Finally have something to post...painting OEM Mach 1 Rims

** UPDATE **

Well, I figured out the mistake I made last week with painting. VHT Wheel paint is supposed to go on thick - if it doesn't look glossy when wet, it won't be when dry. I had *just* enough paint left to put on a thick coat today, and here are the results:



If you use VHT Wheel paint, I recommend these instructions:

I suggest buying 3 cans of paint, 4 if you are painting the whole wheel. Better to have too much than too little. I ended up with three "light" coats and one medium/heavy, and I used all 3 cans I bought.

Sand down the surfaces to be painted with 320 grit sandpaper, to rough up the finish. Mask off EVERYTHING that won't be painted. This is the time to be really anal about it - the better your masking, the better your paint job will look. When you are ready to paint, place the rims AND the paint cans in the sun for at least 15 minutes or so to heat up the surfaces and paint. According to VHT, this will help the paint adhere better. It sure worked for me.

I highly recommend making a paint booth. Mine is made out of 1x2 lumber and plastic sheeting. The sides are held together by zip ties. I got fancy and added two hinges on one corner and a gate hook on the other and made a door. Not necessary, but handy. The paint booth will protect your fresh paint from bugs and leaves and anything else the wind brings along. Most important, you are protected from the wind - you waste less paint in a paint booth.

READ the instructions on the can! This is where I messed up. The can instructions say to hold the can 8-10 inches from the painting surface. This is pretty close IMO. However, it is necessary; you just can't get enough paint on the surface otherwise. Put down two light coats, then one medium coat; the last coat should look wet and glossy. In this case, what you see is what you get; a wet glossy surface will dry wet & glossy. I was convinced the paint would run, but it did not.

I'm not done quite yet; I still have a surprise for you guys on these rims. But for now, I need to peel tape off of three more rims.