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-   -   DIY - OEM RIM and Tyre Ebossing Paint Work (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-alloy-wheel-section/113443-diy-oem-rim-tyre-ebossing-paint-work.html)

Finally it was the first day of Year 2012 when the mahurat of my first DIY job came.

Ordered Com-Paint Matt Black about 2 months back. Motive was to give touchup to the exhaust pipes of TheNomad. However, it was too cumbersome as oil and grease has to be removed.

But then after getting the B-Pillar of my Estilo done 'matt black' I felt need of having the Steel Rims to be 'Matt Black' too (did not go for alloys considering the roads I take and the driving style).

Rest follows as you see in pics below (as others my guinea pig is also the 5th Rim):

After wash and dry, used the steel fibers to remove any debris.



Followed with the 120 Emery Paper (my local hardware shop did not have 1000).



Used the dustbin carry bags, cut into strips, inserted poly edges using screwdriver so that even the rim edges are covered well.





This is how it looked after 3 coats each done at difference of 15 minutes



The paint job of embossed letters (guess these engravings would be much harder considering that the alphabets are not bold or filled but stripped. Tried my best to cover)





The full view with camera flash and without flash





Next would be the racing red vinyl strip around the outer edge of rim. Will update soon as there are 4 more rims remaining (thank God those are Michellin considering the engravings :))

Hey this is indeed a good job and I am sure it will help many a person who is looking forward to painting his rims black. Its unfortunate that a lot of manuf. even today give silver colour rims in the base models. How expensive would it be to paint the rims black.
Just 1 question: Are there any chances of any peeling or the paint coming off.

You haven't included the most important photos, those of the actual painting! Did you use a spray or a brush? How did you ensure the finish?

Thanks Maverick. I too fell it to be helpful to someone. Even the higher models having black paint on rims is not Matte.
The four rims each with double coat required two 120gms com-paint cans costing 257.78 INR

2 120gms com-paint cans 257.78 INR
1 No.3 Camlin Brush 12.00 INR
1 small asian white paint 19.00 INR
2 Sand Paper Sheet #120 06.00 INR

Steel wool was already with me as I use to clean chrome parts of my bike

Honeybee, I used com-paint spray cans and camlin #3 brush to paint engravings. Each rims has been double coated with 15 minutes gap for drying.

Paint Job of engravings



Final outcome



I am still to complete the other 2 rims and tyres. Once done will update the post with them on car.

Did you really use 120 Grit Emery paper? Don't you think it is too harsh for the wheels. A 600 or a 1000 would've been just perfect.

I too painted the exposed part of my rim, after it had a nasty brush with the footpath(Metal was visible), with Com-Paint Silver colour. I applied 2 coats & I am pleased to say that it has held up very well & has not come off even after washing with wheel cleaners (oxalic acid).

And what do you plan to do for the balancing weights?

I know considering 120 as to 1000 is harsh. But my mottos was to clean the surface and 1000 grit is mostly needed when you use primer or doing a body job. Again, it also depends on the palm pressure you would use.

Let me understand this: If I were to repaint my rims, I would have to sandpaper them and remove the existing paint completely? How do you achieve the matte finish? And what do you need to do to get a glossy finish?

Any directions or tips when using the spray cans? What was the distance from the rim that you held the can?

Did you use any primer?

This is a DIY I am putting in my ToDo list. My Ikon is running with black rims and three wheelcaps, so I could paint the rims silver, and the Santro's rims would look great with a new coat of paint.

A stupid question: Do you also have to paint the inner side of the rim?

as I was going for matt black over silver I did not sand to remove existing paint. Moreover its not body paint job where you need primer. Use sand paper or steel wool only to remove debris. To achieve matte finish you can have compaint. They have matt black. you can check their website for more options for matt or gloss.

when using the spray cans use circular motion following rim circle starting from outer to centre. distance of can from the rim is suggested to be 25cms but depends on curves on rim. At times I had to be as close as 5cms to cover corners.
Did you use any primer? NO

all the best for your diy. Being located close if you need any help let me know. Btw, no need to paint inner side of rim

Here are couple of pic on board:





Next DIY in line is damping the doors to reduce rattling in a budget way (a known issue with Maruti).

Results Expected: Closing of door with a "Thud"

The tyres look way cooler than the car.:D The markings are complementing the matte finish on the rims. Great job abhi. :thumbs upI think lettering also makes it look good. JK one looks kinda ugly.

I am looking forward to your DIY door damping.

Great job indeed ..
Now may be we should wait for your update as to how does the rim retain the paint !
And for the damping, are you too going the "yoga mat" way, just as some others have ?
Well do keep updating. Good Luck !

Yes I will definatly keep updating this thread with the outcomes.
If the paint is not retained, I do not want to be cursed by my fellow BHPians :D
I am more worried about the Tyre Paint rather than the rim. Lets see how it all comes out and if need any maintainance.

About damping the doors, I believe yoga mats are the cheapest, so I will follow the same path (unless i find some other alternative way).

Do you (or someone else) have any idea if the paint could be applied by a brush?

You see, I already have a couple of good brushes (though smaller size) which I used earlier for the numberplate painting. If I can just buy the paint and use the brushes, I could try this without spending too much, plus there wouldn't be the hassle of masking the tyres et al.

I am not sure if the finish is a result of the paint or the painter or both. But I have come across one or two posts on the internet which do say the paint could be applied with a brush.

If that's possible, I am looking at the hubcaps of my Santro as an experiment before I tackle the full wheel. And I do want to try and paint the entire wheel, by removing the tyre from it, so if that happens, that's going to be one slowwww process.