cutlass47

I am planning on buying a new set of BF Goodrich tires (225/70/14) for my 1972 Cutlass Supreme (FYI $70 rebate for 4 tires until 8/8 for some Michelin/BF Goodrich dealers) - had same old cheap,thin line whitewall tires on for 20 years. I want to paint my wheels the same color as the body - Pinehurst Green- before mounting the new tires. Over the years, the wheels have gotten badly chipped and scratched and, of course, rust has set in. What would be best method of preparing wheels for paint -sand or bead blasting and any recommendations for reliable vendor in Atlanta area to do the prep work? I do not have the tools nor expertise to do the work myself. A highly reputable body shop that has repaired and painted major damage to my Infiniti referred me to a body and paint shop in Cumming, GA that works on old cars, and the owner wants me to bring the car by to give me an estimate on painting the wheels. He said if the wheels are not too bad, he has small sand blaster that may do the proper job or can refer me to someone. What would be a fair price for the prep work if body shop refers me elsewhere and then fair price for painting the wheels? The shop owner suggested that I have the new tires mounted and not inflated once the wheels have been prepared for paint, then he can mask the tire for painting and this will allow him to paint the edges of rim as well. Then all the tire dealer will have to do is inflate the tire and balance, hence, less chance of scratching new paint. Sounds like a good suggestion? Also, is it worthwhile to prep and paint the inside part of the wheel and if so, suggestion on color to paint -body color or another color? I have new caps, lug nuts, and metal pieces that cover holes in wheels (can't think of what they are called) to install after wheels are painted. Wish I could afford new rims, but my original rims are in good shape overall. Then I need to work on getting car painted - long overdue!! Sorry for the long-winded post.

Jamesbo

I've never done it the way your guy suggest, but I guess it would work.

On SS II wheel they do not get a clear coat over the argent grey. I'm not sure about the SS III. Perhaps someone will chime in.

I am having a senior moment here [and can't remember the name] but there is an excellent automovtive paint store in Cumming just north of the square on hwy 9 on the right. Everytime I've been in there there are learned body guys. You might want to check it out while you're in the area.

Lady72nRob71

You are doing the exact same thing I am doing - same kind of car, same tires, same rebate, same "mightaswell" wheel refinishing....

I pulled off all the trim bezels and caps and rings and washed and polished them.
I loaded the tires & wheels into the Caddy and took them to Discount tire.
I bought (ordered) the new tires two days ago so i could get the rebate and had the tire shop pull the old tires off, including the ancient spare. Powdercoating REQUIRES the tires be removed, as the wheels are suspending by steel chains for electrical contact and will be baked at high temps to cure the coating.

I then took the wheels to my local powder coater, as I prefer the rock hardness of powder coat. Since Lady wears white, I was able to pick out an in-stock off white color that is VERY close to her original paint. He even baked a sample of it on a piece of sheetmetal for me to see the real thing. The backsides of the wheel will be done satin black. The coating will be lightly applied in the bead area.
This shop will sandblast each wheel for $25 (easiest way to strip them completely)and powdercoat for $35. This is a very independent mom & pop shop, so a total of 60 a wheel was the lowest i found anywhere - 70 was the norm...

When the wheels are done, I will pick them up and take them to have the new tires mounted on them. Add trim, sand and paint brake drums semi gloss black, install wheels on car, go for a cruise!

SO, you might visit a powdercoater to see if they can match your green.
It is amazing of all the colors they have and they just might have a close match in stock which would be cheaper than special order. Since the wheels are separated from the body, a slight color difference would be unnoticable.
Powder coat would be more durable than paint. Just an option...
Of course if you are wanting to stay as close to factory as possible, have them sandblasted and painted. Watch out for cheap jobs... I had a set of 4 15" Olds wheels sanded and painted black 20 years ago for 100 bucks. The paint was badly chipped all over the first time the tires where changed...

Oldsguy

I think Rob's idea is a good one. There is always a chance of chipping paint during tire mounting/balancing, now or in the future. I think a better bet would be to find a shop that understands your concerns and can give you some kind of assurance (written guarantee would be better) they will take extra care when mounting those tires on your newly painted or powdercoated wheels. This would probably rule out the local mass mover type of tire shop. Perhaps you can find a service station that is still locally owned that still employs a few mechanics and does business the old fashioned way.
Since they are local and depend upon keeping a good reputation in the neighborhood you may be able to get that extra care. We have two places where I live that are like that, one still pumps the gas for you!

