Introduction: How to Paint Your Car Wheels in a Two Tone Finish
Here's how to transform the look of your car by giving its wheels a two tone paint job.
Step 1: Before Photos
Here's what the wheel looks like before painting. Very old, dirty, with scratches, curb rash, dull finish and chipped up.
Makes the vehicle look older than it is.
Step 2: Surface Preparation
Start with sanding the rims with 100 grit sand paper.
Use some rim cleaner to thoroughly clean the rims, wash them off and allow them to dry.
Use paint thinner to remove any remaining grease or dirt before painting.
Step 3: Masking
Mask off the edges of the tire from overspray using painters tape. Use newspaper to cover the thread part of the tire.
Step 4: Apply Primer
Apply primer suitable for metal to the inside and outside faces of the wheel. Go lightly and apply at least two coats. Wait 10 mins until dry to the touch.
Step 5: Apply Background Color
In this case the background color is black, with a silver face.
Black enamel paint was used to paint the inside of the rim and the inside of the spokes.
Step 6: While the Paint Is Drying...
You can paint your brake calipers and drum a bright color to offset the look of the new wheels.
Step 7: Reverse Masking
This is the most important part of the two tone paint job. You need to mask off all the areas that are black that you do not want to paint silver.
Its important to keep the masking tape above the cutting line for a nice clean cut between the silver and black.
Add some primer to the areas going to be painted silver so the black over-spray from the last step doesn't bleed through.
Step 8: Apply Foreground Coat
Now its time to apply the silver coat on the face of the wheel. Duplicolor Hyper Silver wheel and tire paint was applied in two successive coats, allowing drying time in between. Once the silver is dry, the tape can be unmasked from the inside spokes.
Step 9: Clear Coat
Apply two layers of Duplicolor wheel and rim clear coat, allowing significant drying time in between to prevent wrinkling. Applying clear coat while its raining or in high humidity will cause it to appear cloudy, but that will go away once its starts drying and the humidity drops.
Once unmasked, the results are amazing. The silver contrasts the black wheel really nicely, and it has a slight pearl in the paint when shining in the sunlight!
Step 10: Finishing Touches
The wheel paint takes about 7 days to cure so be careful when mounting them back onto the car.
With red calipers and rotors, the car has now transformed from a sedate family sedan to a sweet looking customized ride with its two tone wheel paint job!
