Too Many Wheels - Too Much Free Time

[Bumpy]

Like so many here...
Wheels seem to be one of the areas we can actually change on our Zeds ...

My Roadster came with staggered 18 inch wheels in a style that I like to call Sunburst.

They are OK but aesthetically I feel they are too busy with too many spokes and a rather thick centre.

I visited Tire Rack and at first ordered up a set of winter tires with Moda 14 (Style) wheels.


I wasn't really sure how much winter driving I would do but I was going to be prepared.
In the end I rarely drove that first winter.

Next I discovered all the chat about the pitfalls of runflats and went through the tyre / wheel size internal debate.
I ended up going back to Tire Rack and getting Lorenzo 21's (style, not size) with Michelin PS2 ..



Now I have 3 sets of perfectly fine rims and tyres waiting for me to wear them out.
I actually use the stock runflats as my touring tyre because of the run flat protection.

But what can I do to make the stock rims more aesthetically pleasing ...

Paint 'em is the obvious answer ..
But what I really want is to make the secondary spokes visually less obtrusive.
I played around with my limited pic editing program to see what I could do. The best pic is just above.
Painting the whole rim black would make all the good bits of style disappear.
Painting then a darker argent might work.
Maybe the spray on "Black Chrome ?
So you see there are many options to consider.
At the time, the Black Chrome wasn't available. Now it is and I have considered a two tone. Mask off the secondary spokes for extra blackening and finish up with an all over coat.

Final decision :
Well I already have the dark argent paint so I decided to mask off the 5 major spokes and darken the support spokes and attached centre webbing.
Hopefully that will give more pop to the 5 spokes and visually hide the offending structures.

 

[Jembo]

Bing posted a pic of an early Pre production Coupe with these in dark anthracite... they looked amazing in this colour combo.

However, given the choice I'd sell them as-is & get something you'd really want.

Good luck

 

[Bumpy]

This is my Tale!
Today I wiped down the rims with paint prep and started masking.
The paint prep chemicalstuff came with a disclaimer about potential hazards to children and pregnant women in California !
I used nitrate gloves just to be on the safe side.
The nitrate gloves dissolved half way through the first rim.
They must have come from California !

Im taking my time cause I learned when I glued carpet inside my first Chev Van., that after using solvents and contact cement in an enclosed area, your quality of work is significantly compromised, even if your grasp of reality has your abilities elevated to unreal heights !!!

Some pics will follow once the camera is re-charged.

 

[Bumpy]

Bing posted a pic of an early Pre production Coupe with these in dark anthracite... they looked amazing in this colour combo.

However, given the choice I'd sell them as-is & get something you'd really want.

Good luck

Thanks jembo
I will try with a two tone first.
If I don't like the result, I will spray the whole rim dark argent.

Bumpy ...
Recovering from the Solvent Buzz

 

[andysat]

This is my Tale!
Today I wiped down the rims with paint prep and started masking.
The paint prep chemicalstuff came with a disclaimer about potential hazards to children and pregnant women in California !
I used nitrate gloves just to be on the safe side.
The nitrate gloves dissolved half way through the first rim.
They must have come from California !

Im taking my time cause I learned when I glued carpet inside my first Chev Van., that after using solvents and contact cement in an enclosed area, your quality of work is significantly compromised, even if your grasp of reality has your abilities elevated to unreal heights !!!

Some pics will follow once the camera is re-charged.

Look forward to seeing your handywork

 

[mmm-five]

Like this?

 

[Bumpy]

Like this?

Thanks mmm-five.
Not exactly as extreme as your take on it. But you are going in the right direction.
I plan on running a green tape pin stripe along the lower edge of the main spoke, tangent to the lug bolt counter bore.
So that is the planned intersection of the dark argent with the silver.

However ..
My neighbour works for Audi Canada, so he drives lots of interesting vehicles. I just saw one parked in his drive ..white with flat dark gray wheels....mmmmm.....

 

[Russ59]

Like this?

What about the smaller spokes silver as the rim and the larger spokes a darker grey??

Do your stuff

 

[Bumpy]

Thanks for all the advice ...I truly appreciate it.
I expect to be ready to spray in a couple of days.
Right now Im feeling the dark argent paint seeing as I already bough that.
This was supposed to be a last winter / spring project.
But Im thinking of fogging it on to give a less severe ie more transitional colour blend.

Taping !!!
WTF ...When you see the complexity of masking off this project you will be amazed.
I have been doing it in steps so there is some consistency.

The problem is that the wheel casting uses rounds everywhere and fillets at the intersections.
Point being that there are no crisp edges to mask to.

So I have to use shadows to determine the line.

So this is my Ace in the Hole...
I needed a radius that was bigger than the typical paper punch. I located just what I needed in a craft store that has a "Scrapbooking" Section. Don't ask me what scrapbooking is cause I have no clue ..But they do have all sorts of paper punches. I picked this one up and I punch out the circular shapes. I use the centre circle as a layout guide and that allows me to position the circumference exactly where I want it.



Just 3 more wheels to mask off and I'll be ready to spray.

As I am often told ..".Nothin' ever comes as easy as you think it will..."
I much prefer ..."This to shall pass."

Bumpy

 

[Bumpy]

Bumpy Bump cause I posted pics...

 

[Bumpy]

Update :
After taping just about everything ...The cat stayed clear of me.


It was time to change my mind. Decided on Shadow Chrome mainly because that's a translucent colour and the stock silver is a brilliant metallic paint.


Sprayed the spokes a couple of coats of shadow.


I Hoped that my radiused masking would work.
Alot of work for a minor detail. Plus lots could go wrong there.


Spokes done. Very pleased with the effect.


Rim exposed. Hope to blend but leave some contrast. Unfortunately I "hung a curtain" and needed another can of shadow anyway. Much less contrast but there is some.


Main spokes exposed and ready for clear coat ! Pretty much finished.


While I was at it I shadowed the kidney grill trim to contrast with the white grill on the M Bumper project.

 

[Bumpy]

Left everything out in the backyard to dry for a couple of days. I'll put them on the Zed later this week.
These are the runflats and I use them when we are touring.
Son is back at NYU . I sent a jumbo cheque there yesterday.
Daughter passed her Bar Exams and is Articling for the firm she wanted ...
Delivered a Care Package to her last weekend.
So now it looks like me and Mrs Bumpy have the next six weeks to ourselves.
New England is calling.

 

[Bumpy]

Well the wheel project is finished and installed.Aesthetically it's in the eye of the beholder. I quite like it. I would have preferred to have the rim portion slightly lighter. All that masking to isolate the rim from the spokes was mostly lost when I had that 'error " to cover up. Also the radius between the rim and the light spokes was risky and for the visual impact, exposed way too many minor errors in tape adhesion.
What Im saying ..If I had just taped off the main spoke and had at it, this adventure would have taken on 1/4 of the time and tape.
So ..What do you think ?

 

[Bumpy]

Geeze
Not even one opinion ?
Maybe I should put the Whip Antenna back on ?

 

[Russ59]

Good job well done they look nice but my choice would have been keep the rims and small spokes silver and have the large spokes in the dark grey, opposite to how you have done them. Think silver rims would suit better.