Paint remover??? Powder Coat???

[2GTalonTSI]

OK so the previous owner painted the wheels on my car, looks like someone painted them black and then painted them silver over it. Where the paint is chipping, the wheels look chrome.


I either need:

1. a paint remover that will not mess up the chrome.

2. a place that refinishes wheels or to get them powder coated black!

Any suggestions, aside from getting new wheels? ;)

[Silver R/T]

if theres no plastic parts on the wheels you can use regular aircraft paint/stain remover. You can pick up a gallon at any lowe's It will not hurt chrome wheels but might melt plastic parts, etc. Make sure you wear gloves.

[2GTalonTSI]

if theres no plastic parts on the wheels you can use regular aircraft paint/stain remover. You can pick up a gallon at any lowe's It will not hurt chrome wheels but might melt plastic parts, etc. Make sure you wear gloves.

Dang it I was at Lowes yesterday. There aren't even any center caps on them at the moment, will it hurt the rubber at all??? I am going to need tires soon, maybe I should wait until I go to get them swapped out. Damn just like a DSM, getting repair parts from Lowes!!! :D

Thanks Silver R/T

[Silver R/T]

just get one of those cheap 88c paint brushes and apply it on the wheel. Paint will bubble up in 7-10 mins and you just scrape it off and wash it off with water/soap to neutralize stripper.

[2GTalonTSI]

Great Thanks for the info Silver R/T!!!

[2GTalonTSI]

FYI, I just killed a weekend sanding the wheels, I got scared of the stripper after doing some reading on how it makes rubber bubble. My tires are new and did not want to take the chance. There was about 8 layers of paint on these damn things. :) Oh and there was NO crhome on the wheels, it was the chrome paint with the black base etc.

[mirage4g93]

why didn't you just mask off the tires.

That is what I am doing on my wheels when I get back from Seattle on Monday. Polished slipstreams ftw!

[Silver R/T]

FYI, I just killed a weekend sanding the wheels, I got scared of the stripper after doing some reading on how it makes rubber bubble. My tires are new and did not want to take the chance. There was about 8 layers of paint on these damn things. :) Oh and there was NO crhome on the wheels, it was the chrome paint with the black base etc.

you can mask off tires with good quality masking tape (3M) and brush on the stripper on the wheels

[2GTalonTSI]

why didn't you just mask off the tires.
That is what I am doing on my wheels when I get back from Seattle on Monday. Polished slipstreams ftw!

Well there is a good sized gap between the wheel and the the rubber, the rubber exceeds the wheel as if it was supposed to protect the wheel, I was just unsure about getting enough tape in that crack.

you can mask off tires with good quality masking tape (3M) and brush on the stripper on the wheels

Believe me there were points where I wished I tried the masking thing. :) I probaby would have saved a good 14 hours of sanding. :)

[gregc]

For 14 hours of labor, I would have just paid to have the tires dismounted and mounted when the job was complete.

[mirage4g93]

For 14 hours of labor, I would have just paid to have the tires dismounted and mounted when the job was complete.


That is the other thing I am thinking. Even if you don't have spare wheels. just put the car on stands.


Do you have pics of the before and after?

[2GTalonTSI]

I live in the middle of nowhere and am down to one vehicle believe me I thought about getting the tires and stems taken off the wheels but it wasn't possible. :) If I do this again, I am getting those bad boys stripped if not sand blasted. :) My truck should be back on the road this weekend. :D

Before and after:

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k60/indiga69/VW%20GTI%20VR6/Dscn2613a.jpg



http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k60/indiga69/VW%20GTI%20VR6/Dscn2631a.jpg