I have found this thread very inspiring. I decided to try my hand at creating an RSR finish on a set of Euromeisters that I have sitting in the garage. I have read just about every post on how to do this. I was not thrilled with the idea of masking the wheels...it just seemed like a LOT of work. But, I was really inspired by the original method that Porsche used - flooding or dipping the wheels to get the black part. Since my wheels have good black paint, I only wanted to paint the paddles. So, I decided to "reverse" the process by flooding the wheel with water to "mask" the area I did NOT want to paint.
Here is the step-by-step process that I used:
1. Use duct tape to seal off all the holes from the back side of the wheel. Be sure to use "waterproof" or "weatherproof" tape. I used the 3M version, which worked great.
2. SLOWLY pour water into the face of the wheel. I used a water bottle only filled about 1/2 way. You do not want to splash any water on the paddles where you want to paint.
3. Fill the water to the point where the black paint meets the unpainted rim. Make sure the rim is level. It will become obvious it if is not. Since my garage floor had a slight taper to it, I had to add a small shim to get it perfectly level. Again, the water line will tell you when it is perfectly level.
4. Spray paint in a light misting fashion. Do not get too close, or you will displace the water and end up with an uneven line. Obviously, the paint will adhere to the paddle and not the water. This is after the first coat.
5. Continue to lay on light coats until you have adequate coverage. I think I did 5 or 6 coats.
6. Let paint dry completely. Then use a toothpick to remove the paint film that formed on top of the water.
7. Use a the toothpick to rub gently along the paint line. It will free up any ragged pieces leaving a perfectly smooth line. The ragged pieces will simply float away.
