308 rims opinion

I just had mine powder coated because I wanted durability. If originality matters, definitely paint them.

 

Any issues with the wheels being magnesium?

 

FChat member Billboboy recently had his 16 inch Cromadora wheels redone with powder coating. They turned out great. They look completely original.

I thought that the 246 wheels were high magnesium but our 308 wheels (at least the 16 inchers) are magnesium-aluminum alloy that didn't have all the liabilities of true magnesium wheels. and could be painted or powder coated the regular ways. I don't know; I am just asking.

 

Depending on what the final objective to what the restoration is for either concours or weekend driver, you could go either way. I’ve restored several sets of wheels over the years different ways using both paint and powder coat. The powder coat will “lock” in any issues you may have with corrosion within the the rim while paint will give you the best finish.

The issue with powder coat that I’ve found is the powder doesn’t allow the metallics to flop like paint does. It’s a nice/ close match but doesn’t have the same affect when sunlight hits it at an angle.

I’ve even had rims powder coated in a primer base to seal in the metal, then light water sand and spray with a single stage paint that was matched to original. Only draw back to this method is you start to lose the crisp edges due to the material buildup. Good for a driver, not so good for competition.

Best option for accuracy is to the strip or glass bead them, fill any imperfections or nicks, spray a light catalyzed sealer primer and paint to match with single stage paint. Less material build up this way. This is the best method for competition.

Here’s a set I restored during COVID stay at home orders. This set was strictly powder coated. New barrels and bolts of course. Lost some of the crispness to the edge’s but still a super nice finish inside and out with 2-3 day turn around time. Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I have the original 328 Speedline wheels, which are aluminum alloy, so no problems with powder coating.

 

Whichever method you choose, make sure the wheels are stripped chemically rather than with sanding or blasting. As mentioned, those crisp edges in script or basic casting can't be replaced once flattened out by mechanical paint removal methods.