Alloys Refurb.

Dale.

Dale.

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Dale.
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My alloys are desperately in need of a refurb. They're not kerbed or anything like that, it's just age, a 2012 reg.

I'm tempted to have go myself, obviously though, not powder coated, I don't have the kit.

So a rattle can, copious amounts of rubbing down and primer etc etc.

I think though, it could be a labour of love? So maybe I will leave it to the pros.

Anybody ever done this for themselves?

ta.
 
We're looking at getting some mini wheels done, but by a pro because they've been kerbed and pot-holed rather a lot.
 
my c3 ones are f***ed they have this laquer that the water gets under
 
I want mine done, nothing wrong with them, I just fancy a change from the boring silver, but at £100 per wheel its a costly change £20 for removal and re fitting of tyres each, then £80 per wheel to powder coat, if you do a decent job with rattle cans pop a thread up and lets see how it goes please @Dale.
 
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This prompted me to look at getting new wheels. For my car, the first website I tried was quoting between £111-135 for each wheel, and they were fairly "sexy" ones, not your bog-standard ones. Just thinking, that would be a better option maybe if you were willing to spend the money to refurb existing ones.
 
To do it properly (or even a half decent job that'll last more than a couple of months), you'll need the tyres off and ideally a 2 part epoxy paint (which needs a proper mask, ideally positive pressure fed). I'd get them done by the pros (and will be getting mine done soon - kerbed by previous owner.)
 
Nod said:
To do it properly (or even a half decent job that'll last more than a couple of months), you'll need the tyres off and ideally a 2 part epoxy paint (which needs a proper mask, ideally positive pressure fed). I'd get them done by the pros (and will be getting mine done soon - kerbed by previous owner.)
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100% this.
I have sprayed cars in the past, but only sprayed a couple of motorbike wheels, which didn't look great after a few months.
 
Hmmm, reading all that, maybe it's best left to the pros, or even new wheels. New wheels are not as expensive as I thought, I will be needing front tyres soon too, so maybe even a tyre and wheel package.

No rush on this though, so I have time to consider my options. Powder coating by a pro probably makes the soundest, cost effective option.
I very nearly had the wheels done on my previous car, a Seat Ibiza, I'd been to a local powder coater to suss things out and I was to arrange things with him a week or so later. Just as well I didn't as a day later, the engine light came on the Ibiza, I got it checked and it was the DPF as well as an injector on a 1.6 TDi. The cost of fixing all that was more than it was worth.

I have enough confidence in my current car to get it done though.
 
Get some 51/2 Js and some Dunlop Groundhogs, sticks to the road like glue, especially if you lower the supension and upgrade the shocks!


(Sorry, I am reliving my early 20s)
 
Suvv said:
Get some 51/2 Js and some Dunlop Groundhogs, sticks to the road like glue, especially if you lower the supension and upgrade the shocks!


(Sorry, I am reliving my early 20s)
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Your post reminds me of my D plated MG Midget I had in the 70's. It was shod with Semperit tyres and talk about cornering like it was on rails.....come rain, come shine......simply superb :D
 
Box Brownie said:
Your post reminds me of my D plated MG Midget I had in the 70's. It was shod with Semperit tyres and talk about cornering like it was on rails.....come rain, come shine......simply superb :D
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Narrower tyres give a different conrering experience, and a wider tyre is inclined to be less directional than an older narrow design.
 
Crossplies could be... interesting!
 
i sprayed a set of wheels a couple of years ago which turned out quite well but i have to say if your going to start from scratch it can be more costly than expected
i didn't use rattle cans i have a compressor so bought a cheap spray gun and went from there
not perfect but not bad all things considered
cost was about £100 for materials

https://imgur.com/goSB0ul
View: https://i.imgur.com/goSB0ul.jpg
 
ancient_mariner said:
We're looking at getting some mini wheels done, but by a pro because they've been kerbed and pot-holed rather a lot.
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If it's a current "F" series Mini, most of the wheels are a real pain as the spokes bow out wider than the rims, so catch on high kerbs, or pot holes. Terrible designs. I know, I've had 2 F series JCW's. A 3 door and currently, a Clubman.
 
Suvv said:
Get some 51/2 Js and some Dunlop Groundhogs, sticks to the road like glue, especially if you lower the supension and upgrade the shocks!


(Sorry, I am reliving my early 20s)
Click to expand...
"Carlos Fandango's" :LOL: :LOL:
 
Jelster said:
If it's a current "F" series Mini, most of the wheels are a real pain as the spokes bow out wider than the rims, so catch on high kerbs, or pot holes. Terrible designs. I know, I've had 2 F series JCW's. A 3 door and currently, a Clubman.
Click to expand...

We had been thinking about refurbing the wheels for my wife's mini, but have just decided to flog them as we had 3 sets. It looks fantastic on 17" low profiles, but every wheel has at least one major flat spot from potholes and we'll never be able to use them round here.
 
I would advice going pro as well.

I need mine done, the front two are pretty bad thanks to our horrific roads. But as the tyres will have to come off etc I'm going to wait until I need new tyres and get the bodyshop to do both the alloy refurb and new tyres at the same time. Meanwhile whilst the wheels are off I can sort out my calipers that are looking nasty thanks to the previous owner doing a pretty crap job of painting them.
 
I have done mine several times since giving my wife the keys. :rolleyes:

Use proper alloy wheel filler if needed but otherwise treat like any other paint job. Use a deck of cards to mask off the tyres.
 
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cosmicma said:
i sprayed a set of wheels a couple of years ago which turned out quite well but i have to say if your going to start from scratch it can be more costly than expected
i didn't use rattle cans i have a compressor so bought a cheap spray gun and went from there
not perfect but not bad all things considered
cost was about £100 for materials

https://imgur.com/goSB0ul
View: https://i.imgur.com/goSB0ul.jpg
Click to expand...

That looks like a very good job, did you use 2K paint?
 
I think, in my circumstances, I need to leave it to the pros. It looks like quite a time consuming job DIY, not that I mind that, if only I had the time. That's my main concern.

I love prepping stuff for paint and I can use a rattle can and I have also used a gun in the past. I used to spray bodyshells for RC cars, planes, boats helicopters etc many years ago for a local modelshop, spraying wheels wouldn't daunt me at all. I love sprying, the satisfaction when you get it right is immense.

I could do it bit I have other distractions going on just now, so I will have to hand them over to alocal guy, who I spoke to a few years ago about getting the Ibiza wheels done a few years ago.

I will check him out again, see what he says, he was going to loan me wheels last time for the day, until mine were done.

On the back of my mind also is that I may be changing this car in the next year as it struggles to start in cold weather, it has a glow plug problem and the glow plugs won't come out. I'm not sure if I'll be living with that for another winter or not.
 
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About 3/4 years ago I did a set of wheels myself just with rattle cans. Sold the car about a year later but seen it recently and they are still holding up well.

Was a lot of work though don’t think I would be bothered again especially as powder coating is relatively cheap these days.
 
I had the 19" wheels on my five series powder coated a couple of years ago, from memory it was about £70 a wheel for one colour or just over the ton each if I had wanted to re do the 'shadow chrome'.
I was forced to do it at the time as the existing powder coat was flaking off to the extent that one wheel would not hold air overnight. It was mid winter, cold and damp so there was no way I was going to attempt a home respray on them, which is good as had it happen in the warmer weather I would have wasted a lot of time and effort and would probably have ended up sending them off to be done professionally very soon after.
Like most things you need to shop around and or be prepared to travel for the best price v quality value.
 
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