Factory wheels - Paint, Powder Coat or Buy?

[TexTiger00]

2000 LX470, black and want to go with black wheels.

What is the recommendation out there from someone with experience? Would you recommend keeping originals and painting them, powder coating them, or just going with new black wheels for the look I am seeking?

I am looking to remove all chrome and go all matte black on my LX.

Thanks.

 

[Canine64]

Plastidip them and your chrome. Did that on my company vehicle---Jeep---2 years later still holding up great. Quick, cheap, and removeable.

 

[REZARF]

I for one cannot wait for the black wheel craze to be over. But if I were you, I'd do the plasti-dip as well. Its simple, removable and easy to apply. I have friends who have done it and it looks nice if black is your thing.

 

[abuck99]

Plasti dip is fine for a tuner car, but will look
like crap on your 100 once you hit dirt, the texture holds dust, dirt. It scratches off as well. Not a good option if you off-road.

Powdercoat or new wheels.

 

[elk]

A powdercoater will want to remove the chrome prior to coating. This can be a challenge as the chrome will often be a real bear to sandblast off and cannot be baked off like they do for wheel paint. All of the chrome has to be removed for an even and durable coat. I have a powder coater that I've worked with for years who tried to remove the chrome plating from some 16" LX wheels for me and just couldn't get it all off. He didn't charge me, but I ended up scrapping the wheels (paid $40, got $40 at the scrap yard).

I would Plasti-Dip the wheels myself. I don't much care for Dipping, but on a street driven vehicle it is usually fairly durable as long as you have prepped properly. Personally I don't care at all for the black on black look for 99% of vehicles. If you were to dip you could return to the original chrome when you got bored with things.

Perhaps consider prepping the wheels really well and then trying a Rust-o-leum wheel paint. You can always chemically remove it without damaging chrome plating.

 

[OG 91 LC]

I went from chromies to OE silver.

I waited and waited and waited for a set to come up on CL or in the Mud classifieds.

I'm really stoked on the way they look on my truck. It's standard, but im happy not running the pitted and discolored chromies.

If you find a set of if silver wheels then you can blast them or sand them down and rattlecan them to the desired color.

Good luck on the search.

 

[WarWagon]

Black.....chrome sux. Unless you're into circa 1990.

 

[Manhattan]

I love the black wheel look... on mid-90s Wranglers

I'd go the route @OG 91 LC did - set your chrome wheels aside, find a set of OE non-chrome wheels and have them powder coated, paint them or leave them stock. A friend of mine found a set locally on craigslist for $75. Guessing you'd spend a lot more than that having chrome removed.