Since it'll be a while before I spend the moolah for a new paint job and new wheels & tires, I'm going to spruce up what I've got just so it looks a little cleaner while I drive it. I figure one of the biggest differences at this point will be to touch up the wheels and hubcaps. Hopefully the hubcaps won't be very beat up and I'll be able to smooth out any dents and polish 'em up nice with some Flitz (I love this stuff). but for the wheels, would you guys recommend painting or powdercoating?

Since the car's got the original green paint, you guys think doing the same color green or going black would be a better color for the wheels?

Exterior pic for color reference:

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'74 Duster w/ HEI ignition, beat to snot suspension, A904, 8.25" 3.55 SG rear, still being tuned up and gets 17 MPG

Know how they always build a better idiot? That's me

If you're planning to use the wheels long term then powder coat is more durable. If you're looking for a temporary "facelift" I would just paint them. Powder coat is rather expensive and paint could be done for probably less than $50.00 if you do it yourself.

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David Kight
'62 Valiant Signet, White
'98 Dodge Dakota
'06 Jeep Liberty

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.

Hopefully it won't be long term, but since new wheels and tires are down on the priority list (I'd like to complete the interior and electrical/charging mods first) and the tires on there are pretty new, it'll probably be a year or two before I get new wheels & tires.

gotta dig that one blue wheel in the back, eh?

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'74 Duster w/ HEI ignition, beat to snot suspension, A904, 8.25" 3.55 SG rear, still being tuned up and gets 17 MPG

Know how they always build a better idiot? That's me

I did some checking around on powder coating here in Phoenix and it wasn't encouraging. Most places wanted to charge a "setup fee" which was anywhere from $60 to $100, then the cost of the process on top of that. For my Valve cover it was going to be about $50.00. I expect wheels would be at least that or more. So you would have probably a minimum of $300.00 in powder coating which is a lot for something you only plan to use for a couple of years.

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David Kight
'62 Valiant Signet, White
'98 Dodge Dakota
'06 Jeep Liberty

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.

Hmmm, that'd pay for one of the new wheels with a little extra. Hello Mr. Sandplaster and Mr. Dupli-Color

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'74 Duster w/ HEI ignition, beat to snot suspension, A904, 8.25" 3.55 SG rear, still being tuned up and gets 17 MPG

Know how they always build a better idiot? That's me

I think the body-colour wheels look nicer with the dog dish hubcaps.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I do powder coating and encourage it any chance I deem feasible. In your case, I'd recommend paint, though.

Mike

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Recognized by US Federal Courts as a Fuel Economy Expert!

You need to heat up the wheels to powder coat, which would mean removing the tires.

With paint, you can just mask off the tires.........

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

I had a set of Diplomat squad car wheels powdercoated green to use as
"winter wheels" on my Wrangler, so I could save the original 5 spoke mags (similar to Torq Thrusts) from the road salt and corrosion. Actually I traded labor to rebuild a 66 Coronet front end, ALL new parts (car owner supplied the parts) for getting the wheels done, the guy with the Coronet said that had I had to pay for the powdercoat job his friend that owns the powdercoat business he took my wheels to, woulda charged me $35 a wheel, for a total of $175 (even hooked me up with a matching spare!). 6 yrs later they look like the day they were brought back to me, clean off with a wipe down, and they have been on there year round since, and have been thru a couple of rounds of tire mount-dismount-balance. Even swapped them over to my Cherokee for a while. For a job that'll last and not peel/have to be done and redone, go for the powdercoat. Check around as there are more powdercoat places out there than appear in the phone book. Sometimes they wait til they get a "big enuf" batch of parts to make it moer economical to do than a piece here, a couple there, etc. And they have paint chips/charts just like a paint shop does, and even though they might not be able to do an identical exact match, odds are they oughtta come real close.

Get an old oven and powder coat them yourself!

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'72 Duster 198 stock cam, 3:23's Hookers on jack stands for 8 years in the driveway
'79 Maxivan 360 Offy Qjet Comp RV cam/rusting in the driveway.
93 D350 160HP Cummins Auto Dually Clubcab needs a injector pump
2005 Golden Couch Buick

Both Eastwood and Caswell have inexpensive powder coating systems. Eastwood's is much cheaper, but Caswell's is better quality. If you have any sort of compressed air, you're set. The PC system only needs about 8 psi to function.

Caswell has practically any color you'd want at just over 1/2 the price of the Eastwood powders. Eastwood sells their powders by the 1/2 lb for about $10 for the standard colors and more for specialty colors. Caswell sells their colors by the pound and are about $12 for the whole pound.

Mike

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Recognized by US Federal Courts as a Fuel Economy Expert!

If you have them powder coated, make sure the shop that does them has a good reputation. I had 5 "cop car" wheels coated for my Cuda, about 4 years ago. Cost was about $150. They are used only ocasionally. Three of them are showing rust where the center meets the rim (weklded area). They have never been driven in the rain, just get washed.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

"...in Phoenix..."

Try Affordable Powder Coating
2111 W. Fillmore Phoenix, AZ 85009
Phone: (602) 272-7646
Fax: (602) 272-1309.

Cheap, fast turnaround.

--Walt Jackson

Thanks for the heads-up. Know of a good bumper shop too?

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David Kight
'62 Valiant Signet, White
'98 Dodge Dakota
'06 Jeep Liberty

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.

"Know of a good bumper shop too?"

Not anymore. Shop I used for years closed up do to environmental restrictions.

If you find one, let me know!

--
Walt Jackson