Wheel probs/suggestions?

[Chucky]

So I have my 97 camaro and the wheels are chrome but major problem with them, the chrome is flaking off on one wheel really bad and the other ones are pitted and starting to look pretty bad. Right now I dont have the money to buy new wheels or have these rechromed and I dont really want to spend that much on the car since I dont know how long I am going to keep it. The wheels look good from a distance but once you get close they look terrible.

Anyone have any suggestions of what to do for these? I like the way they look and them being nice and shiney but there starting to look pretty bad. Possibly thinking about sanding them down and painting them black like I have seen done on here, I have a spray gun and all that and have painted before but what do you guys think I should do here? I've tried to take care of them best I could but they started with the pitting and what not before I got the car, and I am guessing the wheels have 100k miles on them.

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Wheel probs/suggestions?

Painting them is probably one of your only options at this point if you don't want to spend the money on new rims or new chrome. Since your car is black, black wheels go very nicely IMO. Were you thinking straight black or is there enough chrome left around the lip to keep a chrome lip?

[Chucky]

Re: Wheel probs/suggestions?

I think theres enough to leave the lip chromed, thats what I would try to do atleast so it wasnt all black

[niik000]

Re: Wheel probs/suggestions?

yep, and if you get the money sooner or later you could buy stock rims and paint them like TheGr8Schlotzky's. it looks like it's gonna be tricky to make a chome lip.

[Chucky]

Re: Wheel probs/suggestions?

Yeah if I couldnt save the chrome on the lips I was figuring I might paint a lip or something to break it up so it wasnt solid black. What would you guys think for the chrome, just sand it until the chrome comes off or what would you guys think?

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Wheel probs/suggestions?

Normally I'd say just sand it so it's rough and the paint has something to stick to, but in this case, the chrome is peeling off in flakes, so I would recommend sanding through the chrome. You can tape off a lip that you want to keep chrome with electrical tape and sand the rest down and prep for paint.

[niik000]

Re: Wheel probs/suggestions?

You can tape off a lip that you want to keep chrome with electrical tape and sand the rest down and prep for paint.

to get it evin sounds eazyer said than done

[Bonemaro]

Re: Wheel probs/suggestions?

Not a problem for the "Spray Can King" though. :)

[Chucky]

Re: Wheel probs/suggestions?

Yeah getting them even will be tough but I think I have a few ideas on how to, just involves lots of measuring.

What do you guys think for the center caps, just do the entire cap black or leave the name and emblem or something?

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Wheel probs/suggestions?

Hard to tell from the picture but it looks like there is a small circle with some kind of rivets around the logo that you could keep chrome to break it up in the center. Otherwise I'd just paint the center caps black with the exception of the logo.