How to touch up curbed rim?

MyZmZm · 12-19-05, 06:29

I got some new rims (used) this fall, and one of them has a small bit of curbing on the edge - maybe the size of a penny in diameter. The rims are painted gunmetal, but this is obviously gone where it's been curbed, and the silver metal sticks out like a sore thumb.

I was going to get some touch up paint for the rim, however because I've since found out that it's special two-layer process - black underneath, followed by a special silver layer on top - any paint I get will not match and will likely not look very good. I was told that the best thing I can do without repainting the whole rim is to use some clear nail polish. Because the metal is exposed, I want to make sure to protect it, and I'm just not sure that the nail polish would be enough. They're only going to be used in summer, but they'll still be exposed to moisture and all the other potential hazards on the road.

Has anyone done something like this before? What did you use?

Setec Astronomy · 12-19-05, 06:31

Even if the touchup paint doesn't match, it's still gotta match better than bare metal. In either case, forget the nail polish and get clear touchup paint at an auto parts store (not that there's going to be that much difference).

MyZmZm · 12-19-05, 07:01

That's kind of what I was thinking too, that any colour has got to look better than bare metal; I'll have to take the rim in and see if I can find something close. I also didn't think the clear nail polish would cut it. It's not like I'm going to be driving on gravel roads, but I don't think the polish would be hard enough to last very long.

ZJ JIM 96 · 12-20-05, 10:03

I don't know if this will be much help to your particular question about matching the paint, but here is a good write up on fixing a scuffed wheel.
http://www.audiworld.com/tech/ext43.shtml