Hi. I see a lot of guys here have restored vintage aluminum wheels. After bead blasting and polishing, what do you guys use to repaint the spokes of your vintage Torq Thrust style wheels? What color/brand paint do you use on the spokes? What looks best? Post some pictures, please!
grand gal lilly g. she does the detail work>>>like color of kopper coat head gasket spray >>>what paint is closest to that?
Have any of you guys used Gibbs Brand on aluminum wheels? It looks like it might be worth a try... Anyone have any feedback on this stuff? http://www.roadsters.com/gibbs/
We've used Cast-Blast several times and it turns out pretty good. I can't remember the name of the company that makes it, all I know it as is CAST BLAST, in a rattle can. Here's a couple of brands we've used before.
i just did some OTTs with cast blast. makes the wheels look more vintage. i usually find it at swap meets, but you can get it from a place called BRANDON ENTERPRISES, (215)327-4926.
Gibbs works *****in on bare metal, Steel, Aluminum, and Magnesium to preserve that bead blast look. After awhile the color will get darker to a pewter color. When it drys, it is not sticky. It has been two years since I sprayed them with Gibbs and I wipe them off with a dry towel. Gibbs also prevented my bare Chrome Moly Ch***is from rusting and you can paint over it.
I use Rebuilder's Cast Iron Gray from Plastikote for the pewter grey look and Duplicolor Gold Wheel Paint for the gold effect of pickled magnesium. The latter has a slight greenish tinge which makes it just about spot on.
Before I started this thread, I was thinking about using Rebuilder's Gray (Plastikote) on the wheels. I have used it for restoring a number of different parts on my car and they turned out very nice.
I've used gibbs on some sand blasted wheels, they do take on a nice pewter color after a bit. Not oily or anything, it's almost like a dry coating after it sits for a day or so.
I don't care for the dark gray or the gold spokes. This is the stainless steel detailing paint that is sold most everywhere. It is the closest to what I remember the originals looked like.
It's a rare day indeed that I don't agree with tommy,,but I prefer the dark gray to black on them,,,maybe it's just a location thing and style. HRP
Hell I don't think many people agree with me that's why I blabber so much trying to keep my narrow opinions and experiences from being run over and forgotten by all the experts that were never there. I know you were and it may be a geographical distinction. The first Americans were not painted and for me, they are the best. That is what most people in my area lusted after. I've run just about every clone 5 spoke that there was mostly for economic reasons. Clones were clones and looked down upon as such. The painted spokes were all clones and in my time were considered cheap copies of what we all really wanted. Many of those painted spoke wheels have taken on a big following today. When I see them I see a cheap clone. I can't think of a modern example of something that is thought of as a cheap copy today that might over time become sought after just because it's old. If that happens to some of you young guys in years to come then you might understand what tommy was talking about....but I doubt it. We bought the painted spokes because we could afford them not because we thought that they looked better. That is the history that I am trying to preserve. If all you go by is pictures in a tattered little book you don't always get the truth about the period. It's true that they sold a lot more of the painted spokes than the real Americans but I personally think it was a monetary issue. What you like today is probably directly age related. I'm just an old fart.
Restored these a couple months ago. Went from this.... To this.... First I had to have them TIG welded up because there were chips and dings in the rim. Then I wet sanded from 600 up to 2000 taking my time making sure my hand was laying flat and paying attention to the marks. I could not get an answer that I liked about painting them the very light gold that they were originally so I went on a whim and hunted out a Duplicolor spray bomb from an import line at auto zone. I think the color was Bronze mist or something like that. I think they look awesome and it was as close to the original as I have seen.
I have a case of gibbs at the shop. It's the best for bare metal. It's pricey, $125+ for a case but it goes a long way. There's a juice brake backing plate we blasted and sprayed with Gibbs hangin on the wall in the shop. We're waitin on it to rust. Been 3 years so far.
This is one of the wheels that was on my 63 1/2 Falcone Sprint in 66,,and my son-in-law cleaned them up for his car,,they wouldn't fit. The paint on them now has more shine than they did back in the 60's,,,more of flat finish then. In this area of the country it wasn't unusual to see them painted the color of the car,,,but I always prefered the dark spokes,,black or gray. HRP
I use Napa Martin Senour Paint 7245 color is near perfect match to original. I have them on my 55 Chevy. Many of the early originals had no paint and also looked great. Havent tried the Gibbs on my wheels but it works on nearly everything else, give it a try.
Found this one a couple weeks back. I'm usually looking for slot mags, but I couldn't resist. Only marking found on it was a small Japan cast on it. Hard to see, roughly bottom center of third pic. A clone as Tommy noted, but I thought that showing what appears to be the original finish could help somebody. 7" x 14" with 3" backspace fwiw. Another orphan for my now up to three total wheels in my orphan pile. I'll be looking for the other one next time I go back.
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