Painted or powder coated wheels?

[Tony Starks]

The wife has munted one of the wheels on our car and need to get it repaired.

Is painted or powder coated more hard wearing? I take it that painting opens up a massive colour range and I'm currently obsessing about BBS Le Mans grey at the moment. But, if powder coating is hard wearing and less prone to chips I'd be better going that route.

[Novexx]

Powder coat is far tougher than paint & is also available in a huge variety of colours.

[mbwoy84]

Wet spray for me. It’s more durable on wheels (done correctly). In certain applications Powder Coating is more durable, but on wheels it isn’t.

Also, wet spraying (again, done correctly) gives a far nicer finish and with wet spraying the number or colours and finishes available is infinite.

[Partyvan]

Powdercoat for me.

£20 a rim is hard to beat!

[mbwoy84]

Partyvan said:

Powdercoat for me.

£20 a rim is hard to beat!

You get what you pay for. £20 wouldn’t even cover the cost of stripping whatever old coating is on the wheel prior to repairing and prepping the wheel to a level ready to apply whatever coating you choose for a good looking and lasting job...

[Partyvan]

mbwoy84 said:

You get what you pay for. £20 wouldn’t even cover the cost of stripping whatever old coating is on the wheel prior to repairing and prepping the wheel to a level ready to apply whatever coating you choose for a good looking and lasting job...

Yes it would.

£20 easily covers the cost of stripping, hand refurbishing and powdercoating.

[Mr-B]

Went to look at 2004 Mini Cooper S at a dealer some time last year and in prepping the car he had the wheels refurb'd with powder coating, said it cost him about £30 pw IIRC and they looked extremely good, don't know what they will look like in 1 or 5 years time but just after being done they looked like brand new wheels.

[Let off some steam Bennett]

I had my 18 inch tvr spider alloys powder coated about 6 years ago at my local wheel specialist jp alloys. Cost was £280 and they still look great now. I use the car all year round so wheels have been in most weather

[sgtBerbatov]

Partyvan said:

mbwoy84 said:

You get what you pay for. £20 wouldn’t even cover the cost of stripping whatever old coating is on the wheel prior to repairing and prepping the wheel to a level ready to apply whatever coating you choose for a good looking and lasting job...

Yes it would.

£20 easily covers the cost of stripping, hand refurbishing and powdercoating.

I've been looking at this for when I get my painted wheels stripped and powder coated, and the cheapest place I found in Birmingham would do it for £20 without the tyres, £30 with the tyres. But a place recommended to me would do it all for £45 each wheel.

[Mr-B]

sgtBerbatov said:

I've been looking at this for when I get my painted wheels stripped and powder coated, and the cheapest place I found in Birmingham would do it for £20 without the tyres, £30 with the tyres. But a place recommended to me would do it all for £45 each wheel.

The chap whose car I went to see last year said he had his wheels done in Birmingham but didn't say who, could have been the same firm you found. Price is inline with what he told me. Initial impressions were good tbf.

[Cookiedough]

mbwoy84 said:

Wet spray for me. It’s more durable on wheels (done correctly). In certain applications Powder Coating is more durable, but on wheels it isn’t.

Also, wet spraying (again, done correctly) gives a far nicer finish and with wet spraying the number or colours and finishes available is infinite.

Why isn’t powder coat on wheels as durable as a wet finish?

[Le Controleur Horizontal]

Cookiedough said:

Why isn’t powder coat on wheels as durable as a wet finish?

If it gets damaged (just a tiny chip) water can get under it and touch ups are not very successful. IMO