponge. Anyone false done wheels with rustoleum?

[what2do]

@fairwynds, any chance of some pics as they are now. Interested to see how they've 'aged'? Cheers.

[the_fever]

[bigherb]

One tip with painting wheels is hard to get the paint down the gap between the rim and wheel centre even with a brush so I use polyurethane sealant to fill the gap smoothed out with a coffee stirrer.


I prefer enamel paints with polyurethane for wheels sold as appliance paint in the likes of Wilko

[what2do]

Looking good Herb, especially as wilco supplied the paint which meant the costs were low. Can't see any brush marks, did you apply a few thinned coats?