Does anyone know if MINI sells touch-up paint for 15" Star Spooler silver rims? I have a minor curb rash on the rim edge that I'm going to lightly sand and paint. I'm looking for the small bottle of touch-up that comes with a brush in the cap. I don't know what color silver the rims are, and I can't find anything on MINIUSA about the exact rim color. It's an '08 Clubman.

 

Check this out: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...to-repair.html

 

from the Sherwin-Williams automotive paint web site:

code..formula..name/application.........years

A54 79742 Wheel Brt Silver Met 07 - 09

the color code for wheel silver for years 07 thru 09 is A54. With that code you can go to anyplace that mixes paint and get them to mix the correct color by the mixing code (this number plugs into the computer and away they go). Some places do this better than others....clean equipment and all that....

I've had very good luck with
http://www.automotivetouchup.com/
where you can get a bottle with a brush...a pen...or a rattle can. Which is better is a different discussion.

The provided link IS a way to go. I'd be a bit reluctant to use Bondo on a wheel. There's a place for filler and lord knows it is hard to do any sort of a repair without any, but that super light stuff in the link posted, on a wheel? Well I wouldn't. I'd expect it to chip off FAST.

I'd use a Dremel and just file the ruff edges down as flat as I could, smooth with 600 then 800 then 2000 grit then if necessary apply the paint; your blemish may polish out sufficiently. This passes the 10 foot test almost every time. (how does it look from 10 feet away vs our microscopic inspections as owners) This is how I cleaned up my classic's 6x10 rims.

Or check out awrswheelrepair.com
I got a coupon in the mail for them the other day and have seen a trailer being pulled around locally. Maybe in your town too....

 

Capt BJ: Does that mean that the silver color changed after the 2006 model year?

 

Thanks, this looks like the way to go! As I said, it's not a major repair, just a touch-up along about 2 inches of the rim edge. I did a similar repair a few years ago on my BMW wagon, and I found that the aluminum rim edge sands pretty easily with just 200-grit sandpaper, and I put on a few coats of touch-up from a bottle with a brush, and then sanded with wet 600-grit between coats. Luckily, there aren't a lot of deep gouges this time, just some scratches and lost paint.

I think I may also try the finer grits between coats you recommended.

p.s. the MINI has a tight turning radius, but not quite as tight as I thought!

Next time I'll do a K-turn!

Update: ordered the 1/2 ounce touch-up bottle, plus primer and clear coat, $20 for all three, which seems like a pretty good deal!

Thanks again!

 

I can't give you a definitive answer on that, but that does appear to be so. Note that it is not unusual for a color to keep a name but actually change slightly even within a model year. You find this when looking up color codes and find multiple formula for the color in the same year. Then you can only color match by color chip in some cases. A real PIA. Or sometimes there is a VIN range or a build date range....

I've posted all the MINI color codes I've found on the Sherwin-Williams Auto paint site here:
http://www.sunshineminis.org/forums/...p?f=39&t=16182

note that the first post was updated to add 09 a little ways down the thread.

 

So, what is the code for silver wheels for model years before 2007?

 

I dunno .. all I'm hanging here is what I've extracted from the SW site....

BUT since you asked I went back and found


A54 79742 Wheel Brt Silver Met 07 - 08 . . . in 08 and

A54 79742 Wheel Brt Silver Met 07 - 09 . . . in 09

so it appears the description is changing. "twer it I ... I'd order A54 and give it a try.

 

Very nice! Thanks!