# DIY alloy refurb, how not to.



## gordonpuk (Mar 14, 2010)

Been looking about for info on DIY wheel refurb (I really can't afford to get them done, so it's DIY or nothing) and came across this site:
http://www.impee.co.uk/alloy_repair.htm
Erm, I don't think I'll be following his advice.


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## dalecyt (Nov 16, 2010)

for those a little less observent, what is he doing wrong ?


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## gordonpuk (Mar 14, 2010)

Doing them on the car, messy, using a knife to trim the filler, getting the tyres covered in filler, seems to be getting lots of scratches in the wheels, no primer, spraying his valve silver, using what ever he did to dress the tyre and over spray over the brakes.


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## BlackFerret (Sep 4, 2009)

i love the quote "If you have any silver paint spray-over on the tyre, never mind. A week or two later it just comes off automatically."


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## Steve valentine (Aug 7, 2010)

I'll be honest, it didn't look too bad when done.


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## Glen.MJeeSe (Feb 7, 2011)

There is a good whell furb guide somewhere, not sure if it is on this site or an ownersclub somewhere? I will try and find it


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

There are quite a few people that repaint alloys still on the car, seems to be pretty big in the USA...

I wouldn't do it mind you, always took the wheels off...

:thumb:


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## Franzpan (Mar 2, 2009)

Cant see the point in doing it still on the car, all that hassle of stooping/kneeling down to work at them and then papering up the whole back end of the car when it comes to spraying. For the sake of a 2min job of taking it of.


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## i5aces (Mar 5, 2011)

Steve valentine said:


> I'll be honest, it didn't look too bad when done.


isnt the final picture a diffrent wheel, the caliper is on the wrong side and the valve has a silver cap on,
i strongly doubt he got a finnish like that using the method he described


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## Steve valentine (Aug 7, 2010)

i5aces said:


> isnt the final picture a diffrent wheel, the caliper is on the wrong side and the valve has a silver cap on,
> i strongly doubt he got a finnish like that using the method he described


final picture, calliper is same side as first picture, looks to me like he was doing more than one wheel.


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## bug.mania (Dec 26, 2010)

its easy enough to do properly with the wheel off, here's one of mine i did today came out well with rattle cans and they where heavaly curbed before i started
this one was deaply curbed

before










after


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## gordonpuk (Mar 14, 2010)

bug.mania said:


> its easy enough to do properly with the wheel off, here's one of mine i did today came out well with rattle cans and they where heavaly curbed before i started
> this one was deaply curbed
> 
> before
> ...


Now that's a refurb I can relate too, care to share any tips?
My problem is not only scuffs but the dreaded Mazda paint peeling/bubbling,
I think I'm going to have to strip the whole wheel of paint as it's just lifting off in place's, I've never painted alloy before so I don't know if I have to use a special alloy primer, etch primer.
G.


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## bug.mania (Dec 26, 2010)

gordonpuk said:


> Now that's a refurb I can relate too, care to share any tips?
> My problem is not only scuffs but the dreaded Mazda paint peeling/bubbling,
> I think I'm going to have to strip the whole wheel of paint as it's just lifting off in place's, I've never painted alloy before so I don't know if I have to use a special alloy primer, etch primer.
> G.


dont bare metal the whole wheel as it can create all sorts of problems, just sand back the afftected areas and blend them into the paintwork (so there is no lips around the sanded area) and get a good zink primer and dust it onto the bare metal areas, then a good filler primer flat that in with 800grit wet and dry and then add the colour of choice


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## chrisw87 (Feb 6, 2011)

bug.mania said:


> dont bare metal the whole wheel as it can create all sorts of problems, just sand back the afftected areas and blend them into the paintwork (so there is no lips around the sanded area) and get a good zink primer and dust it onto the bare metal areas, then a good filler primer flat that in with 800grit wet and dry and then add the colour of choice


That or if you really want it to look fantastic and you WANT to keep the original wheels, strip them and get them powdercoated. When i rebuild bikes I usually paint the wheels and polish the lip, but I met a local powdercoater and its just fantastic, even high gloss finishes and rather cheap (I usually pay about $30 per wheel)


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## bug.mania (Dec 26, 2010)

chrisw87 said:


> That or if you really want it to look fantastic and you WANT to keep the original wheels, strip them and get them powdercoated. When i rebuild bikes I usually paint the wheels and polish the lip, but I met a local powdercoater and its just fantastic, even high gloss finishes and rather cheap (I usually pay about $30 per wheel)


agreed powdercoating looks great for the first few weeks but as soon you get a stone chip the powdercoat lifts and bubbles like the threadstarters problem in the start where as paint is a little flexiable and as long as petrol resistant laquer is used virtually indestructable


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## gordonpuk (Mar 14, 2010)

bug.mania said:


> dont bare metal the whole wheel as it can create all sorts of problems, just sand back the afftected areas and blend them into the paintwork (so there is no lips around the sanded area) and get a good zink primer and dust it onto the bare metal areas, then a good filler primer flat that in with 800grit wet and dry and then add the colour of choice


Mazda had problems with their wheels, replacing them under warranty,
the paint just falls off, I would hate to spend so much time painting over unknown defects for my hard work to fail because of the substrate, even when I wash them slivers of paint come off so I think it's going to be back to bare alloy.


