GN Wheel ReFinishing
- Thread starter TClassic
- Start date
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2003
I used Eastwood's satin rim paint...
I'm very happy with it. Did it all in the back yard in a few hours.. Came out like this...
I'm very happy with it. Did it all in the back yard in a few hours.. Came out like this...
Jerryl
Tall Unvaccinated Chinese Guy
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2004
Philly knows ALL the tricks! Just look at his car, simply amazing!!
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2003
lol thanks guys! Trust me Frank is more a detail queen then me! :tongue: :biggrin: Eastwood is really close to me so I go there often with my credit card in hand! I must say all their paints are really nice to use. Even something as simple as satin black from them. Spray paint can be your friend or worse enemy. I've found some of the store bought stuff can be tuff to work with and it's not consistent all the time. Eastwood's stuff goes on nice, looks nice, and lasts every time! That can be hard to do with spray paint. Prep is a big thing as well. I just took a wire brush knocked off all the original paint as I could... some mineral sprits all over and tape it up. The bitch was taping the rims up and cutting out the center and all those squares! But it was a project I actually enjoyed! 
I've done about a dozen rims so far with their paint. I have to do my rears this winter. I keep doing everyone else's rims but my own! lol The one in the pic is on the front of my GN. At first I wasn't crazy over the sheen but I've come to like it allot and it's super close to the OEM paint and looks that's for sure! Whatever you do don't spray paint in a closed up garage like me or you'll wind up half nuts like I am!
I've done about a dozen rims so far with their paint. I have to do my rears this winter. I keep doing everyone else's rims but my own! lol The one in the pic is on the front of my GN. At first I wasn't crazy over the sheen but I've come to like it allot and it's super close to the OEM paint and looks that's for sure! Whatever you do don't spray paint in a closed up garage like me or you'll wind up half nuts like I am! strikeeagle
New Member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2001
Whose dumb idea was it to paint chrome wheels anyway? No way will the stuff adhere.
Why not just blast the OEM black paint off, leaving a fully chromed wheel?
strike
Why not just blast the OEM black paint off, leaving a fully chromed wheel?
strike
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2003
Eastwood's paint holds perfectly fine to chrome as most paint will depending on the chrome. I've painted a set for someone who uses it for a daily driver and they still look perfect a year later.
strikeeagle
New Member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2001
I took my GN wheels off with less than 4K miles and put on a set of Convos. Of course, the black paint is chipping on the wheels. If I were ever to put the stock wheels back on (such as if I wanted to add 150 pounds of unsprung, rotating mass), I'd probably just blast the paint off and leave them all chrome.
strike
strike
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2003
keep in mind too anything GM used was cheap! And these rims show that as the outter ring was about the worse chrome ever. Any car washes and bad weather they pitted and scratched like mad! If you don't want to deal with it blasting it off is one way to go but just IMPO they look much better painted.
strikeeagle
New Member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2001
I'm normally not big on aftermarket wheels, but cheaply chromed, cheaply painted steelies that weigh a ton? They just had to be put up. I'm sure I'll never put them back on. The wife'll probably sell 'em after I'm buried.
I took the wheels/tires off my T, also. I can live with aluminum, and I like the style, but they're still heavy compared to Convos. Plus, you can't source the caps for a reasonable price anymore, the caps like to leave, and I'd rather replace a Convo than try to replace a T wheel should it be necessary...
My OEM wheels/tires are washed and waxed and dressed and stacked and stored, high and dry. They seem really happy there - lol!!!
strike
I took the wheels/tires off my T, also. I can live with aluminum, and I like the style, but they're still heavy compared to Convos. Plus, you can't source the caps for a reasonable price anymore, the caps like to leave, and I'd rather replace a Convo than try to replace a T wheel should it be necessary...
My OEM wheels/tires are washed and waxed and dressed and stacked and stored, high and dry. They seem really happy there - lol!!!
strike
GNBRETT
Pelennor Fields
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2004
Aluminum Stock Wheels
I Like The Oem Look! They Just Seem To Be Too Heavy. Anyone Know Of Any Vendors That Make Gn Rims In Aluminum? I Know This Question Has Been Asked Before But With All The Cnc Machines Out There Now Making Custom Motorcycle Wheels I Would Think It Could Be Done. I Know Orange County Choppers Has One. That Would Be The Ultimate Sleeper! Im Sure It Would Not Be Cheap But That Would Be Trick!
I Like The Oem Look! They Just Seem To Be Too Heavy. Anyone Know Of Any Vendors That Make Gn Rims In Aluminum? I Know This Question Has Been Asked Before But With All The Cnc Machines Out There Now Making Custom Motorcycle Wheels I Would Think It Could Be Done. I Know Orange County Choppers Has One. That Would Be The Ultimate Sleeper! Im Sure It Would Not Be Cheap But That Would Be Trick!
