Steelies: Correct wheel paint color/ procedure ?

[eastsidebimmer]

I’d like to put a new finish on my original steelies, but I’m not sure where to start. I may need a ruling from Mike Self, but it appears that my original set was first painted black, then the fronts were painted silver, then the inside was pained silver, but just around the rim and outside lip—the inside center is still mostly black.

My choices:

#1 Keep them like they are--original w/ patina:

Use touch up paint on the scratches/knicks (is this available from BMW?)

#2 Start over:

Bead blast the old paint

Prime & Repaint

(powdercoat vs. paint?)

If I repaint, can/should a competent body shop use WURTH products or use BMW wheel silver (color code?) for the closest match? Can someone recommend a favorite process/solution? About what should this cost at a body shop?

Thanks,

Ben

[DukeRimmer]

The black is primer/sealer. Wurth not required here, but when doing the rest of the car use Wurth undercoats, seam sealers, and glues.

[Guest Anonymous]

All 2002 wheels were silver from the factory. The wheels were made by an outside supplier (Lemmetz) who also supplied wheels to a number of other German manufacturers. Lemmetz painted their wheels black before shipping 'em to their customers--a very good, heavy coat of black, at least on the roundie wheels. BMW in turn painted the outsides of the wheels silver, but left the back sides alone.

Thus if you're going for absolute authenticity, the wheels should be silver on the outside, and black with silver overspray on the back side. (Incidentally the factory alloys were done exactly the same way--light grey from the supplier [FPS] then painted silver on the front side by BMW, leaving the back sides grey with silver overspray)

Some folks use Wurth silver spray paint; I've used Krylon "dull aluminum" with very good results on both the steel and alloy wheels--it's cheaper and more readily available. I do clearcoat the alloys with clear Krylon, but leave the steel wheels plain silver--they're covered by wheel covers anyway.

Next time you're over in Dayton, I have a couple of original steel wheels and an original alloy (never repainted) if you want to see what they looked like from the factory.

cheers

mike

[Tim_in_MD]

...I recently refinished a late steelie for my '76 (currently on 14" Panasports and 195s...I want to try the OEM feel for a little while). This was a spare tire rim from my first '02 and it was nasty with rust and dirt, etc. I had it sandblasted (thanks Paul) and then I primed it with a rattlecan filler-primer to smooth out some of the deep scars. I then used the Wurth silver laquer wheel paint, which is expensive but I can't find Krylon "dull aluminum" anywhere...just "aluminum", and that looks like ghetto chrome. Two light coats of the Wurth, then a light coat of clear and it looks for all the world like the original, unused steelie I came across and have been saving.

FWIW, I did the inside of the wheel in a matte black first, so I have that "black with silver overspray" look...

[eastsidebimmer]

If I wanted to go that route....

Thanks!

[DukeRimmer]

martin senour#21503, dupont#43561. IMHO clear coat here looks out of place, like a course metallic japanese color looks wrong on the body. Too gaudy. My opinion is limited to gun sprayed products, don't have much experience with rattle cans.