Wheel/Rim Touch Up Paint

[TurboDan]

While cleaning my rims today, noticed a little bit of the silver metallic paint had chipped/worn off of one of them. Anyone know a good place to buy a touch-up pen/stick? Is it model-specific or pretty generic for this purpose?

[giant_mtb]

Any auto parts store such as Advance or Auto Zone will have a pretty large selection of small DupliColor pens.



As far as the color/wheel/specificity goes...I think you're on your own when it comes to wheels.  If it were me, I'd probably just put some clearcoat over the chip instead of trying to get a matching grey color.

[CJ]

I'd probably have it sent off for a refurb.

[hounddog]

This is where I would go:

http://transwheel.com/

I had two of the wheels redone for the Cobra I used to have when I got it out of storage with very good results.

[giant_mtb]

This is where I would go:

http://transwheel.com/

I had two of the wheels redone for the Cobra I used to have when I got it out of storage with very good results.

Yeah, but...he doesn't want a replacement wheel, bro.

[TurboDan]

Yeah, but...he doesn't want a replacement wheel, bro.

Yeah, it's a really small area where the paint is off (you wouldn't even notice if you weren't looking for it). I don't need a full refurb. Either way, I'll go over it with some clearcoat just so it's not down to the unpainted aluminum, allowing it to spread. Also going to use some wheel wax on 'em. The LR's brakes put out WAY more brake dust than the Passat's. I'm finding they are legitimately dirty and require a thorough cleaning about once a week.

[giant_mtb]

Yeah, it's a really small area where the paint is off (you wouldn't even notice if you weren't looking for it). I don't need a full refurb. Either way, I'll go over it with some clearcoat just so it's not down to the unpainted aluminum, allowing it to spread. Also going to use some wheel wax on 'em. The LR's brakes put out WAY more brake dust than the Passat's. I'm finding they are legitimately dirty and require a thorough cleaning about once a week.

Yeah, some clearcoat will protect it from spreading.

Brake dust sure is a pain!  But hey, if you find yourself wanting to clean your wheels once a week or so, that's a good wash habit to get into, as well!  Washing once a week will ensure you're always cruising clean!

[TurboDan]

Yeah, some clearcoat will protect it from spreading.

Brake dust sure is a pain!  But hey, if you find yourself wanting to clean your wheels once a week or so, that's a good wash habit to get into, as well!  Washing once a week will ensure you're always cruising clean!

Definitely! I've been doing it every Friday since I got the car. I'm also taking some time to clean the headlights with Invisible Glass every week, too. I figure maybe that will prevent them from getting foggy down the road.

[giant_mtb]

Definitely! I've been doing it every Friday since I got the car. I'm also taking some time to clean the headlights with Invisible Glass every week, too. I figure maybe that will prevent them from getting foggy down the road.

Not really...Invisible Glass is just a glass cleaner, not a protectant.  A solid coat of wax or sealant is what will help keep them from fogging out.

[Byteme]

While cleaning my rims today, noticed a little bit of the silver metallic paint had chipped/worn off of one of them. Anyone know a good place to buy a touch-up pen/stick? Is it model-specific or pretty generic for this purpose?

Contract these guys and see if they have any touchup paint specifically for wheels.  Someone must make touchup paint for painted alloy wheels.

http://www.automotivetouchup.com/index.htm 

[TurboDan]

Contract these guys and see if they have any touchup paint specifically for wheels.  Someone must make touchup paint for painted alloy wheels.

http://www.automotivetouchup.com/index.htm 

Thanks! Will do!

[VTEC_Inside]

I lucked out when I got the first good scratch on one of my RSX wheels.

Turns out the "gunmetal" color was a factory paint color on the NSX, Kaiser Silver Metallic. Just went and bought some of that and touched it up as good as I could.

[TurboDan]

I lucked out when I got the first good scratch on one of my RSX wheels.

Turns out the "gunmetal" color was a factory paint color on the NSX, Kaiser Silver Metallic. Just went and bought some of that and touched it up as good as I could.

Yeah, I've seen a lot of people on forums talk about matching wheel colors to factory paint colors, even if it's a different manufacturer in some cases. That might be an option. But like I said, this is a paint chip that you practically need a magnifying glass to see. I'm just a little obsessive about keeping my cars (and their wheels) clean ? even if it's an SUV at the moment.