Got the wheels painted and put on. It started raining here so by the time I got around to taking pictures the car and the wheels got pretty dirty.
Regardless, here's how it turned out:


http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g69/buculahi/IMG_0505.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g69/buculahi/IMG_0506.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g69/buculahi/IMG_0507.jpg

They look a bit lighter than they should because there is a fine layer of dirt on them already. When the weather improves I'll take better pictures, but it's supposed to be rainy all weekend.

They look fine to me but ya, they need a re-cleaning.

They look fine to me but ya, they need a re-cleaning.

Yea...I just don't want to be out there cleaning my car and have it rain again. :P

What color were they?

What color were they?

Gunmetal. As far as I can tell they don't come in black. I thought gunmetal looked good but a few mess ups during my initial install (d'oh) and a mishap at the tire shop drove me to paint them.

i like the flat black look

looks nice

how hard was it to paint
im thinking about doing mine

just mask the tires and prep the rims

yeah i know that
but there is a lil lip behind the chrome lip
so idk to paint that or not

yeah i know that
but there is a lil lip behind the chrome lip
so idk to paint that or not

It took me longer to do a quality tape job than to actually paint the wheels. I started out trying to use just one long strip of 3M Painter's tape to cover the whole lip, but of course I wasn't going to get out that easy.
I had to use about 4-5 inch strips and place them on the lip. I like using the Painter's Tape because I can reapply it a few times if I put it on crooked.
After my first two wheels I got the hang of it. You'll develop your own technique once you've done it enough. I cannot stress the importance of taking your time. I thoroughly inspected my tape job to make sure the edge was as straight as I could possibly get it and to make sure no part of the lip was exposed.

Of course, before I did any of the taping I did a thorough cleaning using my pressure washer and sprayed on a good amount of simple green and took a scotch brite pad (green pads) to all of the areas I wanted to paint. The lip got cleaned with a regular sponge.
I wanted to make sure I scuffed up the surface area enough for the paint to get a good stick, but I didn't want to sand it. The green pad did a good job.

For the backside I did a quick taping of the rubber and sprayed on two light coats, just enough to cover the gunmetal.
The front got 4 light coats. I used VHT wheel paint and it said apply coats in 20-minute intervals.
Aside from having to sand some drips due to a can leaking in mid-spray, I didn't have to sand between coats to make it look good.
Even after applying what I thought was a super-thick coat, it dried very nice and I'm really happy with how everything turned out.

I used 3M Painter's Tape for all of my taping. I had a roll of the brown paper towels (like the stuff they use in public bathroom towel dispensers) and rolled about 4 layers of that around every tire. I folded the edges over onto the tires and taped them down.

Throughout the whole process I was thinking to myself I should have taken pictures. Oh well, all I have is the end result.

The VHT paint I used is a glossy finish. Unlike other paints I was looking at (Duplicolor), I didn't need a separate clearcoat to make it glossy. But what I do like about the VHT is that it isn't so glossy as to be annoying, but it isn't entirely a satin finish. It's a deep black with just enough shine that you can just about see yourself in it (if they're clean, of course).

It looks like rain is supposed to subside by monday night so I will wash the xA down on Tuesday and take a few more snaps.