Hey Guys,

I was recently researching on what DIY's I can do to my car and came across this post. This gave me an idea. I was constantly trying to decide what mod I want to do first because I am on a limited budget. I wanted to put some Swift Spec-R on (because I've gotten so used to low cars that even the s2000 seems high at stock height), but I was never a fan of a lowered car on stock rims. I thought by painting my rims, I could allocate some of the money I would've used to get RPF1's towards the springs and exhaust. Another reason why I did it was because the stock ap1 rims that came with the S was a little scratched up from the previous owner and it was getting on my OCD nerves.



All those ugly scratches




For the most part, I followed the guide on the original forum post at clubwrx.net.

This is the materials that I used for my 16 inch rims:

1 Can of Dupli-color Primer Sealer
3 Cans of VHT Engine Metallic Black Pearl Paint
1 of Dupli-color Wheel Gloss Clear Coat
4 Sheets of 3M Wet or Dry 600 Grit Sandpaper
4 Sheets of 3M Wet or Dry 1000 Grit Sandpaper
250 Count of 3' X 6' Index Cards
Tape (Painter's tape would be best)
Mask
Spray Bottle
Paper Towels (Bounty or whatever is available)
Clean Cloths
Newspaper or Canvas
1 Buddy to Help You Out (Cause Sanding Sucks)

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Let's get started!


***You can definitely do all 4 rims at the same time but because I only had two jack stands... I spent almost twice as long doing mine because I had to do a pair at a time.***



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#1
I sprayed my stock rims with some heavy duty rim cleaner because the weather has been terrible as of late and I have not washed my car in weeks. Then, I took a spray bottle mixed with 1/5 dish soap to water ratio and wiped it down with the paper towels to cut out any grease or dirt I may have missed. Rinsed throughly with a spray bottle with only water. Punch out the center caps and time to get started!



Rims all clean and degreased



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#2
Let the sanding begin! Start with the 600 grit and make sure you hit every outer facing surface of the rim. This is a wet sand so please make sure that you are liberal with the water spray bottle and keep both the surface of the rim and the sandpaper wet at all times. The water will turn milky but thats just the clear coat being taken off. Once the water isn't milky anymore when you are sanding, you can move onto the 1000 grit to prime the surface for.... well the primer.. haha.



A trusty friend to help you sand while you are taking pictures instead



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#3
Once the surface of the rims are evenly sanded, rinse the rim clean with water and wipe dry with cloths. Lay down the newspaper or canvas and place the rims on top to protect the floor. Leave the rims for a while so that the water dries from the creases as well (in between the edge of the rim and tire). ***If you don't have time to wait, you can use the edges of the Index Card and drag it along the crevice to soak up the moisture.*** Once its dry, place index cards in the crease and surround the rim. This will keep the primer, paint, and clear coat from hitting your tires. Remove the cap from the valve stem and tape up the stem to protect it from the paints.



Make sure there are no gaps in between the index cards or else it will get your tires dirty



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#4
Let the painting being. Make sure that before starting, shake the can vigorously for about a minute to make sure the primer comes out evenly. Spray evenly in short controlled bursts and don't worry if you miss a spot. You'll get it on the next coat.

1st light coat of primer
*wait 15 minutes*
2nd light coat of primer
*wait 15 minutes*
3rd medium coat of primer
*wait 20-25 minutes*



After final coat of primer



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#5
Once the primer has dried, exactly the same procedure with the paint. Shake well and spray in short controlled bursts never staying in the same spot for more than a moment. When I was spray, I realized that you have to hold the paint a little further away compared to the primer. Start with very very light coats and slowly work your way up to medium coat. If you start too heavily, the paint will run and pool.

1st very light coat of paint
*wait 10 minutes*
2nd light coat of paint
*wait 15 minutes*
3rd light coat of paint
*wait 15 minutes*
4rd medium coat of paint
*wait 25-30 minutes*



Gloss black comes out a little brown when it's only the first light coat.



3 coats completed.



4th coat completed and dried



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#6
Rinse and repeat for the clear coat. You can be more liberal with the clear coat and just make sure that it doesn't pool. The clear coat goes on hazy and will end up clear after it dries.

1st light/medium coat of clear
*wait 15 minutes*
2nd light/medium coat of clear
*wait 15 minutes*
3rd medium/heavy coat of clear
*wait 2 hours before mounting to allow most of the drying to be complete*



1st coat of clear applied.



Index cards can be removed after the final coat of clear.



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#7
That's it! DONE! I recommend waiting atleast 12 hours before driving to ensure the paint has fully cured but you can go ahead and mount the rims back on ***lift the tire, not the rim when you are mounting. Paint will still be alittle wet after 2 hours and you might leave a mark***



Before, scratched and OEM color.



After, Gloss Black with the center caps kept silver.



After, mounted after 2 hours of clear coat drying.



Rears completed before starting on the fronts.



Front two rims completed as well and mounted on.



That wheel gap will hopefully be gone soon

 

index cards...brilliant!

darcy

 

Wow, that turned out looking amazing. Great job man, and awesome guide

 

Yea that's what I thought when I read up on this too haha.

Thanks Chance. It's actually quite easy and everyone can do it. Just gotta be patient, use the right materials, do the prep work, and it'll turn out great.

 

Nice job!

side note: I would go for the Swift Sports, instead of the SpecR. Will the SpecR fit, yes, but the Sports match up better to your car.

 

O yea? What's the main difference between Sport and Spec-R?

 

Spring rates.

 

Turned out very nice!

I'm considering doing my ugly track wheels in white, since PlastiDip turned out to not work in a track environment (gets soft and absorbs the brake dust, can never be fully cleaned again).

 

I have never used white spray paint personally but I don't recall VHT having a white color white is heat resistant. I did see that Dupli-color had some specifically for wheel paint. I would recommend putting a lot more light layers of paint (and clear coat if you want gloss) as your rims will undergo more stressful conditions.

On a side note, why white? You mentioned that brake dust is a constant factor. Maybe go like gunmetal or a darker color?