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Repainting GTA wheels?

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Old Jul 21, 2010 | 02:29 AM
  #1  
ThirdGenFire93's Avatar
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From: Willows, CA
Car: 1987 Firebird Trans Am
Engine: 305 TPI (68,XXX MILES!)
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 2.73
Repainting GTA wheels?

I'm thinking about how to go amongst doing this, my black GTA wheels well aren't.. black anymore. Their kind've an awful grey.

Me and my grandpa were going to attempt redoing two at a time, what do u guys reccomend? We were going to take a pressure washer to them to try and remove as much gunk as possible, but im not seeing how else to prep them rather than taking a wire brush to them.

ADVICE PLEASE? I know I sound dumb, but really, It doesn't even seem like most of the original black paint is still on these wheels. We literally plan on priming and spraying them with high quality spray can. Anything will make them look better. Advice advice?

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Old Jul 21, 2010 | 01:32 PM
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ThirdGenFire93's Avatar
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From: Willows, CA
Car: 1987 Firebird Trans Am
Engine: 305 TPI (68,XXX MILES!)
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 2.73
Re: Repainting GTA wheels?

Any advice? :/
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Old Jul 21, 2010 | 03:20 PM
  #3  
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From: Las Vegas, Nevada
Car: 1988 Trans Am GTA
Engine: 350TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3:27
Re: Repainting GTA wheels?

well what I would do if I was you would be to strip the clear coat off the wheels, have the centers powdercoated black, and then polish the dish up. When you put them back on the car, the wider looking rims go on the front, and the skinny looking ones in the back. I remember your car had them switched, and I just don't like the skinny rims up front it looks funky.
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Old Jul 22, 2010 | 03:48 AM
  #4  
ThirdGenFire93's Avatar
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From: Willows, CA
Car: 1987 Firebird Trans Am
Engine: 305 TPI (68,XXX MILES!)
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 2.73
Re: Repainting GTA wheels?

Originally Posted by BigBadGTA
The wider looking rims go on the front, and the skinny looking ones in the back.
OMG REALLY, I did not know that mine were backwards! What is the reason for the difference?
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Old Jul 22, 2010 | 03:53 AM
  #5  
ThirdGenFire93's Avatar
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From: Willows, CA
Car: 1987 Firebird Trans Am
Engine: 305 TPI (68,XXX MILES!)
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 2.73
Re: Repainting GTA wheels?

How would I strip the paint off of the centers? and how much would it cost me to get them powdercoated, and where?
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Old Jul 22, 2010 | 08:15 AM
  #6  
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From: Cordova, TN
Car: 1989 Pontiac Formula 350
Engine: 350 tpi
Transmission: 700
Axle/Gears: 3.27
Re: Repainting GTA wheels?

I have done this a few times. Once to paint the spokes silver then recently to paint them back to a factory black.
Take off the wheel/tire (i know, duh!).
Set it somewhere where you don't care about the grass/plants in the area.
Get aircraft stripper from autozone or wal mart. The brush on kind works better than the spray on.
Let is sit for about 10 minutes then blast it off with the pressure washer. Be careful to not let it splash back onto you. It burns.
Let the wheel sit out in the sun to dry or use compressed air to speed up the process.
Use a good spray paint. I have used caliper paints and they have worked well.
You can tape off the outer ring to keep it clean or use some mineral spirits to get any spray over off.
It will take a few spray coats mainly because when you think you have hit all of those little openings you suddenly find two that haven't been hit. Take your time between the coats because a run will happen and mess up the job.
Overall not too bad and I usually incorporate some other job to do (brake pads, brake lines, etc) to do along with this job so you are not just standing there between steps.
Good luck.
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Old Jul 26, 2010 | 10:21 PM
  #7  
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From: Iowa
Car: 89 IROC-Z & 92 RS
Engine: 350 TPI & LQ4 408 in the works
Transmission: 700R4 & T-56
Axle/Gears: stock/ LT1 disc 3.42
Re: Repainting GTA wheels?

find someone that does soda blasting. will take it right off without the mess. works on most all materials... metal..wood...plastic...glass even in some cases. wont hurt substrate like most blasting techniques (ei sandblasting). then all you have to do is clean and paint
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Old Jul 26, 2010 | 10:45 PM
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From: Bertram (outside Austin), TX
Car: 87 GTA
Engine: L98
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: Dana M78 3.27 posi
Re: Repainting GTA wheels?

Originally Posted by ThirdGenFire93
How would I strip the paint off of the centers? and how much would it cost me to get them powdercoated, and where?
I had my Snypers done at http://www.wheelsamerica.com/index.php?page=main. $100 each, for stripping, powdercoating & polishing the lip. I found a local guy that does the same thing for $85(iirc).



Originally Posted by ThirdGenFire93
OMG REALLY, I did not know that mine were backwards! What is the reason for the difference?
If you look at the back of your crosslace wheels, you'll read FRONT or REAR cast into them. Front wheels fit the rear axle, but rear wheels won't fit the front suspension. They are all the same width, 8", but the backspacing is different. The result is a narrower rear track width, which help in stability & bringing the rear of a car back in line, if it gets loose in a turn. A very common thing is to get you 4 front wheels, to run on all 4 corners. Makes the rear look wider, nice stance & any wheel/tire you have can fit any corner. And so that you can carry 1 full-sized spare that way (another front wheel & tire) to fit on any corner.

Last edited by Stephen; Jul 26, 2010 at 10:49 PM.
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