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Hate to break it to you, but those have been refinished at some point. The OEM AP2 wheel has a machined face, those are all painted.
It is quite possible the wheels have been refinished but there is another possibility. Plain old paint degradation.
I am pretty sure that even on "machined faces" OEM wheels from all makes, will have at least a clear coating. In this case Honda (or whoever supplies to Honda) paints the wheel, machines the face, then clear coats it. For my 2009 wheels, they are painted a uniform color and clear coated. Lots of people think their OEM wheels look like bare metal but they are coated. It is possible you could find aftermarket wheels that are true bare metal but those are going to look like garbage very soon.
Powder coating: Lots of threads, internet links, and testimonies from the uneducated to material engineers, exist and point out that powder coating can adversely affect the wheel strength (I use "strength" in a general sense here) Many racing venues prohibit wheels that have been powder coated no matter what the curing temp might have been.
I have used good old Dupli Color for my wheels. I did it twice, there is a learning curve. I have been pretty happy and will do it again if need be. Pics below. The secret is good prep, proper temps, good technique and MULTIPLE clear coats. IMO at least 5 clear coats.
I did not have and still do not have one iota of curb rash. Benefits of not having to park all the time in a city. I did not have to do any metal refinishing but it is not hard to do either.
It is quite possible the wheels have been refinished but there is another possibility. Plain old paint degradation.
I am pretty sure that even on "machined faces" OEM wheels from all makes, will have at least a clear coating. In this case Honda (or whoever supplies to Honda) paints the wheel, machines the face, then clear coats it. For my 2009 wheels, they are painted a uniform color and clear coated. Lots of people think their OEM wheels look like bare metal but they are coated. It is possible you could find aftermarket wheels that are true bare metal but those are going to look like garbage very soon.
Powder coating: Lots of threads, internet links, and testimonies from the uneducated to material engineers, exist and point out that powder coating can adversely affect the wheel strength (I use "strength" in a general sense here) Many racing venues prohibit wheels that have been powder coated no matter what the curing temp might have been.
I have used good old Dupli Color for my wheels. I did it twice, there is a learning curve. I have been pretty happy and will do it again if need be. Pics below. The secret is good prep, proper temps, good technique and MULTIPLE clear coats. IMO at least 5 clear coats.
I did not have and still do not have one iota of curb rash. Benefits of not having to park all the time in a city. I did not have to do any metal refinishing but it is not hard to do either.
Base coat looks good. But...
Pro tip. Use a 2 part clear.
Unfortunately, 1 component clear won't last...and it chips/peels easily.
Ya I could understand the salt and weather having an affect if this car ever saw winter.
But the fact that this car was garaged in October and came out in March is really irritating. Salt has never been on these rims
Where are you located? And have you had any issues of it re-peeling / is it noticeable?
If its cheap, I'll have them touched up. However, I eventually wanted to put nicer rims on anyway, just really wasn't wanting to put that money there now.
I am in Minneapolis.
I think those wheels have been repainted btw.
My repaired wheels look good still. Been 3 years so far. Doesn't get driven in the winter though.
It is quite possible the wheels have been refinished but there is another possibility. Plain old paint degradation.
I am pretty sure that even on "machined faces" OEM wheels from all makes, will have at least a clear coating. In this case Honda (or whoever supplies to Honda) paints the wheel, machines the face, then clear coats it. For my 2009 wheels, they are painted a uniform color and clear coated. Lots of people think their OEM wheels look like bare metal but they are coated. It is possible you could find aftermarket wheels that are true bare metal but those are going to look like garbage very soon.
I would suggest looking at his pictures again. You can see on the lips of the wheels where it has been rounded/sanded off more than likely to fix some curb rash. The OEM finish has a straight/deliberate edge at the lip like the pictures above of the OEM wheels look like, along with the machined face.
His finish is peeling due them being refinished at some point, either painted or powdercoated, and not properly sealed/clearcoated afterwards. Since the OP's wheels have already been refinished I'm not sure I'd spend the money to refinish them again, unless they are simply re-painted and clearcoated and not bother with the machined face.
Unfortunately, 1 component clear won't last...and it chips/peels easily.
Well I am 7 years into the paint job. I just took this shot this morning as I pulled out of the garage. No wash, just unvarnished look. Dupli color has held up pretty well, IMO. Are they showroom perfect? No. I almost repainted when I got new tires. There are a few areas that are starting to chip but another paint job will do the job for the next tire change.
Originally Posted by sam_spider
I would suggest looking at his pictures again. You can see on the lips of the wheels where it has been rounded/sanded off more than likely to fix some curb rash. The OEM finish has a straight/deliberate edge at the lip like the pictures above of the OEM wheels look like, along with the machined face.
Your eyes are sharper than mine! I stand corrected.
I have investigated a litle bit about powdercoating of wheels. The main problem is when the wheels get heated above 200°C / 392°F, the aluminium can get damaged. It can get soft or brittle.
Surprisingly, this is most likely to happen in the Paint-Stripping bath before the actually powder coating. If you like to have your wheels powdercoated, choose a reputable company that knows what they are doing.
But without doubt the best and safest way is simply just to paint the wheels.
Saying this, i have powdercoated my second set of wheels BEFORE i know about the risk. Nobody told me about it......
But thankfully i had a very reputable, specialised company do this job that only repair wheels, even with bending back, laser welding and so on since 1990. This Company is even certified by TUV for wheel repairs and ISO certified.
So i think i am safe..... but i wont do it again after i found out about the possible risk!
I have investigated a litle bit about powdercoating of wheels. The main problem is when the wheels get heated above 200°C / 392°F, the aluminium can get damaged. It can get soft or brittle.
All kinds of things happen to the metal at various temps and alloy types. The compressive, shear, tensile, yield, and transverse strength along with elasticity or brittleness are all up for grabs. Most professional metallurgists zero in on the fact that almost every shop is not going to have lab quality temperature control. The ovens have not been calibrated, the thermometers have not been calibrated and the some of the guys running the baking have not been calibrated. Small variations in temp over variations in time can bring about dramatic changes in metallurgy of the victim piece of iron. (or wheel in this case)
I just had mine done here in Canada and it was about $1000. Fix a slight bend and diamond cut the faces, repaint everything else, clear coat and ceramic coat.
And they remounted and balanced my tires too.
