I say coloring and not powder coating or painting because I'm not sure of the difference or which one this would qualify as. I want black wheels, without any chrome lip/trim. I'm thinking I like the stock V-spokes so much maybe I just get them painted/powder coated black.

I'm looking for input on estimates on how it would look. In my head it looks good some times and not so good others. I'm also looking for people who may have done this, or something very similar, for their experiences.

Thanks!

 

I have seen the 15x5.5" stock holey rims painted gloss black and they looked fine. Not sure how durable they would be. They were all black with no silver.

Same could work for any MINI wheel. Painted can be OK- rough cost $45 per rim or powercoat black for up to $60 per rim. Results and quality can vary from shop to shop. Ask for references and see how the wheels hold up to road use in your area.

 

Most aftermarket wheels are painted, so re-painting would be just as durable.

If you're going to go to the expense of professional painting though, I'd definitely get them powder coated. The cost difference won't be that great, adn powder coating is definitely a better process.

That said, I despise black wheels.

 

...a buddy of mine simply took his set of S-lites (they were originally white) and painted 'em with 'Rustoleum' spray paint. He just took the wheels off the car, masked the tires and painted them. They look pretty good too! ...and it's certainly inexpensive.

- - m

 

I thought of doing the same last year to the V-spokes... the place I talked to said it was $70/wheel for non-glossy paint, and about $120/wheel for body paint (glossy). I don't remember which was powder coated, probably the latter. The cost was probably due to how I wanted it painted... I just wanted the 'spoke' portion painted black leaving the rim silver. In the end, I just scraped the idea since I didn't want to spend that much on black wheels..... spent the same amount just getting 4 white v-spokes with tires :-)

 

SHOP AROUND. I found a place that will sandblast AND powdercoat a SET of 16's for $100. :smile:

CB

 

 

Best way: I was considering having my wheels powdercoated recently and a place in Santa Ana quoted me $45 each. The tire shop quoted me $100 to remove the tires then remount & balance them after the powdercoating was done.

Cheap way: I've got very good scuff & buff results in the past with a few cans of semi-flat Krylon ($2.99 a can @ Walmart). I left the tires on then scrubbed the wheels extremely well with dish soap and scotch brite pads, sanded them with 320 wet & dry, then washed them again. After they were dry, I sat them in the sun to get them a little warm, let the air out of the tires to make them easier to mask, used lots of masking tape and plastic to mask off the tires, then painted them with the Krylon. They turned out awesome! They lasted a few years (until I sold the car) and everybody thought I had them powdercoated! Plus they were easy to touch up.

 

Nice MINI. Do you have pics at a different angle to see the wheels better, or a close up.

 

Black Wheels by: Speedy

 

What category of shop should I be talking to?

Thanks for all the input. I want to get most of the car either Dark Silver or Black with as little accents of different colors as possible.

 

Try a body shop or a powder coater