RX-8 Wheels :: Update-THEY'RE ON!

[PRD2BDF]

I like how this thread went from Booze's wheels to some people's VWs with different wheels.

[Water 97SSEi]

Just remove the Mazda logo somehow...and I like it!

[WhiteArrow3800]

Bringing this back up because It's happening. I picked the wheels up for $20 and a beer
Then thanks to Jerry I got a very nice deal on 2 very nice BFG KDWS's and a pair of RS-A's that still have quite a bit of life in them yet.
Getting the wheels, tires, wheel repair and the hubs bored out and getting the tires mounted all for probably about a 1/3 of the cost for a set of new tires on the swoopies.









So I have good and bad news. The bad news is I'm set on painting these white to match the car, probably going with find some way to accent some gold in there somehow as well. I've been getting flamed pretty hard for doing it, but I'm set on it. The good news is it's not your car!

Also I'm doing it all myself so if I decide you guys were right and it looks horrible, well I'm only out my own time and cost of paint, no big deal.

I know I do not like the silver so these have to change. I'd go gunmetal or black, since those are the only other two sensible options I can think of but I really don't want to do black. I'm not doing gunmetal because Pat recently got ahold of some GXP wheels and repainted them gunmetal. I really want to avoid mimicking what other's have done. But he's going in the direction I wanted to (aesthetically) , with the exception that I'm not going to have an intercooler hanging out below the bumper and I'm planning on going lower than he did.

Anyhow I've already found blank center caps for these to be rid of the Mazda logo. I think the Pontiac arrowhead emblems on the back of the GTO's are small enough and will fit on the center cap. I'll see fore sure on saturday at the local Cars & Coffee meet, there's always a few GTO's coming out.


More pics will come as this progresses for sure.

[sandrock]

Do a black chrome color. Also, I'd avoid painting them unless they are painted with a very stout paint that's heat resistant and won't discolor with brake dust. The better bet would be to have them powdercoated. There is a guy here that will do a full set w/prep work included (media blasting, chemical bath, etc.) for 180 bucks.

[PRD2BDF]

I expect white wheels on the car by the time I get home from class at 6:30pm.

[00Beast]

He's been talking about this for weeks Cody, I don't expect them white anytime soon...

[WhiteArrow3800]

Within the next few weeks or so I hope to have them on the car & painted. This weekend I plan to get them repaired and the hubs bored out. Painted by the following weekend and mounted by the next.


I'd consider powder coating later on if I like what I did. But right now the money isn't there, which is most of the reason I did this rather than just getting tires for the swoopies.

[2000Silverbullet]

If you can't afford a proper paint job, don't do it. They'll look like crap in a year. I like them just the way they are......less the center cap.

[PRD2BDF]

He's been talking about this for weeks Cody, I don't expect them white anytime soon...

It's called sarcasm.
http://tinyurl.com/6xccrm

[WhiteArrow3800]

^LOL



Small but overdue update:
I did some searching on some local forums to find a reputable wheel repair shop and almost literally everyone pointed to Wheel & Rim Repair not too far from my apartment. The guys I dealt with in the shop were incredibly friendly. I was quoted $110 to fix the curb damage which I didn't find too terrible. The damage was very bad but I don't think I have any close ups of the 'before' though. But to bore out the center hub they wanted to charge $50 per wheel to take a mere 3mm off. I measured the I.D. on the wheel and it's 68mm, and from what I've read I need to go to 70.3mm. They said they didn't have a lathe so they have to use another shops' equipment and they charged $45 a wheel. So I'll either find a way to do it myself or a buddy of mine said his grandads lathe may be capable of doing this task.

Anyhow the repair shop said they'd be done by the end of the day, but it ended up taking a week. I was told they had to redo them because the shop owner didn't like the results from the first attempt. So I figured I had come to the right place. But I got the wheels back and didn't initially notice but it looks like their grinder got away from them on more than one occasion and got some scratches in several places on each wheel. I told them not to refinish them since I was planning on doing it myself, no need to waste labor time and money on a refinish if I'm going to be sanding it all back off. So I think that's where they figured they wouldn't bother smoothing out the scratches, so I was OK with that. The issue I didn't like was the rim where the curb damage was is smooth along the outside face, but if you look at the wheel straight on the edge is wavy, I think the tire will maybe hide that.


Tires removed, and before repair:


Found these little suckers in there too, selling these used will almost pay for the curb damage repair...






After the repair work. (I also had them fill in the holes on each spoke.)






Curb damage repair...


Close-up of the scratches I was talking about...


20 minutes later and some 220grit sandpaper...



And now I've come back to one of my original options besides going with white. I'll be sanding the hell out of these so polishing them up has come back to my mind. Not sure but I think polishing these will probably hide any flaws better than a gloss white. I'll polish one out completely and see how close to a chrome-like finish I can get them. From what I've seen on the RX-8 boards, their polishing results aren't quite what I want.

So that's where these sit at the moment.

[00Beast]

How do you polish them if there's filler in them? Unless they were filled so the wheel could be polished, I'd bet they will show.

[harofreak00]

I'd bring them back and have them fix that wavy edge... looks like crap.

[00Beast]

Now that I see it it looks terrible, lol.

[sandrock]

Try to open that center hole up with a cylinder hone. If all you need is 3mm, it shouldn't take long at all for the honing stones to chew threw that.

[95naSTA]

Try to open that center hole up with a cylinder hone. If all you need is 3mm, it shouldn't take long at all for the honing stones to chew threw that.

I tried opening up my aluminum coilover sleeves less than 3mm with a cylinder hone. I ended up going through the stones before I was half way there on the one sleeve.

[00Beast]

The aluminum would clog up the stones so fast it's not even funny.

[BonneMe]

Even if they used a metal filler, youll probably have lines in the metalwork if you polished them. Get them dipped in chrome if you want that look in all seriousness.

If gunmetal is your number 1 choice, do that. Otherwise you could do a faux insert or something of white on a gunmetal wheel if you're feeling very creative.

That wave is terrible.

Cylinder hone is made to smooth out material for a perfect contact surface, not remove large amounts.

[swampthing]

I personally like silver 18's but I might be biased. is that wave only on one wheel? if so you always have the option of just buying one wheel on ebay or whatever

[WhiteArrow3800]

The only reason I'm even bothering with these wheels is because it was going to be cheaper than buying new tires for the swoopies. Buying another wheel(s) is out of the question. So is chrome-ing though powder coating might happen later. The whole idea here was cheap. Also the gunmetal option went out the window as well.

To answer your question though, the curb damage was only on two wheels, and both have the same wavy lip where the repair was. I'm going back down that way on Saturday so I'll see what they'll do. Will also see what my friend's grandfather's lathe can do if it's capable of the job.

I'm going to polish up at least one spoke if not the whole wheel to see, there's no harm in trying. I'll probably grab some white spray paint sitting around and spray a wheel right quick and compare and decide.


Thanks for the input & advise so far guys!

[Bing]

My only suggestion would be, if you're going to rattle can them at least use engine paint.