I have recently applied a white, vinyl double stripe front to back on my midnight saphire blue 14 and I like it. I really admire white wheels that I have seen and I think that would go great with the stripe scheme I have going. I don't want to pay for professional work but I would like to rattle can my own wheels. I would take the time to sand and prime and sand and polish to get a perfect surface then clear coat the heck out of it.

Do you think my DIY painting would be durable enough? I've heard of one other guy doing this and he seemed happy.

Rook

* Last updated by: Rook on 6/15/2009 @ 9:27 PM *

Lay out your stripes with a stickie tape in white that is on the back, look for.

Rattle can? OK, here is what race tape job is to a rattle can job. Get some real good painting tape that will not pull off so well. Layout your width of stripe using tape on both sides of the line you masked out. Take scotch-brite and rough up the rim's clear coat all around that laid out stripe area.

If you tore up the painting tape, re-tape the stripe, and now tape off the rest of the rim. Because, you now rattle can prime the stripe with gray primer. You might want to dry or wet sand, then prime one more time before you shoot the white on.

Now you 600grit wet-sand the first white coat. Spray and sand one or two more times. Then 600grit the final white. Rattle can a clear coat on that about 5 or 6 coats of sanding and clear coating. Because you are going to clean that rim with chain lube and all that cleaning fluid is going to eat that clear before the paint.

That rattle can layer of primer, white and clear coat, will look rough at the edges with the layer of paints. Doesn't that sticky side white racing tape at NAPA say, sound like the better deal? Make sure it does not lift and get caught in the chain one day or back brake caliper. AS long as you monitor the tape, your choice.

Dangerous D you have to get some pics up of the stripe job. I had my 66 stang striped and it looked great. I might just attempt what you did on my bike

Thanks 4 the great painting tips, Hub. I have the stripes in vinyl on my fairings, the wheels I wanted solid white. No need for stripes on the wheels but the painting process you mentioned should work the same for a solid paint job as it would for stripes.

I was thinking about trying to use vinyl to cover the entire wheel so that the original paint would be preserved. However, I wouldn't think painted wheels would be as bad for resale as painted fairings which would announce, "this bike was crashed!"

It never occured to me that vinyl or tape might fly up and get stuck in something down there. Not good, but i rather doubt if it would cause the bike to go down. The vinyl I used was quite elastic. I think it would just stretch and then break off. I could see it possibley sticking onto a fairing as it winds past and busting a piece off though.

Bad in Black wrote:....you have to get some pics up of the stripe job..

I will soon. I have to redo the front fender because I decided to go with a 1" space between the stripes and the fender has only 3/4". It makes a dif, visually. The stripes are 3" Have to say, The fender and the tank look a little like a two toned scheme on a cruiser but with a tank bra or magknight, that look is pretty much eradicated. The tail cowl looks hot with the fat stripes. I'll see if i can get that fender done this week and get some pics up.

So, anyway, think the rattle can job with lots of clearcoat on the wheels would be resistant enough to chipping from road debris?

Rook

* Last updated by: Rook on 6/16/2009 @ 9:15 AM *

Rook if you want white wheels(hope you like cleaning wheels) I would have them powder coated before you had the new tires mounted so you don't pay for mounting twice (assuming you don't have a tire machine). Trying to rattle can the wheels not matter how many hours you put into them won't look as good or be as durable as a good powder coat.I talk to more than a few people that have had work done by these guys and have been very happy. chicagoperformance

^^Thanks Willid. Yer right about the cleaning part. The dust and chain wax shows up bad enough on the silver rims I have now. I still think I want to go with white rims. It looks great on one of the other member's white 14 and I think it would look just as cool on a black one.

What I think I'm going to do, since I have got to get those new tires installed pretty quick, is just wrap the rims up in painters tape and then give them a quick spray with a rattle can of white. If it doesn't look good, I will just rip the tape off and forget it. If it looks as cool as I hope, then maybe I'll go all the way to a professional powder coating painter like your Shi-town guys. I might want to go cheap on the wheel paint job because I just might buy some light weight rims at some time. CHA-CHING!

Rook