Olds64

I suggest powdercoating as well. Rob's experience sounds like the price was good too. If someone charges you over $90 a wheel then they are a scam artist.

Lady72nRob71

Right. 70-80 each was typical...
One high-volume place wanted 125 each! It would have been nicer for him to just say "we do not do small jobs like that..."

ijasond

Miller's Powdercoating in Lilburn does some of the best powdercoat work around the Atlanta area. Their prices are pretty reasonable. I don't like to paint wheels. It just doesn't hold up like the powder will.

Lady72nRob71

"The power of powder!"

joe_padavano

Powdercoating is best if the color is correct. If not, paint is the only option. Base coat/clear coat was not used on the factory SSII and early SSIII wheels, it was simply lacquer. Sandblasting is the only way to go. I've tried priming the wheels, then mounting the tires, then painting, which is a PITA. With today's rim-clamp machines and a competent operator, you should have no problems with painting first.

Olds64

That sounds wrong...

ijasond

I've known several people who believed strongly in the "power of powder", if you know what i mean.

cutlass47

Thanks for the feedback on restoring the wheels on my Cutlass. I took my car to the body shop in Cumming, and rather than having the wheels sandblasted, he encouraged me hand sand the wheels myself with 180 and 320 grit sandpaper. Then, either get correct color of paint from Auto Color and paint it myself or bring wheels to him and he would paint all 4 wheels for $75. However, he did not understand why I would want to just paint the wheels, unless I was getting the entire car painted. He went on to tell me that his repairing all of the rust damage, completely stripping the body to bare metal, etc. and painting it would cost at least $7,000. Maybe it would make more sense to put the new tires on and wait til I decide to paint the entire car, as it probably would look odd to have these nice looking, restored wheels on a body with cancerous rust spots all over!!! I really don't trust the 20 year old tires on it right now.

Jamesbo

"Autocolor" Yep that's the place I was speaking of.

Lady72nRob71

If you were going to spend 7K on a paint job, then you would want to have the wheels media blasted down to bare metal and painted / powder coated on both sides with the tires off for the best results.
Of course you would then have to pull the tires off again and have them remounted - more expense and time.
An exact match between body and wheels is not crucial, so better to do it now (my way of thinking).
One job at a time....

cutlass47

Thanks all for your feedback on painting my wheels. Jamesbo, thanks for the referral to Miller's Powder Coat in Lilburn. I went there today and Billy Miller gave me a price of $60 per wheel to sand blast & powdercoat the entire wheel the same color of green. He showed me a color chart with lots of different colors and said he may be able to come close to the original Pinehurst green. He also said he would sandblast & powder coat the different underhood parts, like radiator core support, a/c, power steering and alternator surpport brackets, fan, water pump and crankshaft pulleys, and air cleaner, as well as the rear bumper support brackets using satin black color for about $10-15 each. I forgot to ask him what I should do about the various bolts for these parts. Should I try to get them restored by sandblasting them and powder coating them the proper color to complement the newly powder coated parts or should I buy the new fasteners that you see advertised on Ebay? Which would probably be more economical and closer to the original look and quality?

Lady72nRob71

Nice to hear you got as good a deal as i did on the powdercoat! Sounds like you found a good color match, too...
If your wheels happen to turn out a little lighter than you expected, they can clear coat them to darken them up half a tad... My shop quoted $10 each wheel for clear.
They had made me a metal sample with just the powder I picked on one side and with clear coat on the other side. He was right, the clear coated one was a little darker (as it was cured twice).
However, the non-cleared sample blended in almost perfectly with the rest of the paint. See picture below... Keep in mind this was a common in-stock color I picked, NOT a custom mix!
I will pick my wheels up tomorrow...

