I expect this'll be a short thread

-I got a swap-out yesterday at the dealership of the uggy nine spoke stock xB wheel covers.

Orlo Perez, my salesman at Kendal Toyoata (see the oldest toaster-buyer thread)
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=59797
gave me the swap out 'cause he did not have the phone dial caps on the date of sale.

So! I'm about to pull off the scion center badges following directions gleaned from earlier threads

I'm not sure what color I want to fill in the depressed bB letters. Maybe YELLOW or orange...

TIP: Testors modeling paint is soluable in mineral spirits even after it dries. I intend to use that glossy, colorful paint because I can change it out very easy to new color later as may be desired. -mineral spirtis won't attack the plastic- so this is an easy way for an unskilled person (me) to flow color into the lettering.

IMO, that phone dial wheel cover is very nice looking on the econoBox. Not uggy, not pretentious. Just nice enough to maybe keep and like long term

I've got a yellow car.. I -plan to paint the portion of the black wheel that shows through the cover's holes. I will paint the wheels either dark blue or, more likely, a gumball yellow.

Duplicolor DA 1663 'school bus yellow' is darker than Solar Yellow and that's good for me: a bit of contrast.

-or-

DA 1620 'royal blue' would be understated and cool. I lean towards the yellow but neither five buck can has been sprayed yet to show me the actual color

This may look spiff. Dunno. I'll report back later with pictures

If you've done this or seen this idea before lemme know please and tell what you think. Sucky?

Opinions count most when they are my own.


yellow car. silver wheel covers with accent color poking through the holes.









meanwhile I await real Mooneyes full polished disks ordered a while back, which seem likely to never arrive. maybe I won't really want them after all

 

what are you talking about. show some pics

 

I am yakkedy yak the duck ucker but I'll post pics you bet.

I just thought you might have the attention span to read my ramble? I do go into too much detail, though.

stop!

otay

 

I like the idea of painting the bB yellow, but I think painting the steelies might be going overboard.

 

Yes, might well be but it's really simple to try. I -expect- the look will be sorta subtle, because the yellow is set-back from the portholes, see?



====
say, what do you get when you put your cap on backwards?

do th' crowds yell "YAY"? -or- YAG?

you be brave



===

 

yeah. . . definitely not with you on painting the wheels. . . but the caps would be cool

 

I have the 'phone dial wheelcovers on my box (profile), and I actually like them. IMHO they look quite decent on the box.

(I'm not sure I care for painting the wheels a bright color behind them, but I'd actually have to see what that looks like first... )

I recall seeing actual alloy wheels in years past (on some other cars, of course) that were very similar in look to those wheelcovers, and if I could find a set like that to fit my box I'd actually be happy with them.



Closest I can come to alloy's with a similar look with a quick Google is VW Westphalia alloys, and some M-B alloy wheels (none 4X100, of course).



I know SOMBODY makes 'em 'cause here's a Mini with them...

http://www001.upp.so-net.ne.jp/mini/ownmini.htm

 

imho, it doesn't look bad

 

I wouldn't go with the "almost-same" yellow behind the cap. That'd just look half done, IMO.

The only way I'd do a contrast color on the steelie is if the holes in it could be centered in the holes on the wheel cover.

My aftermarket wheels have colored lettering in the hub cap that is almost the same color as the xB. Because of the distance between the hub cap and the sheet metal , it looks to match. So, the almost same yellow on the bB should look pretty good, IMO.

 

That'd look good in a low offset.

 

Yes, Tomas I think these dial covers and wheels are just good looking/fit to the spirit of the xB very well.


Will do one wheel today or soon and see how it looks. The good thing is: Noxema skin creme and Duplicolor spray paint should cost less than a few bucks per wheel! (Noxema for an overspray mask)

If the yellow looks poor then I'll try the Royal Blue and mebbe also the Red. And who knows but that BLACK might turn out to be the best!




newbies like me: The OEM wheel covers just pull right off. Grip through the openings and yank

The grippers are just plastic claws expanded by a steel expander.

 

Can't wait to see finished mod. Sounds interesting.

 

or yuggly (yellow ugh)

So- the wheel is off, has been scrubbed down with Dawn and Zud to remove some of that silicone glop.

ZUD is a heavy duty scouring powder, not chlorinated. Similar to Bar Keeper's friend. It takes the gloss off the black paint, down to a satin appearance. Did this to clean and give the wheel black some minor tooth for the acrylic enamel.

Found some liquid masking. I think I'll use that instead of Noxema to protect the tire


The damned -silicone oil- that the dealer slopped on goes into that tire sidewall and does not come off with soap and water.

Pretty damn shortly I'll find out if the silicon residue which IS for sure present in traces in the pores of the OEM black,,,,, I find out if it makes the Duplicolor paint fisheye.

crossed fingers, mist on a tack coat, then another, then a wet one and hope for neat looking results.


such drama

"hubbub: the miniseries"

-stay tuned- one wheel only is getting done for now


addendum 1:33 PM: the paint sprayed nicely. Let it sit dust free for an hour now. Then put the wheel out in the hot Miami sun to bake. Acrylic enamel dries really fast but does continue to cure for weeks/months. This is the same paint that was on your older cars, from the early sixties up to about the early eighties. Before the era of OEM basecoat/clearcoat systems.

 

Hahaha. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

 

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waiting for paint to dry sucks paper bags

 

How 'bout yellow steelies with BLACK hubcaps?

Then only the yellow circles would show.

-THE DON

 

baking in the hot Florida sun. The brick is 140F and this speeds the cure

I'll bolt up in an hour and take pic again, with and without the bB cover in place

Have not yet filled in the bB logo of the phonedial cover




NB: Blue masking tape was run around the inside periphery, just below the bossed lip that the cover grippers seat upon. You don't wanna paint more than this if covers are going on.

In any case where covers are going back on do not try to paint to the edge of the tire because the edge of the steel wheel always shows and would look nasty (in colored paint) at the periphery of the wheelcover.

I think this'll prolly look good, even without a wheel cover. A small chrome cap would be a salute to the VW and be very sick.

next up: remount... so,

hold breath one hour

drama! five dollar can of spray paint! cheap thrills are the best!

 

See now, a trim ring and hub cover would make that rallieriffic.

 

that's an idea!

the picture above does not show the deeper, oranger "schoolbus" yellow to advantage.

The Solar Yellow has a chartreuse cast in bright sun.

SY is a few or more shades lighter than the Duplicolor SB yellow, which is a real deep, full SB yellow

This mis-match is -agreeable-.

If I could custom mix the color I do not think I'd change it one bit. It is chewy good lookin' as it is.

 

Looks better than I thought it would.