Anybody refinished their wheels to a different color?
12-29-2015, 11:14 PM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
Anybody refinished their wheels to a different color?
I have the very black OEM center locks that come on the GTS. I never wanted black, but I did want the center locks, and there are no finish options with them. (Don't get me started -- the GTS comes standard with the CLs, which are about a $4k option on the Turbo. But you can also get the standard 5-lug wheels in black on the GTS for no savings! The same wheels that are standard on the Turbo and apparently worth $4000 less than the optional CLs. Oh, and to make it even more insulting, you can get the cheap 5-lugs painted silver for hundreds of dollars more, or painted body color for even more hundreds of dollars more. Even though you already gave up the "$4000 more expensive" CLs to get the 5-lugs. 
)
Okay, back to the point of my post: I like the standard CL design fine. Maybe not what I'd choose given the whole library of CL wheels in the world, but not bad at all. But I hate black wheels. Always have. I like them okay in strong sunlight, where the details reveal themselves. But the minute you see them in shade they disappear and it looks like big holes rather than wheels. YMMV, of course.
Anyway, rather than drop $8k on HREs to replace wheels I'm perfectly happy with other than color, it looks like I can drop about $2k to have them painted or powder coated at a top-rated facility recommended by the top Porsche-approved body shop in ATL. Performance Body Shop uses this facility to repair/repaint wheels that have been damaged in an accident that they (Performance) is repairing the rest of the damage on. So I'm confident the job will be as good as it can be in Atlanta. But just wondering if any of you have experience with high-end refinishing like this?
My wife curbs every wheel on every car she ever gets, and I've found a company that comes around with a trailer behind a pickup and will pull the wheel, sand the damage, and repaint in the trailer at your house or office, and it's like $150. They do such a good job that frankly, nobody ever knows it was repainted. I think my oldest repair is 3 years old now on her Grand Cherokee and still looks as good as they did new (with the addition of new curb rash, of course.) And three of them have been repainted but I can't remember or tell which one is the OEM finish now.
Of course, I'm not going to have this company do the Porsche (it just doesn't seem right), but it seems like aftermarket refinishing must work pretty well and hold up to road abuse.
Thanks for any experiences on your Porsches you can relate.
)Okay, back to the point of my post: I like the standard CL design fine. Maybe not what I'd choose given the whole library of CL wheels in the world, but not bad at all. But I hate black wheels. Always have. I like them okay in strong sunlight, where the details reveal themselves. But the minute you see them in shade they disappear and it looks like big holes rather than wheels. YMMV, of course.
Anyway, rather than drop $8k on HREs to replace wheels I'm perfectly happy with other than color, it looks like I can drop about $2k to have them painted or powder coated at a top-rated facility recommended by the top Porsche-approved body shop in ATL. Performance Body Shop uses this facility to repair/repaint wheels that have been damaged in an accident that they (Performance) is repairing the rest of the damage on. So I'm confident the job will be as good as it can be in Atlanta. But just wondering if any of you have experience with high-end refinishing like this?
My wife curbs every wheel on every car she ever gets, and I've found a company that comes around with a trailer behind a pickup and will pull the wheel, sand the damage, and repaint in the trailer at your house or office, and it's like $150. They do such a good job that frankly, nobody ever knows it was repainted. I think my oldest repair is 3 years old now on her Grand Cherokee and still looks as good as they did new (with the addition of new curb rash, of course.
) And three of them have been repainted but I can't remember or tell which one is the OEM finish now. Of course, I'm not going to have this company do the Porsche (it just doesn't seem right), but it seems like aftermarket refinishing must work pretty well and hold up to road abuse.
Thanks for any experiences on your Porsches you can relate.
12-29-2015, 11:37 PM
#3
Drifting
Thread Starter
Even better. The brief verbal estimate from the body shop was their price to handle everything, so I'm sure there's a big margin in there for pulling the CLs, pulling the tires, transporting to the refinisher, managing the job, reinstalling tires, reinstalling CLs, and standing behind the job if anything goes wrong in the future.
