I don't have the funds right now to get some real rims. (let alone get my car lowered, which I have Eibachs for) So I decided I should do something to my car to set it apart from the flock. Something cheap. So I decided that I'm painting my hub caps.

Yes hub caps.


They don't look that bad though. These are 16 inch "aluminum covers" (according to GM, they're ******* plastic!) that come with sport package on the LT models. They're also 5 lugs instead of 4.

So before I get called an idiot..... Check out the pics first.

What the "hub" looks like without its cap. [noob]that is the hub right?[/noob]



The hub cap



My buddy that helped me today.



The wannabee lugs




First we sanded down the caps. Took 2 hours between 2 of us. grrr



Wiped em down with some paint thinner and let em dry, then I did 1 coat of plastic primer



Let that dry for a while then came to my house to start taping the rims. The outer edges and bow tie will be Sport Red Tintcoat (GM matched paint) and the "spokes" will be a metallic black.

I've got one cap done so far and just finished spraying it red. I'm done for tonight though. More progress tomorrow.



Also whats up with this spiderweb effect going on with the paint? I can just sand it off tomorrow with 1000 grit but I'm just curious anyone know how to prevent it and whats causing it.

 

spiderweb usually happens when you're holding the spray can at an angle so it begins to only spray the propellant out of the can instead of hte paint. its basicly like blowing on wet paint. you may also be holding it too close to the cap when spraying.

 

Ok that was the problem. I was holding it at a bit of an angle.

Anyways what do you think so far? Maybe a bit too early to tell though.

 

I need pics with the wheel covers installed

 

i've seen the hubcaps done completely red and it looked rice, depending on how well you do the paintjob, it may not look bad. just make sure you clearcoat that bitch. eventually you'll probably start to get paint chipping because of the abuse rims can take from salts, rocks, debris, etc.

 

i get spiderwebing when i dont sand the old paint off completely when i do my trim peices or gauge pods.

 

The whole cap isn't gonna be red. I can't stand rice, these will definetly not look rice when I'm done with em.

Before or after painting?

 

make sure you add this to your "mod list".

 

Oh yah I will! That sounds ghetto as **** though, "Painted Hub Caps" lol.

Alright guys bad news. I can't seem to stop the red paint from forming those damn spiderwebs and I only have one can of it. So I decided I'm gonna paint the whole hub cap black with just the bowtie in the middle red. (I'm also gonna debadge my car and paint those bowties red)

Progress so far:




I'm gonna do a few more coats of the red on the bowties and then I'm gonna start painting them black.

 

I really would like to know how that sneaky little hub cap got onto that vette.lol

 

huh?

 

because nothing should be sitting on it

 

Oh gotcha, haha. Yah I got bitched at for setting that stuff on his dads vette.

 

Just an idea I'm throwing out there for you. Why don't you go get wheel paint, stick the hub caps somewhere in the garage, take the wheels off, tape the tires up and paint the actual wheels like gun metal or something. I mean, they're thick 5 stars. I don't think it would look too bad. Just rough em up with some sand paper and spray them down. You could probably do it with 3 or 4 cans, and I know they're like $6 a can. I did it to some old rims I had for drag racing, and they turned out pretty good. There's my 2 cents.

Or, if you really want to get into it, go get some black wheel paint and some gun metal wheel paint and a couple rolls of masking tape, spray the lip of the wheels black, and the stars gun metal. I would totally do that.

Best part about it is, if it looks like ****, just put the hub caps back on.

 

My buddy thought of this idea too. I don't think it would look good at all. Sorry.

 

Understandable. Just thought I throw it out there.

 

I think it's nice that Enimem decided to help you. Please don't finish this and consider it a mod.

 

i want to see pics of them on the car.


.

 

Was this supposed to be an insult?

 

Eminem was the first thing I thought when I saw him too I will wait to judge until I see the final product but it does have the potential to turn out pretty nice

 

What do you think?

 

no offence but he looks like a tipical honda ricer just put a hat on him and tilt it sideways...


.

 

you guys are dicks

way to me mature about things, and judge people before the **** is even on the car

 

I didn't see anyone saying anything about this other than the guy looks like Eminem. Actually, people said that they want to see pics when he's done. Way to read only what you want.

 

how is this not offensive