Powder Coating Vintage Cosmic Wheels, who has done it?

[1965GTFB]

Wondering if powder coating the vintage Cosmic Mark 1 wheels on the new '68 1600 project would be a good way to go.  Not sure how well they will clean up/look/hold up with just bead blasting.

Wheels have definitely weathered since it was sitting outside, not just the last 26 years when not driven but at least for all but 1 year of it's life.  Wheels were put on by the 1st owner who had it for only 1 year.

Has anyone had their Cosmics powder coated?

I know Les Schwab will PC wheels for a very reasonable price.  You don't even have to clean them up, they do that too.

 

[PaulTWinterton]

12 minutes ago, 1965GTFB said:

Les Schwab will PC wheels for a very reasonable price.

Interesting.   You'd think they would offer great finishes and quality.   

 

If it were me, I'd consider clearcoat PC only.  Otherwise I'd bead-blast and spray clearcoat.  Glossy aluminum finish is the best for that style of wheel, IMHO.

Edited April 24, 2021 by PaulTWinterton

[SydneyTii]

Shockingly I love these...... more food for the fetish?

[Mike Self]

The only drawback with powder coating wheels is that the powder coat will crack around the rim when installing/demounting tires, and also around the lug nut holes from tightening the nuts.  Paint can be touched up; powder coating can't.

 

mike

[Son of Marty]

I don't think the rough casting style of the cosmic's would lend it's self to powder coating giving a good finish. I had a set of the mk 1s on my first car a bug eye sprite, loved them.

[SydneyTii]

Wouldn’t vapour blasting and clear coat work well?

[Slavs]

 Content removed by Author.

 

 

Edited August 9, 2021 by Slavs

[uai]

I really like these wheels, got a set for my car, and sold them again after recognizing that they won't fit over my brakes.

I don't like powdercoated wheels the available silver colors are often crap.
However I have a wheel company near me who do a great job: they do powdercoat primer wet paint silver and then powdercoat clear. That is a very good and sturdy result for modern cars.
On the old Cars I just use paint BMW Hellsilbermet. Code 131 is a good match for the wheels to the color used back then.

 

[jgerock]

The PO of my Ronal Kleeblatt wheels had them powder coated silver.  No issues after tires were mounted, although the paint thickness at the center bore made it difficult to install center caps.

[AceAndrew]

Be gentle with abrasives.  I've seen early cosmics get slaughtered (deep divots, pock marks) due to over zealous sand blasting.

[mccusername]

They are a rough casting and soft aluminum so I wouldn’t try and get them smooth or polished. I would clean, maybe vapor hone, and then clear coat or wax (which is what Cosmic recommended back then). 

[PaulTWinterton]

Bead blasting is perfect for aluminum.  Sand (crushed glass) is TOO abrasive unless you are removing paint.   Glass beads clean and smooth the surface.  Vapor media is very fine and overkill for large surfaces, IMHO.  Vapor is fantastic for carbs, throttle bodies and small functional parts.

[Oldtimerfahrer]

The mk1 never had a polished outside face like the Mk2? I couldn't tell from the brochure Steve uploaded in the other thread...Powdercoating steel wheels is not worth while due to the lug nuts and scratching problems but ok for alloys. Rattle can works if their not pitted for a fraction of the cost.

[Conserv]

20 minutes ago, Oldtimerfahrer said:

The mk1 never had a polished outside face like the Mk2? I couldn't tell from the brochure Steve uploaded in the other thread...Powdercoating steel wheels is not worth while due to the lug nuts and scratching problems but ok for alloys. Rattle can works if their not pitted for a fraction of the cost.

Andrew,

 

There was a thread on the U.K. forum, probably ten years ago, wherein the polished-face and blacked-out insets of Cosmic rims were discussed, certainly for Mark 2’s, but I seem to recall Mark 1’s, as well.

 

It was in the “Polizei” section... I’ll take a swing at finding it when I get home.

 

Best regards,

 

Steve