Powdercoating = no color matching?

[bbmakmak]

Is this true? I was talking to some powdercoating company in Santa Ana and they were saying how you cannot really powder coat a rim because they have all those crystals that you have to put so it can only be something like (black) for example which is as close to color matching if I want to powder coat? is all this true? Do I have to resort to painting which I hear is so much less reliable than powder coating? And another thing I was also told you cannot have a 3 piece rim baked because its supposedly held by glue and that will melt? this is SPARTA! ( I mean madness)

[smoove7410]

They guy is stupid. 3 piece rims are taken apart, then powder coated. You don't just stick it in there. The color match is correct. You cannot get a 100% paint match. Freebird has a guy in florida that can get pretty dang close, although it probably costs much dinero to do.

[Topmotorsports]

Most powder companies don't like to do rims because it's more "work" than usual. They don't like to mask, color match, etc. It's more time consuming than just spraying something whole and baking it. That's mainly why it's more expensive. Cause it sure isn't the powder that's pricey.

[smoove7410]

An idea for you is to paint the rims, but don't have the painter clear coat the wheels. Then, take them to a powdercoater and have them clear powder coat them. This will give you the protection of a clear coat, but the paint match only found through paint. 360 Forged does this on their wheels.

[pmpn8ez]

^^^smoove.........you sure you can do that??

my powdercoater said it cant be done..........the powder needs to adhere/absorb into the metal directly........even if its the clear powder......but Im not 100%..........

I hear you on the EXACT color match though bbmakmak, I had my powdercoater start with black and add metal flake to mine...........until we got CLOSE enough

the differnce between the 2 is the FLAKE.........it is larger in powder vs our DCX paint.......

but once you get the tires on them, they look good...........

they look black in the dark and at dusk.............then POP in the sun:

[bbmakmak]

wow thats really cool! I dont know why though, I really want to color match the lip too, only because I want to know what its like to clean it(weird) but everyone I know is telling me I shouldnt because it will make the chrome I have on the side of my car not look good anymore..

[smoove7410]

Pretty sure. 360 forged does all their colormatched lips this way. I guess someone can contact them for further info, but they say they paint and then spray a clear powder coat over it. Look here and contact this guy.

360 Forged - Atomic Orange Z06!!! We Did It Again! - 6speedonline.com Forums

[pmpn8ez]

cool info smoove............maybe my guy just didnt want to do it......lol........either that or maybe he meant he couldnt do it to MINE

I called 3 different coaters and they said it couldnt be done..........BUT that could be because of my old paint on the rims.........they had to use an acid bath to remove the old paint.........

SOOOOOOO maybe you cant do powder COLORS over paint.......BUT its okay to do clear?????

and bbmak........if you do the whole rim powdercoated 1 color.........it will be ALOT cheaper!!!!

Id say ballpark of 20 to 50 per wheel vs. 125 to 150 per wheel..........alot of prep work for 2 tone (color on the face and then clear on the lips)...........

but if you have EXPENSIVE 3 piece rims.........I personally wouldnt powder coat the whole thing.........you want to keep those clean chrome/polished lips!!!