I have a set of of Cragar SS wheels on my 56 and have gotten kind of bored with the look. The wheels are in perfect condition. To change the looks of the car up some I was wondering if anyone has ever painted the centers of their SS wheels and has some pictures of it afterwards. I have painted over chrome before on valve covers and air cleaner lids before and if the surface is preped and cleaned properly, it works well. I was thinking a dark grey color. Before some one says it, the funds just are not there for a new set of wheels. If anyone has done it and has pics, chime in please.
I don't have any pics of my 55 but I painted the centers of an old set of Rocket 5 spokes satin black and left the centers chrome. As long as you rough them up pretty good and then gradually smooth them out, use self etching primer before you spray them I think that they would be ok. A least it worked out for me alright. good luck
Main thing is getting a good "tooth" for the paint to stick to. Getting the chrome scratched enough for the paint to bond will be the trick.
I'm sure you could find someone to trade with for a set of torq thrusts or other. Ive got a set of 14" smoothies I would gladly trade that you could paint up lol
There are some painted craigers in the cl***ifieds. I have painted them before with good success but I probably wouldn't paint a set that the chrome wasn't already peeling off. Just me I guess.
first i like your car the way it is looks tough , but i can understand the getting tired of it also i think a dark gray would look good cragar used to sell them that way also i think they had a different name then s/s though as was said the hardest part will be to get the chrome surface prepped so they dont peel later i was thinking maybe media blast them with a not so aggressive media because there are alot of small areas that will be hard to get in by hand
If i were going to do this.. I would tape off the "good" part of the wheel , that you are not going to paint.. Tape it off with a good tape and many many layers of it. than sand blast them to roughen them up..prime and paint.
I have not painted Cragars, nor do I have any pics of painted Cragars... however, I have painted items that were chromed. I sandblast the chrome (only the area to be painted obviously, I would use a heavy tape to mask off the area that does not require blasting/painting) then use etching primer (spray can) and then top coat with whatever colour I am wanting. I personally think this is the absolute best way to prep the chrome for paint. I actually just finished blasting, priming, and now the paint is drying on two small formerly chrome items today.
That is a tough looking 56. I like the Cragar look. I think the center caps would look good painted but I also dig steelies in back one half painted white and the other half painted black, with the Cragars up front.
why don't you mask them off and paint them, put them on the car and make sure you like them. once you sandblast them, they're ruined forever. you can always wipe the paint off the chrome if you don't like it. just sayin'.
Wow Gotgas that is exactly what I needed to see. I guess it the Cragars are going to stay chrome! Thanks man.
Wow, that photoshop (I am ***uming I have the correct term) is way cool. Thanks for doing that. I like em both ways to be honest. ( I need to look into that program ... I wouldn't mind adding a little more hair in some of the pics with me in em).
I bought some Cragar style wheels. Two were painted in the centers. Really changes the look of the wheels.
Really nice looking car. Love the hood scoop and the color combo. If it were mine, I would probably ditch the rear window stickers, or change them out to 100% period decals from the era if I wanted to change the overall appearance of the car. I think I would also add on the center cap to the rear wheels. Those two things would turn a clean car into an amazingly clean car. Try just playing with the details maybe. I also find that sometimes it is good to just throw the car cover on the car and forget it for awhile. They ALWAYS look better to me when I pull the cover back off later! Nice ride any way you go.
I have a peeling set I got for free and prepped and painted the centers black and put a set of trim rings on. They look like early 70s Z28 wheels. Guys are always asking what they are and say "why didnt I think of that".
the cragars CHROME are perfect on that car........and I really like that hood,now lift it another six inches................and the stickers really give it that late 60s and 70s look.
Ive painted many wheels in my day ,And sanding them for hours with 80 grit is the way I use to do them,You can tell when they are ready ,I like vonn riggs Idea ,I didnt try that back then
I understand getting bored with the look of your car but focus on some other things. Painted centers on those Cragars will look awful. 1: Get some caps for the rear wheels, they are cheap. 2: Get the front end up a little more. 3: Get rid of the lousy peel & sticks and when/if you get some real decals put them in the front end of the rear window. They always look weird to me if they are only in the rear part. 4: Think about radiusing the rear panels and getting a hold of some Cheater Slicks.
I've seen some rip offs painted before and they always look better on the back than the front. It's all in what you want.
these were painted about 15 yrs ago in cl***ifieds for sale.. look good on a g***er or open wheel hotrod
I would NOT do this, and heres why. Later on, if you paint them, and still decide you are tired of them, you now have a set of wheels that are gonna be REAL hard to sell. How many guys out there looking for a set of Cragar SS's are gonna be real excited when they find out you painted the centers? I would try to swap the wheels for a set of dark center americans or american copies, or sell them, and put the proceeds towards the wheels you really want. Aside from all that, I think your car looks *****EN with the cragars, but thats beside the point. You have a set of wheels there that a LOT of guys really like, once the centers are painted, they will be REAL hard to unload.
Thats correct, and I dont think the spokes werent shaped the same as the SS's either. They looked flatter across the face of the spoke to me.
Honestly, I LOVE the look of your car. I think its one of the best looking tri-5s on here, absolutely NAILS the way so many of them looked around here when I was a young kid in the late sixties and early seventies. So many cars that are done in this theme are so garish and over the top, yours is dead on the mark. No bogus moon tank hanging on the grill, excessively jacked up, bogus cl*** designation, faux spindle mounts, or any of the other cliche **** that immediately ids the car as being built in the last ten years.
i think they look great like this but id try to get some caps for the rear tires also ...and leave the rest of the car as is looks great ..
Makes the S/S wheel look like the G/T wheel; those did'nt last very long, just were'nt very popular. They had the centers a dull, natural aluminum color. I had a pair I gave away some 35 years ago. Butch/56sedandelivery. I do think you need a taller tire on the front.
Thanks for the comments on the car. I agree with you on the decals and since the picture was taken I have since removed them and they found their way to the tool box. Also, amen to stepping away for a little bit. It does clear the head!
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