This may sound like a dumb question, but in 12 years of car ownership, I've never gotten a straight answer. Exactly what are the OEM wheels for a (1986) 328 made of? I've continually heard them called "alloy", but whenever I ask what alloy, no one has seemed to know. I assume they are magnesium, but they could be something else, and since I want to repaint them, I need to know. And the manufacturer? I assume they are Speedlines, but I haven't found any indication on the wheels themselves.
Mixture of metals mosty aluminium and magnesuim, makes them lighter and stronger, easier to form/mold/shape than solid steeds.
They do have some mag despite being mostly aluminum. It is just enough mag for the polished wheels to turn slightly gray after a few weeks.
From what I have heard, so For What This is Worth... There is enough magnesium in the alloy for the wheel to get slightly porous without primer beneath the paint; so when you have them repainted, it is important to still have some primary coat under the paint: either the old paint if you have them lightly sanded, or a new primer if you go deeper. Rgds
I would like to add to that... please do not powder coat your wheels unless you know someone who can do low temperature powder coating. As mentioned earlier, magnesium, due to its porosity tends to "out gas", meaning allowing small pockets of air to escape and cause bubbles. I have had bad experiences with magnesium powder coating personally, so that is the main reason for this comment. I believe all the Ferrari wheels were originally etch primed which sealed the surfaces , and then painted. This also allows you to re-touch the wheels if you get small chips or scratches. Also check on the back surface of the wheels. My wheels (on a 308 QV) say "Magnesio" that should give you a clue about the magnesium content.
86 wheels are speedline wheels, and are alloy of Aluminum and Magnesium. prime them with a zinc primer and the paint comes out great. when you take the wheel off, on the back side I believe it says speedline near the wheel center... I think ... cant remember.
That is exactly what the paint shop suggested that they would do - leave the existing paint, scuff it lightly to bring down any drips (and there were a few!) and high spots, and use that basically as a primer. They seemed to know what they were talking about, but they still wanted to know the wheel material to be sure. Thanks to everyone for the information.
