How to refinish wheel center caps

[roadierfl]

Has anyone tried refinishing the black paint on the stock phone dial center caps?

If so, how did it turn out, and do you have any tips/tricks?

3 of my 4 look ratty and its time to take care of them

Thanks,

[Eldorado]

are yours all black? or just the inset portions of the porsche crest? (if your caps even have crests)

[Dave L]

with an 86 I would assume phone dials so the flat caps with inset crests. I painted my caps when I painted my wheels but havent filled in the crest with black. I have thought about using a paint pen and then clearing over it.

[Eldorado]

hey dave, i did it by accident... and it turned out really good...

my center caps were all black... with a crest, and a circle around the outside.

when i started polishing my wheels, I took a paint stripper drill attachment (basically a stiff sponge like disk thing that goes on the end of a drill that strips paint).... I took it to the center caps, and before I knew it I had stripped off all the black paint from the high bits of the cap, and left all the black inset parts untouched....

it tickled me funny for a few days afterwards in that every time i look at them i was reminded that it was completely by accident that it happened..

so maybe paint the whole cap and then strip off what you dont want? lol (or use an eye-ball arts and craft brush to paint them..)

[Slam]

Cheap ColorXtra acrylic flat black spray bombs work really well for this. I did my cookies' centres (they're my winter ones, no less) over a year ago and they've held up really well. Cheap paint but tough.

(Ducks behind flame-proof barrier. Winter wheels?)

[roadierfl]

Just the crest is in black.....what I'm thinking of is a kids paintbrush with high temp engine enamel, and rubbing the high spots with a dry q-tip

Sounds like it'll work?

[Eldorado]

I think so...
a q-tip, or even some 2000 grit wet sandpaper.. with a little mag polish on afterwards to take the fine lines out..

[hpaulb]

Did somthing very similar with my cam tower. Cleaned as much as possible with a wire brush so paint had a good surface to adhear to. Tried to mask out and that wouldn't work. Spray painted a nice coat then immediatly grabbed a lint free cloth and wrapped tight around my hand. Next swept my hand over the surface wiping off the top. Left only a light film of paint. Immediatly wiped with a paint thinner in rag at the end of my finger. Looked excelent. Waited for it to dry then sprayed surface with a high temp clear lacour from local shop. (Canadian Tire here in Canada) Excellent job and protected surface.

[Ford-o-phobic]

Theres a better way ro do the cam cover.
1. Sand the raised area until smooth and shiny.
2. Paint and let dry.
3. Wet sand the top until all the paint is off of the raised letters.