Highly polished wheel paint?

[MikeB]

Does anyone know where I can get 250ml of the paint for the highly polished wheel finish for my V10 (V8 double spoke) ? A slight kerbing incident on one wheel whilst trying to get my f*ing phone system to work.

Audi are being totally unhelpful - they will only supply a new wheel and won't release the paint code to my local alloy wheel repairman.

[Monkey boy UK]

Mike

Contact Kirsty at Audi R8 headquarters, she will get you the paint code, i think you have her e-mail but will ping it over just in case.

[ianerrid]

I didn't realise the Highly Polished was a paint finish, sorta assumed it was polished as in with a mop direct onto the aluminium and then laquered....

[MikeB]

I didn't realise the Highly Polished was a paint finish, sorta assumed it was polished as in with a mop direct onto the aluminium and then laquered....

I think its a highly polished paint, you could definitely see a chip of paint where it was ahem damaged

[ianerrid]

I wasn't doubting you, just a bad assumption on my part...

[harrison]

I suspect Audi does clear powder coating on some of its wheels. I have seen Mettallic powder coat colors recently.I beleive any color can now be made for powder type baked on finishes.And the coatings can be of a very high gloss whilst being the most durable coated surface on thee planet.I remember watching the system come into existence.The coating was first used to coat inside of pipes.To increase their life span whilst passing fluids.The coating only came in crap colored brown. Semi trailers started getting coated in the same brown.Then some colors came(@10 yrs ago) Mom and Pop Powder coaters popped up everywhere. Now we're at the epitomy. Anodised look is even available. Problem is the coating can be a bit thick sometimes. And a fairly decent amount of heat is required to melt the electrostacally clung powder to the parts. Paint would only be good on a garage queen,or show car.Just ask KFAB.He has PAINTED wheels,Carbon Fiber...but clearcoated with a very GOOD paint,and look at the chip problems he encountered.Sure it's only money...but like I tell my 15 year old---Don't be a repeat offender.Learn from your mistakes and don't repat them or he is going to visit the wood shed.

[KfabR8]

And a fairly decent amount of heat is required to melt the electrostacally clung powder to the parts. Paint would only be good on a garage queen,or show car. Just ask KFAB.He has PAINTED wheels,Carbon Fiber...but clearcoated with a very GOOD paint,and look at the chip problems he encountered.

Buddy of mine used to own a powder coating business - so here's what I know.

The powder is a thermoset plastic. Temps to cure are generally in the 600F range. It's extremely tough too. It's the choice of people that play off road, as it can deal with bumps, scrapes and dings much better than paint. It's elastic, comparatively, to paint. My desert car is about 1/2 covered in powder coat - still am working on it.

In general, it's a very tough material - most of it is epoxy based. It's generally sprayed on about .015" thick

Powders can be found in just about any color that regular wet spray paint comes in. They do multi-layer setups with trans and clears over each other and some of the work I've seen is flat amazing.

Heat up the first layer, just where it starts to melt and bond to the undersurface, spray on the next layer, repeat w/as many layers as needed for some really sweet looking paint work.

I also believe that BMW is the first mfg to exclusively powder at least one of their lines. Not a single drop of liquid spray.

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I've not taken apart my Dymags and resprayed the barrels yet, Harrison. The outer layer's starting to flake - and it will get worse as it does - but I'll probably wait until this winter when I put the stock rims back on before I tear into them.

I've thought about clear coating w/powder on them too. It would hold up against the rock dings much better than what ever's on there at the moment.

[Europrice]

Well there are wheel touch up paints and this is the original Avus wheel color just as an example:

LLS-0M6-Z17

However if you have the high polished wheels (3AJ) they do not list a touch up kit in the color code for those wheels. Likely you've got a polish and clear coat. You ground through the clear and the polished exterior to bare metal which you see. Likely to repair you need a good shop to fill the area that is curbed, polish and clear, might have to do the whole wheel but some of those wheel guys can work magic.

Hope that helps,

[OEMplus.com]

However if you have the high polished wheels (3AJ) they do not list a touch up kit in the color code for those wheels. Likely you've got a polish and clear coat. You ground through the clear and the polished exterior to bare metal which you see. Likely to repair you need a good shop to fill the area that is curbed, polish and clear, might have to do the whole wheel but some of those wheel guys can work magic.

Hate to agree with Alex, but this is how we repair them...

[SteveR]

Hate to agree with Alex, but this is how we repair them...

*chuckles*