Centerline does.........if you can afford them.........they are called Billet GN's
hope this link works.....Centerline Wheels
I'll never buy another Centerline product
hope this link works.....Centerline Wheels
I'll never buy another Centerline product
Turbo6Smackdown
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2005
wow, those are nice. i wonder how the inner looks without the cap.. im going to call them tomorrow to see if they can send me some more pics of those. Id be REALLY interested in runnin some aluminum gn rims... wow..those are tits..
Brett we are working on the aluminum GN rims now.Just trying to beat up the manufacturer on the casting fees & minium orders.
Bad new is we have to go 15,16 or 17.If we change that $25K casting fees pop up on every different size.
The key word you use is not cheap!!!
Jim I'm not knocking your paint maybe it's the pics but the paint is not correct.It needs to be a little more black or glossier.
I did mine almost 3 years ago with Satin Black Rustoleum. My car lives outside and it seems to be holding up really well. I also did my headlight buckets earlier than that and they still look good.
I hint I picked up when using any spray bomb is to heat the can with hot tap water, it seems to make them spray much nicer and gives a better finish.
I hint I picked up when using any spray bomb is to heat the can with hot tap water, it seems to make them spray much nicer and gives a better finish.
GNBRETT
Pelennor Fields
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2004
BRI WOULD THEY BE AVAILABLE IN 15X10 OR 15X12 THAT WOULD BE A HOT SELLER FOR SURE. KEEPS US POSTED ON THAT.
GNBRETT
Pelennor Fields
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2004
I CHECKED THOSE OUT BUT IS DOSEN'T SEEM LIKE A POWER 6 CAP COULD BE PLACED ON THEM. THEY ARE CLOSE BUT I AM INTERESTED IN THE FACTORY OEM LOOK. JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL SO THE FACTORY CAP CAN BE PLACED ON THEM. A GN WHEEL JUST DOES NOT LOOK RIGHT WITHOUT THE GN CAP.
THOSE ARE KOOL THO..... HOPEFULLY BRIAN AT GBODYPARTS WILL OFFER THEM IN THE ORIGINAL DESIGN. I'M SURE BRIAN WILL ENSURE THEY ARE AN OEM STYLE.
Turbo6Smackdown
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2005
at first.. i was like hmmm a major non gn company beat gbodyparts to an oem design? then i kept reading... lol. i need to work at gbodyparts.com. we think exactly alike. they have nothing but buick owners in mind. Very active brains there i see. i cant WAIT to see their versions of the wheels. i dont care WHAT they cost, id buy a set in a minute when i have the money. ive been waiting for aluminum stockers for a looong time. i love the light rotating weight, but, i just cant get myself to stray from the stock appearance. i think it ruins the look. (when im not streetracing, im showing my car at shows) but aluminum gn rims would take the cake. im in the process of getting more pics of different angles of the centrelines now.. ill post them with permission from centreline. i want to see what they look like under that centrecap as well. maybe i could paint that centre section black.
as far as redoing the og rims.. ive been a professional painter twice in my life.. and found the same thing. when you heat the spray can, it works soo much better. (so does ensuring the paint tip never becomes built up with excess paint, and making sure the paint can, and the surface of whats being painted, never dips below the mid 60's too if you can help it. also, curing it longer than whats said on the can helps, and curing it in as low a humidity setting as you can get it) but, is that black too flat? yea,,, a tad..but, thats not the final coat. what you can do to shine that is A. when its fully cured (flat and matte takes a whole lot longer to cure than glosses) is rub your finger over it for a minute. itll become satin then. or B. throw a little coat of typical car wax on it. itll satin out then too.. I wax my entire rims when i wax my car too so, mines the perfect colour.
And in response to that one post, of 'paint never sticks to chrome' is just wrong. True, chrome is the most horrible surface to paint, but once you learn all the little tricks, youll be ok. If its a dedicated surface, then rough it up with a little fine sandpaper. ( i said fine) then, go over it two separate times with a CLEAN rag, and some acetone. when its prepped, start coatin it. you know the rest. LET IT CURE. not dry, but CURE. (thats like 7 days men)
the proper paint for the wheels, (and headlight bezels) is mar hydes satin black
(And yea, it dont look like you can put a turbo 6 emblem on the centrelines.. thats a major concern with me too. maybe you can paint the centres yourself, (black) then have someone airbrush the 6 on? )
as far as redoing the og rims.. ive been a professional painter twice in my life.. and found the same thing. when you heat the spray can, it works soo much better. (so does ensuring the paint tip never becomes built up with excess paint, and making sure the paint can, and the surface of whats being painted, never dips below the mid 60's too if you can help it. also, curing it longer than whats said on the can helps, and curing it in as low a humidity setting as you can get it) but, is that black too flat? yea,,, a tad..but, thats not the final coat. what you can do to shine that is A. when its fully cured (flat and matte takes a whole lot longer to cure than glosses) is rub your finger over it for a minute. itll become satin then. or B. throw a little coat of typical car wax on it. itll satin out then too.. I wax my entire rims when i wax my car too so, mines the perfect colour.
