I'm finally getting around to refinishing a set of iroc rims i got in 2002. I stripped all the paint off of it (4 layers), cleaned it up with steal wool and thinner, washed it off, masked and sprayed it with gray paint. I'm wondering if i need to spray a layer of clear coat on the rims or will they be fine without?

I finished one today, should have the rest done in the next few days.

 

see if there is a place in your area that does powder coating and get them to powder clear them, it will be a nicer piece.
i have a remarkably nice set of teh centerline gamblers in 16s that im sending to get powder cleard as i dont want to deal with polishing them every time it rains.

 

I'm trying to do these pretty cheaply. I only have like $30 invested in refinishing them so far and powder coating around here is pretty expensive from what i hear. I originally planned on getting them sand blasted and powder coated professionaly but i decided to just save the money and use airfcraft stripper and do it myself. You think a spray on clear will work fine? I have a lot of clear left over from painting my car that i could use, or i can just buy some spray can clear.

 

ok being budget is your issue then go the spray can route. use even strokes when spraying and mist it so you dont have a quick build up.
be sure the surface is clean or you will have fish eyes in your clear. or tyou can go to a local body shop and see if they would shoot a lil clear on them when they are finishing up a car as it would be that much less stuff they hafta clean up and dispose of.

 

IMO if you are going to leave the rim and spokes the stock unfinished aluminum like that i would probably put a couple coats of clear on there just to protect from corosion.(might as well polish them a bit first though)

 

I did the same thing with mine except I polished the spokes smooth. I painted the inserts with Duplicolor grey wheel-paint and left the spokes natural so I can polish them. I've driven them like this for 6 months now and haven't really had any problem with them getting dirty or even spotting!

 

i have a set of formula wheels i stripped and they did tarnish a bit. they lost that luster they had when i had just stripped them.

 

I just went to a paint shop and bought a spray can of clear coat and sprayed it on no problem. I by no means am a professional at this barely a amatuer. Mine look pretty good. I too used the aircraft stripper and spray painted them. Look pretty good to me. Yours look great.

 

If you don't grind the tiny little grooves out of the metal they will dull without a clearcoat. I sanded mine (for about a week each) until the spoke face was perfectly smooth and now they really hold a shine. I live in Florida and it has rained continuously for the last 6 weeks and they still look great without even being cleaned the entire time. The only thing I have to do is wax them when I wax the car, takes 5 minutes.

 

i personally like the machine finish. agree mine might have weatherd time better if i smoothed out the machine grooves. being im getting a set stripped turned and cleared to go on my 83 to replace the current set so im not sweatting it now. the ones that are going on the 83 are from my 89 and they are waaaay strighter than the current set on the 83.

 

I kinda like the machined look also, and these rims are just to hold me over until i need new tires and have the dough for some 17s. Has anyone had any problems with the clear turning yellow from the heat?

 

The only reason they should yellow is, if you use an inferior product.
Most paint companies use an extra hard, extra heavy clear for wheels and raw alluminum.
Those look great and it shows you spent some time on those.
It would be a shame if you left them unfinished at this point.

 

Thanks, it did take a while for that one rim. Masking alone took me atleast a half hour. I threw a tire on and mounted it to see if i liked the color I chose before I did the rest. I'll pick up some clear today and clear the other rims and then mask the tire off and clear this one too.