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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Refurb ROStyles

So, me and my friend have decided its time to refurbish our wheels.

We have some options.
1. Trade in for the MGOC wheels @ £45 each
2. Do it yourself @ £10 each
3. Have them blasted and powder coated @£30 each

Each have their pros and cons. The first is quick and easy but the most expensive.
The second is cheap but takes ages... prep is hard if you don't have a blasting cabinet... and the finish okay and not very durable
The third is a reasonable price, but I'd have to hand paint the black in... which I think I would quite enjoy.

My questions are. Has anyone done the trade in with the MGOC, whats the finish like? is it durable?

Has anyone had wheels powder coated? again, finish good? durable?

If anyone has any other recommendations I'd be glad to hear them.

Cheers,
Christian
C L Carter

There is (maybe was) a template to enable you to mask off the rest of the wheel so you can easily paint the black areas.

Maybe worth looking for...

Good luck,

Mark.
M T Boldry

I had a couple sets of wheels sandblasted and powder coated, but they ended up with little rust flecks over time. Aided and abetted by the gravel roads I like to frequent no doubt. I think on balance I'd sanbralst, etch prime and paint if I did it again.
Paul Walbran

I took a slightly different approach as I wanted to try and remove as much rust as possible that forms between the centres and the rim - which blasting does not.
So I dunked them one at a time in a bath of 'Deox C' rust remover(Bilt Hamber) - having removed most of the paint, the rest came off during the soak together with the rusty bits (about 5 days each)- well the car was in the reshell stage so time was not pressing.

Then primed and smooth Hammerite sprayed them.

R.
richard boobier

I sprayed mine with black Smoothrite because I believe that powder coating will soon crack and fall off, in the process it is possible for the cracking "action" to allow your wheel nuts to loosen.

I didn't fancy that a lot, if paint gets squashed it just tends to shrink as it is far more flexible.

My black Smoothrited wheels have been fine since the turn of the century.

But they are looking a little tired, maybe I should wash them more often. ;)

Stone chips do affect the paint, but in the main they are still OK
Bill1

5 free unwanted rostyles to anyone who wants them.

They all need painting.
Lawrence Slater

Lawrence, the spare wheels would be great. I'll drop you an email.

So the concensus is don't go for the powder coating cos it cracks off...

Smoothrite it is then... trouble is I should really have them blasted first, and if I'm going to pay for that, I might as well have them sprayed in 2Pak or something hard wearing.
C L Carter

Yep you are right mate

Smoothrite is IMO rubbish once applied very few finishes will apply on top, it reacts with everything.

I have had no problem with powder coating and if I wanted some stunning rostyles then I would powder coat the wheels silver and then buy the rostyle mask and finish off by spraying the black through the mask.

Alternatively do as you say and have them 2 packed followed by the application of black via the mask again.

But that is only my opinion.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

I have wire wheels and was advised by the good people of this BBS not to have them powder coated because it cracks. However, I was at the NEC show recently and there was a company specialising in powder coating, and they had a couple of wire wheels on show. One in black from a thirties car and a wide one in silver. They looked absolutely great.
I mentioned that I had been told that powder coated wires crack because of flexing and was informed that this is no longer a problem as they now use polyurethane in the powder mix so it flexes with the wheels. If this is true they seem like a great bargain at £30 per wheel, or do you think it was just sales bulls**t?

Bernie.
b higginson

I'm in construction and no powder coating manufacturer I know of will give a warranty for powder coating onto steel unless it galvanised (hot dipped) - I understand it may be possible to get a more limited warranty if hot zinc sprayed - companies such as Synthapulvin, Interpon.

So its paint for me on steel - PPC is fine for Aluminium.

R.
richard boobier

I blasted my alloys and a set of Rostyles, then used a good 2K etch then several coats of 2K, the alloys had been powder coated previously, it was rubbish, I think 2pack if applied over a good etch primer is much better.

DIY blasting is likely to be extremely tedious , I've a small cabinet but life is FAR too short to try blasting wheels in it. You need a big set up.

I was chatting to an engineer friend who was telling me that BAE (submarines etc) have stopped using powder coating parts and now paint with 2 pack as it lasts longer.

I'd flog the Rostyles as I've never actually used them but I'm a long way from Middlesex
Paul (MkI

Bernie,

I've heard wire wheels don't take powder coating well where they overlap - something to do with how the wheel is charged and the powder is charged during spraying... could well be true.

I think I may go for painting then. Hopefully I can get them blasted etched and 2 packed for something reasonable. Will have a chat with my local paintshop next week.

C L Carter

Back when I needed to do my wheels, a friend's Dad happened to manage an auto parts store, and had a blaster booth in the basement. So I did my own blasting using their equipment, and then primed and painted using Duplicolor rattle cans. As for the insets, I sprayed the black "wells" first, then masked the wells with tape and sprayed the silver over that. I didn't use a clear coat, but even so they've lasted rather well for several years now.

I'd still like to switch to alloys though, as years of tight lug nuts have pulled the centers of the Rostyles in a bit, which causes the studs to bend toward the center of the wheel slightly. I'd love to spring for alloys and new studs, but the budget hasn't been there.

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

Gryf has beaten me to it, blast, paint the black parts first then mask off, you can get the stencils, then paint the silver part.
P Ottewell

Yeah the refurb kit is definitely an option... buts its £35... and a day's work... and I don't think its a long lasting option, but I really need access to a blasting cabinet... I don't have that.

I've had a quote for full powder coating(with the black detailing too) for £25 a wheel cash. I'm going with this.
C L Carter

This thread was discussed between 09/12/2011 and 13/12/2011

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