Wheel Renovation for the Lazy

[keithyboy]

I know i'm supposed to take the tyres off, get 'em sandblasted, then get 'em powder coated but the car they are going on is worth about tuppence and looks like this:



I hate wheeltrims, and the wheels were cheap.

So here we go:

1. Obtain set of scabby 14" Escort Steelies to replace your 13" Escort steelies



2. Give them a quick going over with a wire brush to rid them off loose rust and crud then a quick wipe over with panel wipe if you've got some.

3. This is the clever bit, get some washing up liquid and paint the tyre with it. Give it a good thick coat.



4. Bosh the wheel over in your chosen colour. Hycote Wheel Paint (£3 off ebay) in my case.



5. Once the paint is dry, hose off the tyres and all the paint and soap will rinse away leaving a painted wheel and a clean tyre.



If you were planning a concours job you might wish to mask up the valve. Similarly, the more time you spend prepping the wheels the better the result.

[Oldbus]

Nice one, always got cheesed off masking off whells with tape that never stuck properly...your idea has already been translated into German and will be used in the not to distant future!!!

[devilishdesigner]

nice thinking, I have used a similar theory on a smaller scale, when doing badges etc, covering the surfaces that you want to be left unpainted in grease, same theory.

[cptsideways]

If you need to rub them down, jack the car up, start the engine, sticker er in gear, get the angle grinder & whizzy wheel out & off you go

[briandamaged]

cptsideways said:

If you need to rub them down, jack the car up, start the engine, sticker er in gear, get the angle grinder & whizzy wheel out & off you go

This technique also comes in handy for whitewalling tyres. Just take an appropriately-sized brush loaded with your paint of choice and Voila! Instant white (or magnolia...or avocado...) wall tyres. If you use yellow and red and get someone to repeatedly rev the engine while you hold the brush, you can get an interesting 'flame' effect on your paintwork. And the drive.
;D

[devilishdesigner]

interesting, are there any paints available to make a decent red stripe on a tyre?

[popuptoaster]

I just paint em matt black, you don't have to mask the tyre then.

[vicsmith]

Thats pretty good keithyboy, I`ve always used grease but its a pain to get off, never even thought of washing up liquid.

[tigran]

Now that's a cool idea.

[twincammy]

awesome!

start with pirellis, end up with dunlops.

[reanimation]

At first i was like, yeah yeah, yawn, but thats really cool. awesome idea. love it. infact i'm about to attack my alloys, love it.

[trg1984]

simple ideas are the best, the wheels look good, any pics ith em fitted??

[79cord]

Nice tip!

interesting, are there any paints available to make a decent red stripe on a tyre?

I want to know too. Tried some cheap artists acrylic on a scrap tyre to test. Stuck Ok but faded badly & not that easy to apply evenly with a brush... have been meaning to try Paint pen next! Some claim to be fade-proof & might be easier to apply consistantly?

Always thought black wheels without some form of accent like tyre pinstripes or chrome trim-rings looks like you've lost your hubcaps!

Amazing the difference an extra inch of wheel can make!

[DarrenW]

I "refurbed" the wheels on the Corsa recently. They're just plain black steelies... 1 (one) can of satin black aerosol, 10 (ten) seconds per wheel, job done. No need for masking off or anything as complicated as that - the tyres, rather handily, are black too ;D They look a gazillion times better for minimal effort ;D

[tharg]

exellent idea and perfectly timed
i need to spruce up some steels and am also terminally lazy ;D

[montythemole]

You can buy tyre masks, I think about getting them everytime I refurb wheels but reason this will be the last set so don't need them. On the next set I grumble and swear that this set really will be the last set....

www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=9183

[keithyboy]

twincammy said:

awesome!

start with pirellis, end up with dunlops.

My real name is Paul Daniels!

[Harold Ramp Bumface Fandango]

Anyone recommend a spray that accurately matches the original silver on steel wheels? Have refurbed some myself in the past but the silver always looked to bright or aluminium-ish. Cheers.