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## bonnietiler (Jan 21, 2011)

I use aerosol "2-Pack" clear to finish it gives avery high gloss and is considerably more resiliant than the std clear.
Just remember to cover up when spraying (mask goggles gloves etc)
I find that one rattle can will do 2 wheels.
Just done the Racing Puma..not "mint" but not expensive either!


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## bug.mania (Dec 26, 2010)

gordonpuk said:


> Mazda had problems with their wheels, replacing them under warranty,
> the paint just falls off, I would hate to spend so much time painting over unknown defects for my hard work to fail because of the substrate, even when I wash them slivers of paint come off so I think it's going to be back to bare alloy.


your best bet would to get them media blasted then to make sure its all off then or dipped


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## bug.mania (Dec 26, 2010)

bonnietiler said:


> I use aerosol "2-Pack" clear to finish it gives avery high gloss and is considerably more resiliant than the std clear.
> Just remember to cover up when spraying (mask goggles gloves etc)
> I find that one rattle can will do 2 wheels.
> Just done the Racing Puma..not "mint" but not expensive either!


that is a good laquer, but the petrol resistant stuff from halfords is pritty much the same thing but cheaper and available from halfords


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## bonnietiler (Jan 21, 2011)

I'm sure that it's a fine product but it not being 2-pack, means it just won't have the "legs" of a genuine 2-pack clear coat, and when I worked in the chemical dept of a large adhesive manufacturer in Stoke, they told me to shy away from anything that said "resistant"...now PROOF..is a different matter entirely. 
But as the head chemist said to me:
A Paper Bag is actually water "resistant"...just not for very long!
But in all fairness, i've never used Halfords Petrol resistant lacquer so It may well be a fine product.
Regards
Bonnieitler


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## chisai (Jan 1, 2009)

This is a great guide, done by a 16 year old at the time.
http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=54047


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## chrisw87 (Feb 6, 2011)

petrol resistant/proof is definitely in the wording; 

When I sprayed my old bikes, I used acrylic and clear coated them, and I never had any issues with petrol around the tank cap etc. im sure it would have bubbled away if there was plenty of it there, but it was resistant enough haha.


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## nicmcs (Jan 1, 2011)

looked at that last night, that guy should be shot, butcher.
next thing he'll be painting whole cars.


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## impee99 (Mar 14, 2011)

*impee's DIY*

Hi all,

I think it is only fair if I responded to a few critical observations regarding my DIY... 

Franzpan
"Cant see the point in doing it still on the car, all that hassle of stooping/kneeling down to work at them and then papering up the whole back end of the car when it comes to spraying. For the sake of a 2min job of taking it of."

impee:
I left the wheels on as I was doing all 4 at the same time, so it is definitely quicker to sand all 4, fill all 4, re-sand all 4, paint all 4 etc, while all 4 are on, rather than take one off and then spend upto 4 hours alone on finishing 1 wheel (weather permitting), then take the next wheel off...repeat. My DIY was done casually over a week or so. 
You might have a point about not having to mask the car body while painting, but I still think it is quicker with the wheels on, unless you are after a perfect factory finish, then one could spend some extra time removing them all.

gordonpuk
"Doing them on the car, messy, using a knife to trim the filler, getting the tyres covered in filler, seems to be getting lots of scratches in the wheels, no primer, spraying his valve silver, using what ever he did to dress the tyre and over spray over the brakes."

impee:
Yep, I forgot to use primer but I did mention that in the DIY write up and recommended that it should be used. The funny thing is it has been 4 years and the paint is holding fast. 
I didn't dress the tyre, I just got back from a car wash, so it is what ever they use  
Silver spray here, spray there...a week later it was all gone, so no need to worry unless you are selling the car the next day or displaying the car at a car show, besides one does learn from their mistakes  Also, I do expect people who visit my website to use some intelligence before blindly following my DIYs, as also my disclaimer states too.

i5aces
"isnt the final picture a diffrent wheel, the caliper is on the wrong side and the valve has a silver cap on,
i strongly doubt he got a finnish like that using the method he described"

impee:
I did all 4 alloys at the same time and yes, the finish can be that good if you follow my step by step instructions...it isn't really that difficult a DIY.

Sorry if I sound horrible, but every now and then I read individual critical comments regarding some of my DIYs and it infuriates me that some one puts in the hard work and publishes the information for free and...

On the plus side I do get over 6000k visits a month to my website (many returning), so the ratios isn't that bad.

Kind Regards,
impee.


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## Russ and his BM (Jan 1, 2008)

I read your guides on changing the gearbox oil, doing the air filter etc etc and they were really helpful - thankyou!


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## Superspec (Feb 25, 2011)

He did say he did all four wheels, I'd like to see them up close.....he obviously painted the wheel nuts and the valve at the same time. And that tyre dressing looks awful!!


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