And in response to that one post, of 'paint never sticks to chrome' is just wrong. True, chrome is the most horrible surface to paint, but once you learn all the little tricks, youll be ok. If its a dedicated surface, then rough it up with a little fine sandpaper. ( i said fine) then, go over it two separate times with a CLEAN rag, and some acetone. when its prepped, start coatin it. you know the rest. LET IT CURE. not dry, but CURE. (thats like 7 days men)
the proper paint for the wheels, (and headlight bezels) is mar hydes satin black
(And yea, it dont look like you can put a turbo 6 emblem on the centrelines.. thats a major concern with me too. maybe you can paint the centres yourself, (black) then have someone airbrush the 6 on? )
GNBRETT
Pelennor Fields
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2004
at first.. i was like hmmm a major non gn company beat gbodyparts to an oem design? then i kept reading... lol. i need to work at gbodyparts.com. we think exactly alike. they have nothing but buick owners in mind. Very active brains there i see. i cant WAIT to see their versions of the wheels. i dont care WHAT they cost, id buy a set in a minute when i have the money. ive been waiting for aluminum stockers for a looong time. i love the light rotating weight, but, i just cant get myself to stray from the stock appearance. i think it ruins the look. (when im not streetracing, im showing my car at shows) but aluminum gn rims would take the cake. im in the process of getting more pics of different angles of the centrelines now.. ill post them with permission from centreline. i want to see what they look like under that centrecap as well. maybe i could paint that centre section black.
as far as redoing the og rims.. ive been a professional painter twice in my life.. and found the same thing. when you heat the spray can, it works soo much better. (so does ensuring the paint tip never becomes built up with excess paint, and making sure the paint can, and the surface of whats being painted, never dips below the mid 60's too if you can help it. also, curing it longer than whats said on the can helps, and curing it in as low a humidity setting as you can get it) but, is that black too flat? yea,,, a tad..but, thats not the final coat. what you can do to shine that is A. when its fully cured (flat and matte takes a whole lot longer to cure than glosses) is rub your finger over it for a minute. itll become satin then. or B. throw a little coat of typical car wax on it. itll satin out then too.. I wax my entire rims when i wax my car too so, mines the perfect colour.
And in response to that one post, of 'paint never sticks to chrome' is just wrong. True, chrome is the most horrible surface to paint, but once you learn all the little tricks, youll be ok. If its a dedicated surface, then rough it up with a little fine sandpaper. ( i said fine) then, go over it two separate times with a CLEAN rag, and some acetone. when its prepped, start coatin it. you know the rest. LET IT CURE. not dry, but CURE. (thats like 7 days men)
the proper paint for the wheels, (and headlight bezels) is mar hydes satin black
(And yea, it dont look like you can put a turbo 6 emblem on the centrelines.. thats a major concern with me too. maybe you can paint the centres yourself, (black) then have someone airbrush the 6 on? )
I AGREE, I WOULD HAVE PAID ANYTHING AT ONE TIME TO GET A SET OF ALUMINUM OEM STYLE RIMS. THE FACTORY WHEELS ARE JUST TOO DAM HEAVY. I TOO LOVE THE OEM LOOK THO. YOU DONT SEE ANY AFTERMARKET RIMS ON A HEMI CUDA. IT WOULD BE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. WEIGHT AND LOOK.
WITH THE CENTERS PAINTED BLACK AND THE ABILITY TO ATTACH A POWER 6 CAP TO RETAIN THE OEM LOOK MIGHT LOOK PRETTY KOOL ON THOSE CENTERLINES. THE DESIGN IS THE CLOSEST I HAVE SEEN TO THE OEM LOOK IN ALUMINUM.
IM SURE BRIAN WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN SOONER THEN LATER. IT APPEARS TO BE VERY EXPENSIVE TO GET SOMETING LIKE THAT ROLLING BUT I THINK THE DEMAND IS THERE FOR HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF GN OWNERS THAT WANT THAT OEM LOOK. I JUST HOPE THEY ARE AVAILABLE IN 15X10.
Shooting for 15 X 7 stock spacing. 15 x 8, 4" back spacing. 15 x 10 with 4.65 back spacing.On our 10" now we are doing 4.5 which works. I just think I could put it a little closer to the frame to take away any chance of rubbing with stock wheel well moldings 275's are fine but 295's will get some rubbing on hard launches on the passenger side.
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