The alloy wheel painting process is over. Here's thanking all of you for pouring your suggestions on the looks department. They were really helpful, especially Eminentismo's graphical illustrations.
I'd still like to disappoint a few of you for defying your suggestions
. The looks have got transformed totally from that stupid whitish metal alloy wheels which looked so plain-jane, to something wicked.
While I couldn't afford to get the original Abarth Scorpion claw alloys (costs 80k per set without including shipping costs!!!)
What I could do was convert the OEM Punto alloys into Centipede Claw alloys**
. Remember, centipedes can be more venomous than scorpions.
** Patent application pending
Does anyone think Punto's OEM alloys are bad looking?? I strongly, very strongly disagree. They look killer!
Special thanks to
Vik0728 for accompanying me to A1 Tyre centre, Wilson garden, yesterday morning and helping me negotiate a good deal with the shop guys. I had initially decided on Matt black finish, but when I saw Vik0728's gloss black alloys, I got brainwashed with the finish and opted for gloss.
Moreover, there were two things which tilted my preference towards gloss black
- Some of the premium colors such as Hyper Silver, hyper black, gun metal etc (suggested by other members) were either too costly, not available or took too much time (he quoted 7-8 days of working time to deliver the alloys). They are just nice to have on a wishlist.
- Second suggestion given by Vik0728 was very valid - my roof was gloss black, my mirrors were gloss black and my Abarth vinyls were gloss black. Why on earth would Matt black look better than gloss? Wouldn't it be a mismatch? Gloss would look better and go with the overall flow of things, so that's what I finally zeroed in on. I still somehow got tempted by that elusive red lining and opted for it at the last minute.
Here are some pictures of the process :
A1 tyre centre fitted these clownish 14" alloys for me while the painting was being done through the day. They allow the customers to at least be mobile. Nice gesture and very thoughtful of them.
Work started on my alloys one by one
My alloys were ready by 7 PM, as promised.
I returned the clown alloys in the evening when I went to get mine fitted back
Here are some pictures of the car post-modification:
No change in the front look. It remains is, with the 'toothless grin' on the face
But is there a change in the side profile?? You bet! Centipede claw alloys!
A closer look : Gloss black alloy wheels with painted red brake calipers at the front
The rear wheels with the gloss black alloys and the painted brake drums
The red color is matched to the same code as the Punto's body paint code - Exotica Red. With dull lighting or dark ambience, it is slightly reflective as seen in this picture.
The other side of the front wheels
Balcony view - The formative days of the Abarth - unfinished edges on the DIY roof, mismatching fog lamps, mismatching alloys, too many stickers
Balcony view - The final product after many iterations of fine-tuning
Departing pictures of the Abarth Punto MultiJet Sport
Next on the anvil is race-themed black (with red stitching) full leather interiors. But there are a few more months to go for that (need to accumulate some vitamin M). I'll post any other ownership updates I have as and when required