I have the wrenches and would be pulling the wheels and delivering them myself so I'm not worried about. Will probably wait till I need tires (3k more miles if this were a 997TT, but I'm told 991s are much kinder to rear tires), so the reinstallation will be of new tires at the tire store.
I have the wrenches and would be pulling the wheels and delivering them myself so I'm not worried about. Will probably wait till I need tires (3k more miles if this were a 997TT, but I'm told 991s are much kinder to rear tires), so the reinstallation will be of new tires at the tire store.
12-30-2015, 12:58 AM
#4
Intermediate
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I powder coated my Jag XJ wheels solid black 2 years ago, whole set, including dismounting tires and remounting was $600... Other than my curb rash they look great now. I found the place that the dealers all use locally.. More amazing, take the car in by noon one day, pick up the next day after noon. They also tried the wheels and will refinish curb rash.
I'm sure every city has one like them....
I'm sure every city has one like them....
12-30-2015, 01:27 AM
#5
Rennlist Member
Last edited by 77tony; 12-30-2015 at 05:26 PM.
12-30-2015, 08:12 AM
#7
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I powder coated my wheels on my Range like 5 years back, paid $800 or so for 22" wheels. This shop was by no means a high end shop, so I am guessing it would be a bit more.
Wheel shops refinish wheels all the time now it seems, I see tons of classified ads on the M5 forum where people mod heavily selling wheels including one refinishing to their choice of color. What color are you thinking? Did you think about maybe polishing some or all of them to a pure metal?
Ironically I had my Range wheels coated black because my wife curbed them, and swore I'd never do it again because I hated it, yet I think it suits the GTS very well.
And a powder coat will hold up much better than a simple painting.
Wheel shops refinish wheels all the time now it seems, I see tons of classified ads on the M5 forum where people mod heavily selling wheels including one refinishing to their choice of color. What color are you thinking? Did you think about maybe polishing some or all of them to a pure metal?
Ironically I had my Range wheels coated black because my wife curbed them, and swore I'd never do it again because I hated it, yet I think it suits the GTS very well.
And a powder coat will hold up much better than a simple painting.
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12-30-2015, 10:45 AM
#8
Three Wheelin'
I would avoid wheel wizard. Their quality isn't the best. In the past, I would have recommended myself, but I don't take new customers anymore. Check out http://bradawheels.com/ They are a manufacturer here in Atlanta, but they also refinish wheels for people. The actual powdercoating should be between 4 and 600, not counting the mounting/dismounting, etc.
12-30-2015, 10:51 AM
#9
Drifting
Thread Starter
^^ Thanks for the feedback on Wheelwizard. Something about them (maybe just the name?) was offputting to me and unless somebody had chimed in with great experiences with them I was going to avoid.
Don't think of me as a new customer -- think of me as an old friend. You don't even have to charge me if that makes it easier to reconcile in your mind.
Don't think of me as a new customer -- think of me as an old friend. You don't even have to charge me if that makes it easier to reconcile in your mind.
12-30-2015, 11:27 AM
#10
Racer
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^^ Thanks for the feedback on Wheelwizard. Something about them (maybe just the name?) was offputting to me and unless somebody had chimed in with great experiences with them I was going to avoid.
Don't think of me as a new customer -- think of me as an old friend. You don't even have to charge me if that makes it easier to reconcile in your mind.
Don't think of me as a new customer -- think of me as an old friend. You don't even have to charge me if that makes it easier to reconcile in your mind.
12-31-2015, 03:35 PM
#14
Burning Brakes
Have had painted 3 sets of Porsche and one set of Audi wheels in another colour. Cost here in Vancouver is $800 for the set. All work done by a company specializing in repairing/painting wheels. Seems that even a serious repair is still only $200 which includes redoing the paint work.
