I'm currently running iForged Evolutions right now in polished & keeping these bad boyz clean (mirror finish) is just a real PIA. I was thinking of powdercoating the middle section brushed aluminum to match the door handles or something similar to that found on PIAA Super Rozza (Hyper Black). Do you think this is a good idea? How much should I expect to pay for this kind of service? Can anyone in Norcal recommend a good/reputable shop that can do this? How long does this process usually take? Would this effect the durability of my wheels? TIA...

Here's a picture for reference:

 

i had my first set of 19s powdercoated gunmetal at some place in san jose for $350. it took the guy a 1 1/2 weeks to powdercoat them as he had to special order the color/powder. it looked pretty good to me, no visible imperfections or anything like that. i'm not too sure about long term durablity as i changed to another set of 19s prolly 6 months later.

i've heard of some places in hayward and oakland that do it for $25 per wheel, but have not seen the quality.

hope this helps.


edit:
ahh, i found my old thread, so looky here
https://my350z.com/forum/wheels-and-tires/36239-got-my-19s-powdercoated-pics.html

 

Thanks Michelle. Yeah, I'm currently on the fence with this thing. I want to do it but at the same time, I don't want to f^ my wheels.

 

yeah, if i had your rims, i'd be pretty wary about letting anyone touch 'em.

but here are some other local powdercoaters...

wheel techniques (santa clara or sj, forgot which one)
advance metal coatings (oakland)

 

Cool thanks! I'll definitely do my research before I commit.

 

Anyone else?

 

u know i like your wheels already.

i like the polished look better than the brushed aluminum.

i think black centers would look sick on your ride.

i feel your pain about keeping the wheels lookin good though.

i have to repolish the lips about every other week and the face about once every 2-3 months.

 

Ask Rob I think he knows a guy that does it.

 

Thanks! Yeah, I'm pretty sure you go through the same hardships as me since we have similar wheels. I'm quite the perfectionist when it comes to cleaning my wheels so I'll spend hours just re-polishing my wheels back to a mirror finish ( I hate spots!). It's just getting old doing this every week or so .

 

Yep, I already asked him & he did refer me to a shop he knows but I wanted to see if anyone else knows of a good place & what their thoughts are on this process.

 

Just a thought, but is it possible to get everything professionally repolished and then clearcoated?

 

Yep, I've heard of people taking their wheels to places to get this done. I think it's the same places where people get their wheels repaired when they have dents/curb rashes. Not sure about the clearcoating part though.

 

Black wheels with polished lips are PLAYED more than nintendo in the late 80's. I wold recommend doing like an anthracite grey, or perhaps a very dark gunmetal.

Leave the lips polished, of course.

ravi

 

humm..leave them alone. Look better that way James.

 

+1 sort of.
black/polished lip and gunmetal/polished lip is waaaaay too common around here i think.

i say just leave it as it is that way you don't have to risk them messing up your wheels and you save $$ towards mods (a bbk maybe?)

 

Yeah--another part of the equation is that James, for god's sake you have iForged's bro! Let them SHINE!!!! Anyone and eveyrone these days is rockin black wheels (cheap ones at that) and thinks it looks good.

I agree it does look good, but part of this whole modification "game" is to be original--which IMO you are doing a damn good job at.

ravi

 

Thanks everyone! Yeah, I love how they shine but I'm trying to figure out how to keep these things clean all the time. Since it has a mirror like finish to them, I figured if I changed it to something like the door handles, that it wouldn't be as hard to keep up. BTW...Stoptechs are in the near future .

 

best solution: DON"T LOOK at it.

 

Hahaha! I wish. I'm always looking at my damn car my GF is getting jealous. LOL.

 

its gonna be damn near impossible to keep them spotless all the time especially with the weather we've been dealing with.

i finally got a chance to wash my z yesterday and i swear the rims were black. now that they are clean, i don't even recognize them anymore.

if the cleaning process really bothers you, you can have a set of back up wheels to get your thru the rainy season and slap the 20s on once the weather is better.

wanna borrow my oem 18s?! yeah right!