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

[WhiteArrow3800]

Initially it's going to be whatever paint I have sitting here. Otherwise I'm going to get the factory color and borrow another friend's spray gun. It won't be right if the white doesn't match.

[WhiteArrow3800]

Keep hitting snags with this "little" project, some being personal and some being related to the wheels. Biggest issue with the wheels were deep scratches or rather gashes in the wheels that I gave up trying to sand out since while sanding, in a few places I hit an air bubble in the filler the repair shop used. So now bondo has to come into the equation, but a very small amount.

As the wheels sit now the face side of each wheel is ready for bondo & primer. Hopefully I can get to that tomorrow and/or Sunday and have them ready for paint. I'm picking up the paint on Wednesday from a friend's dad's body shop. Got the factory base, color and clear coming for a pretty good price. I'll either get to use my friend's shop to paint or borrowing a paint gun from another friend and painting in our garage. So hopefully I can have them painted next weekend.




As far as boring the hubs, everyone wanted $40/$50 per wheel to bore them out 3mm. My friend said he had a lathe but that turned out to be a wood lathe so couldn't use that. I rented a cylinder honer from AutoZone just to see and immediately found that wasn't going to work out. So I broke out the dremel and got to work. I opened them up to 71mm and from my measurements I'm within 0.4mm all around.

[wake]

what is it with the 00+ guys and there flip flops?

[swampthing]

dude, I LIVE in flip flops! I would wear them to work if I could...that or barefoot I hate shoes

[WhiteArrow3800]

^^^^Exactly, I do wear them to work, and right when I get to my desk, they come off. Barefoot the rest of the day.
(Staples suck, but that's what I get for going barefoot in a printshop) [/off topic]

[WhiteArrow3800]

I called the shop that I ordered paint from and they hadn't got the paint in yet. It was supposed to be delivered last Wednesday but I assume weather prevented that from happening. I haven't called the shop back yet but he said it should have been in on Tuesday. I haven't had a chance to run up there and grab it. But I am hoping to pick up the paint and other misc. supplies tomorrow evening and get these wheels painted Saturday or Sunday. I wanted them mounted by this weekend but that won't happen. I'll definitely have finished pics posted when it happens and photo shoot soon-after!


Little bit of bondo work:









Primed:














Also, for center caps I found some blanks on eBay...too bad they need to be painted...


I have been trying to find a Pontiac emblem small enough and I'm not having any luck. So I'll likley just have a decal made of the Pontiac arrowhead...that or the pre-30's Pontiac Indian head I thought might look cool, like what I had made for the '93's sail window:

[SSEiMan01]

I'm holding judgement on these for a minute, you may be going somewhere...
I still probably wouldn't trade my swoopies for those but, to each his own... Chrome GXP wheels or chrome Aztek-GXP look-alikes, now maybe...
As far as the comment about the flip-flops goes, I'm pretty sure I sparked that...Lucas just saw me wear shoes for the first time last week... I hate shoes...

[WhiteArrow3800]

Don't get me wrong, I loooove my swoopies. I would never have gone out and replaced the swoops with new wheels. I only happened into this because it was (at the time) a cheap option to get new rubber on the road since my Eagle GT's barely lasted a year and are bald now. I'll probably run these wheels with all seasons and next summer get some summer rubber on the swoopies, that or they'll move to the '93 if my brother wants to buy new tires for it. Either way the swoopies won't be gone for good.

[WhiteArrow3800]

Teaser pic; more to come on Wednesday!

[wake]

i like what i see..but ill still reserve my final judgement when i see them finished and mounted

[SSEiMan01]

[WhiteArrow3800]

More painted pics!




















So far I love how these came out, but still anxious to see them actually mounted. I was told I should let these sit in the sun for another day before getting the tires mounted. But hopefully I'll be riding on these Friday night!

[00Beast]

I'm gonna hold my judgement till they're on the car, but I hate the mono-chromatic look. Cars need contrast IMO, and white wheels on a white car don't do it for me. But what's important is that YOU like it, and if you like it, then cool.

[theax40]

Those look really good painted white. I think it'll look great with them mounted.

This thread makes me wanna paint my 20 spokes black....

[SSEiMan01]

^
NOOOOOOOOOOO
PLEASE DO NOT PAINT THOSE WHEELS!
Sell them to me and then buy new ones to paint...lol

[swampthing]

Keep the tires black lol

[SSEiMan01]

Booze...I think whoever said it in chat the other night had a neat idea...Raised white letters might look kinda cool on there... I have been waiting to see someone do RWLs on a 00+, Ive seen vogues (aka mustard and mayo's) and they're ok, but it was on a DPG/Camel SSEi...

[theax40]

NOOOOOOOOOOO
PLEASE DO NOT PAINT THOSE WHEELS!
Sell them to me and then buy new ones to paint...lol

Lol I figured my post would garner such a response.

I know that 20 spokes are rare, and chromed 20 spokes are something like the Holy Grail around here, but I'm not much of a chrome guy. Especially on a silver or white car, I find it too flashy. And everytime I wash them, all of the flecks of chrome in the towel simply remind me that something needs to be done with them. Either re-chromed or stripped and painted.

[SSEiMan01]

Either re-chromed or stripped and painted.

WORTH EVERY PENNY
I rescind my previous post, I would probably put those chrome 20 spokes on my car, not trade my swoopies, but have both sets depending on my mood LOL

[00Beast]

The thing is they didn't come from the factory, it was an aftermarket gig, like the chromed GXP rims. Obviously it wasn't done very well...