From ugly stained alloys to clean white alloys, and this is how i did it.

First lets take a look at how the rims looked before.



These are the tools and products i used.



First i filled the spray bottle with the aluminum cleaner and sprayed up the rims.



I let it sit for 10 minutes at a time to clean up the rims.



Lets look at how they look after the clean up.



Looks good i can almost leave them like that... almost...



Prime up the rims and let it set.



Then paint the rims the color you would like, i chose white so it looks clean and not so ricey.



Let them set.



Then spray them with clear coat so your color will last and so you can clean your rims and not worry about brake dust.



Give the clear coat plenty of time to set.



Now look at the finished product and decide... Did it improve or destroy the look of your miata.



So what do you guys think?
No worries about the tires they will be changed asap very worn.

 

Are you going address the overspray? But great tips!

 

You can deflate the tire, stuff in 3x5 note cards, and avoid the over spray. Next time maybe?

Paint looks good though.

 

I masked the tyre with masking tape and news paper just tear off 5cm long strips of tape and put them into the little part where the rubber meets the rim and go one layer out then tape the newspaper onto that.

my prep consisted of wirebrush drill bit and a quick wash off of all dust. worked perfect.

in hindsight I probably shouldnt have done it as theres now less inspiration to buy new rims.

 

i also did the masking tape and newspaper. i used an actual wire brush and attacked my stock nb wheels...

from this



to this

 

I dont understand all the prep work, time, and money invested -- then the ------- doesn't even mask off the wheels properly.


thumbs down for laziness; it looks like *** now.

 

Reading comprehension fail, Brain.

 

If nothing else, I'm impressed with how well that aluminum brightener worked. Can you give some more information on it or where you bought it? I tried googling but didn't seem to come up with that specific product.

 

if you change the tires, wont you have to remove the weight-blocs and re-balance them?

won't the tire machine damage the paint?
i mean, if they re-balance it with new tires, the little weight won't be at the same spot and you'll have a un-painted area

 

not true. I didnt read!

:fu:

 

I didn't have that product but Advance Auto, etc. has Eagle One Mag Wheel Cleaner. It is an etching cleaner so don't let it get anywhere near painted surfaces, but for plain cast wheels it works great, even on the black grunge on the inside lip that never gets cleaned properly. I have personally used this product on some daisies.

Eagle One MAG Wheel Cleaner

 

LOLOL, yep!
def take the weights off!

 

You may not need to re-balance. It depends on the overall balance of the wheels, the chassis they're mounted on, and your sensitivity to out of balance wheels.

I removed the outer hammer-on style weights from my set of DD wheels. Painted them up, and have yet to re-balance them. No vibrations at 80mph, so I doubt I will balance them.



If you do get the wheels re-balanced, just ask the tech to put sticky weights in the barrel, instead of hammer on weights. Proper mounting procedures will not scratch the paint.

 

but there will be blank spots once removed if not put on same spot...

 

He bought tape....but didn't use it. Lullerz.

 

Remove the weights from the face of the wheel, paint, then when you rebalance put sticky weights inside the barrel.

Or if you leave weights on the face of the wheel, just don't remove them when they are re-balanced, and compensate.

 

Good tip! Will be using that on some bottlecaps in the near future.

Thanks

 

I bought that at a local semi-truck parts shop you can only find it there. Only cost me 10 bucks for the gallon jug.

 

Believe me i try to but they just would not stick to the tires.

 

index cards is the best method.