Hey everyone, I could use some input on what I need to do to get my wheels stripped clean. any help will be greatly appreciated.

So I picked up some 91-92 Factory 16x8 Camaro wheels on Craigslist for $50.00 bucks. I went and picked them up and looked at them and found that 2 of them were really rough and the the other 2 were spray painted white, but being a guy that likes challenges I thought I could do something with them. The guy originally wanted $75.00 for the set but I was able to get them for $50.00 (I tried to give $40 but we settled at $50)

So they were sitting in my garage for a couple of months (wasn't going to do anything with them till got the Camaro running. Well I got the Camaro running and decided that I can't test drive it until i get wheels and tires put on.

So after weeks of searching and looking at pictures and getting the idea on what I need to do. I finally got around to getting the Aircraft Stripper and proceeded with the project. I put the 1st coat on and let them sit for 45 minutes and it got the spray paint off and on two of the wheels were the red. So I then proceeded to do 2 more coats and let each coat sit another 45 minutes and it didn't even come close to removing the original oem red paint.

Is there anything else that I can do to get these stripped without sand blasting (people want $75 bucks a wheel).

Any help would be appreciated.

Before:



After



[IMG]file:///C:/Users/Dirt%20Cheap/Desktop/New%20folder/Wheels%20Before.jpg[/IMG]

 

You need to upload your pictures to a hosting site, like photobucket.com, to make them show here.
Without being able to see your wheels in person, I can only guess that your wheels might be powder coated. If that's the case, no paint stripper is going to remove the red, they would need to be blasted.

 

I set up a photobucket album.

Pictures by adamo24 - Photobucket

what weird is that 2 of the wheels the red started coming off but on the other 2 its still red.

 

I began the polish project on my wheels today. I bought some stripper from Lowes, and cheap paint brush and a paint holder. I poured some stripper (It's like the consistency of jel) into the holder and brushed it on the rim. I let it sit for an hr and rinsed off the clear coat finish with a water hose. They looked 100 % better. Beginning tomorrow I will begin the sanding process beginning with 600 so I can have some nice polished wheels. I'm going to paint the "painted" area and the lines gunmetal gray. My question to you is.. "Don't you plan to paint the areas that are red anyway??" if so, can't you just lightly sand them when the time comes, then primer them, then shoot them the color you want..? Stone

 

Sand blast, Powder coat, Problem solved

 

Even baked on paint will not hold up very long. Remember the wheel are passing thought the air faster then the car and they are low to the ground so they are getting pounded by dirt. That is why when the factory paints rims they always add chrome trim and that is why they don't paint rims without trim, They powder coat them. Also if you don't seal your polished rims they will oxidize in a matter of weeks.


do what cbr said and the wheels will last a life time.

 

The wheels won't pit after sandblasting, also after I re-do the white powdercoating where the factory did, is there a clearcoat out there that is as tough as that factory stuff or should I not do it so I can touch-up polish when needed?

 

i had my iroc rims soda blasted, then i clear coated them. they look great