Painting Rims? shadow chrome?

[Hoya]

hey all
i have a sriT h and id like to know if someone knows if i can get my silver wheels made shadow chrome?
is it possible?
can anyone recommend anyone?

in sydney please

[Wraith]

hey all
i have a sriT h and id like to know if someone knows if i can get my silver wheels made shadow chrome?
is it possible?
can anyone recommend anyone?

in sydney please

Yes it is possible, (I think) BUT extremely hard to find someone/shop that can do it...

The shadow chrome paint products are a proprietry product supplied only to the wheel making industry...the process by which it is done is also unique and very difficult to replicate by a paint shop that dosn't specialise in doing that sort of thing.

Having said that I tried to do the same myself with a couple of different sets of rims and with both was dissapointed with the end result...

I went through a good mate who owns his own wheel business, who 'somehow' managed to grab a hold of the genuine stuff (more than one combination of special paints for the shadowchrome effect) but then his mate at the paint shop was unable to get a consistant result on all 4 rims...and it end up looking silver rather than shadow chrome...

I then tried a high profile wheel repair and painting shop who told me they could do it, but still didn't get the desired result - it was a shadowchrome finish but a different colour/shade of shadow chrome, which didn't look anywhere near as good as wheels on the shelf...

I've since talked to another bloke in another panel shop who assures me he can do it, but to get the 'genuine' shadow chrome paint products will cost an arm and a leg, havn't given this avenue a go yet...

Obviously I can't reccomend anyone in Sydney, sorry, but if you do get it done successfully let me know - would love to see the results and how much it cost to do :)

[BEK-46P]

Do what I did: fork out for a set of shadow chrome rims :D

[daiflu]

There's a couple of ways I know of.
Some of the cheaper ones are done one step, using a fine aluminium paint.
Another way is a two step where they powdercoat the rim in gloss black first, then spary a low opacity aluminium basecoat. This is dusted on very dry to acheive the brightness and the "shadow" effect comes from being able to see through to the black ground coat when the light is not hitting it.

[Wraith]

There's a couple of ways I know of.
Some of the cheaper ones are done one step, using a fine aluminium paint.
Another way is a two step where they powdercoat the rim in gloss black first, then spary a low opacity aluminium basecoat. This is dusted on very dry to acheive the brightness and the "shadow" effect comes from being able to see through to the black ground coat when the light is not hitting it.


Yes, Daiflu, the above was one of the processes described to me...the 1st ones I got done that I mentioned above was a process of applying one coat of paint, then sprinkling some other material over it, then finishing off in some other paint type, they turned out nice and shiny, but nor much of a shadow chrome effect and all 4 rims looked noticeably different :(

2nd place did a process like you've said above, where the rims were painted (not powder coated) black 1st, then the topping coats applied for the shadow chrome effect, result was more consistant on all 4 rims, but the colour was a very weird finish which had a distinct or noticeable purple blueish hue...

I will try again with a 3rd avenue when ready - hopefully this time it'll be the result I'm wanting...

[Wraith]

Do what I did: fork out for a set of shadow chrome rims :D

Yes that's the best thing to do...and I have purchased many sets of wheels in shadow chrome, IMHO it's one of the best looking wheel finishes :)

In my case I went into it, because I have sets of new 'blank' rims and wanted to get them finished off in shadow chrome...otherwise I wouldn't have bothered with it on existing rims...