Go Vette

My wheels need repainting so I would like to get them media-blasted or sandblasted or whatever. What kind of business do I look up that does this? Regular body shops or what?

skaping

Sometimes auto parts machine shops or rebuilders have a glass bead blasting cabinet. You can do an internet search under "metal finishing" and find someone that can do sandblasting. Sandblasting leaves a bit rougher surface so I prefer glass bead.

3JsVette

Do you have access to a local "yellow book"? You can also Google or Bing "media blasting" in your area.

Mark G

Steel wheels can be sand blasted and while the finish may have a somewhat rougher finish they will look just fine once painted. Blasting with glass beads is even more gentle on them and will produce a smoother finish. Soda blasting will remove the paint, but not the rust, if there is any. Beware you need to clean them properly after soda blasting or the paint could just 'flake' off. Just type in media blasting, or sand blasting. Most local bodyshops will have the ability to sand blast them. Other places specialize in blasting of all sorts. If you have a diesel shop, or trucking machine shop in your area they will certainly have a blasting cabinet. If you have an air compressor, you might consider buying a Harbor Freight Blasting Cabinet for $179 (on sale). It might not be that much more than having them done ....then you have the blaster for other restoration work.

Good luck,

Mark G

Bocho's 75 Stingray

On the topic...

What should be used for the rallys? Paint or should it be powdercoat?

twlinks

Find a local powder coating shop, they can/will do that for you. The one I use here charges a flat rate per hour based on what type of media you want them to use.

72ragtop

i had my wheels blasted at a local head stone/grave stone company. Ask that they use a finer sand. Paid less then 1/2 what i was quoted from paint shops. Came out great. Local painter told me about it. I was like WHAT?

Mark G

That's a really good idea. My take on Powdercoating is: get a price but if you have the ability to paint them yourself with a spray gun, you can do fine with automotive paint. You don't need the high-end product. Somthing like Nason silver and a clear will work. Here's why, if you want to go original, you can spray them black in the back, then spray silver from the front, replicating the original style of finish and silver overspray on the backside. That may/may not matter to you, but it would be difficult to have a powdercoater follow that protocol. Just a thought.

Mark g

skaping

I powder coated mine. I tried the overspray look but with the powder it just did not look right so I masked and recoated them. I am not restoring for NCRS anyway.

leadfoot4

You also have to be careful when you're getting ready to paint/coat the wheels that you get the tiny crack between the centers and outer rims, on the front side, covered with whatever finish you're using. If they were sandblasted really thouroughly, that area is bare, and although it's a real pain to fog paint down in there, they'll rust if you don't....