Rally Wheel Painting
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,057
Likes: 421
From: BC
Rally Wheel Painting
Is it true rally wheels were painted black on the backside from the factory and if so, was it gloss or semi? Was the inside of the rim (covered by the tire) also painted black or is it silver from the factory?
Am going to sandblast some rims and figured I might as well try and do it right....
Thanks guys!
Am going to sandblast some rims and figured I might as well try and do it right....
Thanks guys!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 766
Likes: 97
From: Lake Norman, NC
Is it true rally wheels were painted black on the backside from the factory and if so, was it gloss or semi? Was the inside of the rim (covered by the tire) also painted black or is it silver from the factory?
Am going to sandblast some rims and figured I might as well try and do it right....
Thanks guys!
Am going to sandblast some rims and figured I might as well try and do it right....
Thanks guys!
Hope this helps...
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,481
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,114
From: Crossville TN
Wheels were painted semi-gloss black...not gloss and not satin (or semi-flat). When the factory sprayed the Argent silver paint, they used no masking; so there was some overspray on the backside around the open holes. Since I don't have my car judged by NCRS, I prefer to put masking paper on the backside, over the holes, then shoot the front with silver.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 766
Likes: 97
From: Lake Norman, NC
Wheels were painted semi-gloss black...not gloss and not satin (or semi-flat). When the factory sprayed the Argent silver paint, they used no masking; so there was some overspray on the backside around the open holes. Since I don't have my car judged by NCRS, I prefer to put masking paper on the backside, over the holes, then shoot the front with silver.
"All wheels are Rally style 15 x 8 painted argent silver. Wheels in 1970 had a greenish tint, while the 1971 and 1972 wheels are bright silver. The inside of the Rally wheels was painted semi-flat black and shows signs of silver paint overspray. The mounting ring has varying degrees of silver paint. The wheels were hung by the valve stem hole when painted and usually have runs and metallic sags."
I painted mine in accordance with this instruction (black and silver) and my wheels passed judging at the national level without deduct.
I'd liken the black paint's sheen on my wheels to that of the door and engine bay drip rail near windshield wiper door black out. Of course if you're not going for judging points, it doesn't make a whole lot of difference, however, the original poster suggested he wanted to "do it right'.
Hope this helps...
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 133
Likes: 1
From: Edmonton Alberta
I always thought semi-gloss and semi-flat were the same but apparently the paint industry states that semi-gloss has a higher sheen than semi-flat. In other words semi-gloss is is a closer derivative to the "gloss" end of the scale and semi-flat is closer to the "flat" side of things.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,114
From: Crossville TN
Correct. Semi-flat black and satin black are nearly the same. It seems like some paint companies choose the "semi-flat" term and some prefer the "satin" term. Semi-gloss is the next step shinier and flat is the next step toward dull. There is nothing on a C3 that is flat-black; exterior trim, interior trim, and wheelwell/engine compartment 'black-out' paint was the semi-flat/satin type; engine components, frame, and wheels (IMO) were semi-gloss black; there is nothing on a C3 that is Gloss black.
These types of black are what my experience has taught me, including the purchase of a 'new' '74 C3 and owning others. The Chevy wheels were originally painted the same type of black paint used on other Chevy cars; my experience tells me that was a semi-gloss black, not a semi-flat.
But, if your car is going to be judged by NCRS, and their documentation states that it was a semi-flat black, that's how you should paint it.
These types of black are what my experience has taught me, including the purchase of a 'new' '74 C3 and owning others. The Chevy wheels were originally painted the same type of black paint used on other Chevy cars; my experience tells me that was a semi-gloss black, not a semi-flat.
But, if your car is going to be judged by NCRS, and their documentation states that it was a semi-flat black, that's how you should paint it.
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