refinish fuchs?

[deanprichard]

im going to sell my 15" fuchs when i get some new wheels, but in the meantime i was wondering what to do with them so i can get as much as i can when i sell them. the black paint is fading and non existant in spots due to being outside for years. should i leave them in this condition, clean and respray them , or how much more money would polishing them fetch me? just trying to offset new wheel costs as much as possible.

[azasadny]

Send them to Al Reed, he'll make them beautiful and someone will buy them quickly here or on eBay!

[stormmaster]

The cheap fix would be to get a rattle can or two of Rustoleum satin(for close to original look) or semi gloss black paint...a couple rolls of masking tape, a grey scotch brite pad....do a little scuffing of the remaining black after the wheels are taped up...and shooting the paint....yes you will get more for wheels sent to AL or any number of other refinishers....but that cost will have to be included in the price of the wheel.....you might be surprised how well the wheels will look after you do a little work yourself.....if all else fails and you don't get the results you are after....send them off.....a $20 investment will most likely improve the value of the wheel more than $5 each....I am not sure of the price of professional refinishing services these days.....my last set were done over a decade ago.....but the potential profit margin does not seem to make economic sense to me to get the most bang for the buck.....just my .02......but I am a cheapskate....and do things on a shoestring budget.

[rgrimm]

If you want to try it, I'd second the Rustoleum--satin black (the number is 7777). My 84s were all black, except for the lip. I did just one coat on each wheel, and it's holding up great. No need for primer, just a grey Scotch Brite pad, like Don said.

For taping around the lip and pedals (and your anodizing doesn't look that bad--maybe just give it a real good cleaning first), start with black plastic electrical tape--it's much easier to bend and get a smooth line with. Then you can finish with blue painters tape and paper as needed.

Like all painting, it's the prep that takes the time. Spraying them is quick. After reading a variety of posts on this forum, I finally decided to give it a try. My only regret is that I didn't do it a year ago!

BTW, what year car/Fuchs?

[Doug Steinel]

Do a search... that is how I learned to do mine. They came out pretty good.

[M491driver]

There is a helpful thread on the board today with pelicans showing off their refinished wheels and many DIYs that look great. So to keep cost down and improve the selling price, follow their lead.

[911pcars]

It depends.

DIY refinishing is possible, but it depends on how picky the buyer is and how well you DIY. If buyer is expecting a pro refinish and it isn't, he may pass at the higher price asked. Bottom line - the price you ask might be commensurate with the level of finish you provide the wheels. Or, the buyer may not care. It all depends.

What is your time worth?

Sherwood

[deanprichard]

i know how to pain them, i paint cars often and have a number of sprayers and such in my garage, the thing i was wondering was, is the original paintjob worth anything or do refinished ones sell well. the rest of the wheels look good, no curb rash or anything with perfect center caps.
they are on a 74 911.

btw that fineline tape (either blue or green) is 1/8" and bends great, much better than electrical tape

[911pcars]

Your photo may not indicative of the wheel condition, but it appears the one shown may need surface prep, anodizing AND a paint job. Were you planning to refinish to factory specs or just polish and paint? Different buyer for each type.

Depending on how much a set of pristine 6x15 Fuchs goes for, you might net more out of this if you sold to an eager buyer as is. The market value is your reference point I suppose.

Best wishes,
Sherwood