As for bolts, powdercoating would probably fill in the threads. Taking them to a plater would be a better option. Suspension bolts should be replaced with same grade new bolts for safety...

ijasond

I had Billy do my radiator support, inner fenders, all the engine brackets and pulleys as well as the ceramic on the intake manifold & exhaust manifolds. I've been very happy, especially with the ceramic. It's a bit pricier, but man does it look nice.

ijasond

They are Finishmaster now.

cutlass47

I am seriously thinking about taking off as many underhood items to have them powdercoated at Miller's, so I can get them done in one big deal, rather than having them done piecemeal. Ijasond, thanks for the good feedback on the quality of Miller's work on your car parts. I have never removed the various brackets or pulleys or wheels. I do not have a compressor and air tools nor electric impact wrench to make this job easier and faster. 1)Can you rent these anywhere for a reasonable fee or should I attempt to remove them with hand wrenches and rachets (since none have been removed in 20 years at least, I fear I might break off bolts or break my neck - literally, I had 2 neck fusions about 5 years ago)? I would prefer to buy nice compressor and air tools and impact wrench, but these items could get pricey if I buy quality and not sure best ones to buy anyway. 2) Is there a previous thread on how to remove these items in the easiest way or any do's and don'ts to offer? 3)Would you ceramic or powder coat the valve covers and maybe the intake manifold, then paint the rest of engine while in the car or would there be a noticeable difference? Rob, let us see the results of your wheel restoration!! Good idea about trial powder coat on scrap metal to see what color you will be getting on the actual wheels, rather than being completely surprised and disappointed by the wrong shade.

Chumley

I do business with a Miller's powdercoating out here in Ca. Is there any relation I wonder? Anyway, I had a set of SSII's coated in a low gloss black, as the paint of the car will be silver. I wanted a little contrast to highlight the wheels. They turned out great, at just under $300 with a battery tray epoxy coated thrown in for free. I'm looking at the same T/A' s as well when she's ready to roll. I know the black is deviating from the norm, but I think they will look sharp on the car. Chumley

68Tom

Sadly, due to the size compressor you need to run power tools, as well as 240 volt outlet need for that size of compressor, renting these tools would prove to be very difficult.

I recently took apart my '68 442 as well as a '69 Camaro and both were pretty rusty. Most of the bolts you describe shouldn't be too difficult to remove. Make sure you get some WD40, some PB Blast, and a breaker bar. You might need these for the really rusty bolts. I ended up having to cut some bolts, as they were simply too rusty. The main ones you should be concerned about are those that screw into the block (alt bracket bolt, power steering, etc). These, however, I found to be the least rusty and easy to remove with a regular ratchet and an extension.

I wouldn't say there's a specific order to remove things, but you definitely want to do things logically. Also, if you've never taken a car apart before (or even if you have...), you need to be organized. Get a bunch of plastic baggies, a Sharpie marker, and a digital camera. Take pictures of everything before you take it apart. Then, when you remove it, put it in a plastic baggie and mark it as precisely as you can. Trust me. It'll make a world of difference when putting the car back together.

Also, because this is an old car that you personally haven't owned for 37 years, I'm sure things have been removed and not put together back exactly correct. So, it's a very good idea to pick up one of these to help you along the way.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1972-...sQ5fLiterature

It is also a very good idea to pick up the Chassis Manual as well. It'll cover what the Body Manual doesn't, and vise versa.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1972-...sQ5fLiterature

I'd only ceramic coat manifolds, if at all. The intake should be engine color. You'd obviously need to remove the manifolds to have them ceramic coated.

Painting the engine, while in the car, is going to be difficult. First, you really need to clean it well. While in the car with alot hooked up, this is going to be hard. I guess it all depends what level of body on restoration you're going for here. Maybe people have done it with good results, but every time I've seen someone try and "freshen" up their engine, you could tell it wasn't done properly.

Hope some of this helps.

Lady72nRob71

Here it is!
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...tml#post103267

How is your refinishing coming along?

cutlass47

Rob, your wheels are looking great after completion of your restoration! IMHO, I think the wheels on your Cutlass look best with the trim rings--gives it that original, like-new look. My new BFG tires are still sitting in my garage waiting for me to get on the stick and start the wheel restoration process. The delay is in part because I want to have the underhood parts (a/c and alternator brackets, air cleaner, radiator cover & fan, power steering pump, etc.) sand blasted and powder coated at the same time as the wheels. However, I am dragging my feet on removing all of these parts, since I do not have the proper tools and have never attempted such a major restoration project (and can I put them back together properly). Too bad I do not have access to a garage that would let me use their air tools and space to remove and reinstall the parts. I am sure there are others on this forum who have this same wish from time to time. Excuses, excuses on my part!! Happy Labor Day to everyone. Let's hope that we Americans will be in a better place in so many ways by next Labor Day!!!!