Paint for alloys

[ohcaptainron]

I have a 1985 300td, the wheels need refinishing, where can one purchase the correct silver paint, any particular name brand and is it specific to wheels only, Thanks

[MikeTangas]

There was a recent post showing the qualities of one paint over another. I believe the two were Groits and Wurth, with one being a very close match to original, the other NOT. Think it was in the Wheels/Tires forum. Try a search.

Awww heck, I did the search for ya , try this:

NOT Happy with griot's Garage Wheel Paint Kit

Wurth is the best.. get the silver and the clearcoat. Strip the wheels first, get all the old paint off. Put 5 coats of the silver and 2 or 3 of the clearcoat.

[James L]

Right on guys!....also use a paint prep to remove any wax or silicon and prevent fisheye. Then use a zinc spray to prime, then Wurth Metallic Silver and Wurth Clearcoat.

See my thread that Mike T found for you!

My wheels are finally looking good!

[sixto]

The Griots wheel paint is a nice color, but it isn't even close to the original color of MB alloy wheels.

Sixto
91 300SE
81 300SD

[Billybob]

How does the "stripping" get done, is this a chemical or mechanical process? DIY? or have it done? Thanks all!

[sixto]

An easy but not cheap way to do it is to have your wheels bead or walnut shell blasted at a shop. Make sure they don't use sand.

Sixto
91 300SE
81 300SD

[James L]

What I did was use a random orbital sander, dremel motor tool with the correct accessories and alot of hand sanding. You do not have to strip the wheels all the way to the aluminum.

[surfblau]

I was considering doing something similar. On balance, does the paint finish look good (enough)? Did you do any refinishing to the insides? How many cans of paint did you end up using?

thanks

surfblau,

two cans will do four wheels....but really depends on how many coats are used. also must buy one can of clear coat to apply after silver paint is dry.

I simply used medium steel wool and scrubbed very hard. That smoothed out any areas that had flaked off and cleaned wheels very well.

After three coats of the silver paint and two of the clear stuff, my wheels look very nice. One of the keys is to apply several thin coats vs. one thick coat. There should not be enough paint applied each time to allow runs.

The ideal approach is to go the way sixto said, but my results are quite good and I am fairly particular.

over a year later and no problems yet.

Nic
'85 300CD

[Ridge]

ohcaptainron,

I gave my son a set of MBZ rims that I had polished for Christmas. It's the final solution for never having to paint again. Add the silver center caps and the stainless wheel bolts and comb your hair in the reflection. Check your local polisher for prices or get one extra rim and do it yourself.
Ben

[CarolinaMBZ]

Regarding chrome, supposedly the copper in the chroming is not compatible with the alloys in the wheel and may ultimately fail. Proceed with caution.

Regarding paint, the Tower Paints representative that I spoke with indicates that they sell the exact color for Mercedes Wheels. I have ordered but not yet received so I can't confirm yet. Their number is 800.779.6520. There is no paint code number for this color, just "Mercedes wheel color."

If there is a problem, I will advise.

[MarkM]

I refinished my alloys last year, and I did use the Wurth silver & clear coat. Not the same as OE, but nice. One thing to be very carefull of.....after silver paint dries (and let it dry a long time....I rigged up a standard bathroom heat lamp and let wheels dry for 2 to 3 days), start your clear coating with very minimal coats...spray on a very light coat then let dry for 12 hours...repeat this two or three more times. Then, you can spray a heavier coat of clear coat on and get a nice smooth glossy finish without damaging the paint coat. If you put too heavy a coat of clear coat directly onto the paint, the paint will "crinkle" and ruin the finish.


Good Luck

Mark

[240 Ed]

It is not necessary to strip your wheels!

Just rough up the paint enough to create a tooth, clean with paint prep solution, and then paint. If you have bare aluminum, then you need to prime with a primer made for aluminum.

The first coat of paint, you do not want to completely cover! Resist the temptation!!! Just want to set up a tooth, or tack coat.

My local paint store recommended acrylic "Wheel Silver Paint" by AUTO GLYM, from England, as the product the local detail shops use to match european alloy wheels. The 450 ml can was about $14 bucks - says it refinishes up to 25 wheels, but I'll be real happy with 4. We'll see. Big Mac