[Chucksta]

@ svxcess.. Excellent points.. I maybe should have used a word other than "matched", when describing the finish I was looking to get.. More accurate adjectives would have been "complementary", "accentuating", or simply "looks good with". I wasn't necessarily looking for the rims to look like they were done with the same paint as the body.

The concept of an aluminum primer that would withstand the required temperatures to cure powder coating and a clear coat is something that I hadn't looked into. Most of the stuff I read said that paint had to be removed from the item, as it would just pull ( flake up ), from the heat when you went to cure the polymer coating. The Clear Burgundy that i'm using cures at a relatively low temp, compared to other finishes, so I'll definitely have to look into that combination for a finish.

It's obvious at this point, the opinion of the V.P. aside, that I either need to get the rim to an absolutely uniform state of finish, or coat it prior to the Burgundy going on. To match the center caps, that can't be baked, to the final finish just doesn't seem likely. I'm probably better off just taking the wire brush on the end of the die grinder to them and going with a gloss black.

Personally, I didn't mind the shading on the spokes, up to a point. But, that point was not controllable in the application process, not by a long shot.


I've got at least another day of rain, so nothing is going to happen outside till after then. At least with the rim cleaned, a rebake is only a thirty minute job. Permatex Gasket remover means a clean rim is less than 20 minutes away. this "oops" is, realistically, only an hours setback.

So, I can tell.. Ya all really didn't like the funky look of the rims.. LOL.. They've gotten a 2 for 2 thumbs up from the "under 25" crew.. Kinda like in "Back To The Future", when Marty McFly, goes Van Halen on "Johnny B Good".. The crowd starts dancing when he starts, but then grinds to a halt when he starts doing double tap hammer ons.. His parting comment? You're not ready for this, but your kids are going to love it/..

I absolutely agree that they should show a solid finish, no flaws whatsoever. That was the objective. But it was definitely a surprise to see the difference of opinion of the "oops" finished product, based on age.

If anyone reading this has a resource / algorithm / educated guess as how to compute curing times based on weight as it affects curing time on a per pound basis, please give it up.. I've seen some of the brain power on this site turned towards finding solutions to other issues, reverse engineering of Subaru programming, etc., some of you guys occasionally give hints as to owning skill sets that you don't exactly brag about. Nows the time to unleash the beast...post it! . The chances of you being more wrong than me are zero. If I have instructions, I'll follow them.. otherwise, it's "use the force Luke, use the force." So far, the results of that methodology have been less than exemplary. Lets's get a set of SVX rims being stripped, coated and looking crisp a slam dunk.

Thanks guys..