Paint or Powdercoat?

[four20]

Hi,

I'm thinking of purchasing a set of 18" iForged Senekas pre-owned and I want to paint the face of the wheels gunmetal and keep the lip polished. I've heard of people getting their rims painted or powdercoated, but I was just wondering if one is better than the other. Is it a matter of personal preference or is there a reason one would choose paint over powdercoat and vice versa (durability reasons, longevity of color, etc.)?

EDIT - I forgot to mention...I was wondering if having a lip on the wheels matters when choosing paint or powdercoating.

Thanks!

Matt

[Accumulator]

You can still have the lip polished if you powdercoat. It's actually a process similar to painting, just that you spray on a powder (instead of a paint) and then "cook" it.

Powdercoating is generally more durable than paint; I haven't had powdercoated stuff in the sun enough to know how badly it fades with UV exposure . I'd *guess* that it's not gonna be a big issue (or at least not more so than paint).

But paint is easier to touch up and getting currently-painted/cleared wheels repainted will often be easier than getting them powdercoated (less prep required).

If you have a good, local powdercoating shop I'd at least talk to them- it would be a good way to go. If you have a good relationship with a paint/body shop, that might be the simpler way. I'd make the call depending on what's locally available (with a good reputation).

[four20]

Originally posted by Accumulator
You can still have the lip polished if you powdercoat. It's actually a process similar to painting, just that you spray on a powder (instead of a paint) and then "cook" it.

Powdercoating is generally more durable than paint; I haven't had powdercoated stuff in the sun enough to know how badly it fades with UV exposure . I'd *guess* that it's not gonna be a big issue (or at least not more so than paint).

But paint is easier to touch up and getting currently-painted/cleared wheels repainted will often be easier than getting them powdercoated (less prep required).

If you have a good, local powdercoating shop I'd at least talk to them- it would be a good way to go. If you have a good relationship with a paint/body shop, that might be the simpler way. I'd make the call depending on what's locally available (with a good reputation).

I see...I'm actaully thinking of going with powdercoating. I spoke to the manufacturer of the wheels and he suggested powdercoat over paint. Thanks for the info!

[HotRodGuy]

I say powdercoat, it's much more durable