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wheel covers


desertrat

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Recently got a 1988 Horizon ST. Yes, I need an owners manual, but won't bother to ask as I'm sure I won't find one online. I am wondering what is out there for wheel covers. I'm working on the beast, but I don't have it in me to attack the rust that's present on the rims. I'd like to neutralize the rust with naval jelly product and then cover those rims up. I have 6 lugs on front and rear. Any suggestions? I'm not picky about rim aesthetics, I just want shiny and/or clean looking rims.

Sorry, I posted pics of the rims ahead of this post

Thanks in advance

Steve

Edited by desertrat
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I painted the rims using Hammerite paint. It looks slick as it dries to a "fish eye" finish looking like the surface has been formed with a hammer. Very easy. Take the rims off. Sand them. Wipe them down with lacquer thinner. Brush on the paint. This paint is designed to go directly over rust but it is best to prep the surface as much as you can before painting. As an alternative you can get stainless steel wheel simulators. These are rather expensive and your rims will continue to rust under them.

Hammerite painted rim:

med_gallery_794_143_261.jpg

Stainless Steel Wheel Simulator

med_gallery_794_143_54750.jpg

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Thanks Turtle, I'll check Hammerite out.

Call your local hardware stores. I found it locally at several hardware stores.

The silver grey hammered metal finish looks the nicest on rims but it comes in a lot of colors (like all paint does). The "hammered" finish hides a lot of the imperfections that your rusty rims will have.

http://www.paint-col...0&cat=30&page=1

The first coat lasted 14 years and still looked nice but I put another coat on last year and it looked like new again

It's good stuff.

Here is the before and after so you can see the difference (before was taken 14 years ago just after the axle was installed... notice the chalked arrow on the tire showing the original rotation from the salvage yard truck)

med_gallery_794_143_13337.jpg

med_gallery_794_143_261.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hammerite painted rim:

Stainless Steel Wheel Simulator

med_gallery_794_143_54750.jpg

I notice that on this rim there seems to be a center cap. Is that a simulated rim and if not is it possible to purchase a center cap for the rear rim. I am sure that when these rigs first came out they must of had center caps on them for appearance sake. When I look at pictures of some of them they seem to have them. Does anyone know where to get them. I don't want simulated rims but just the center cap.

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The rear simulators are a 2 piece unit (the hub and outer rim covers).

You can call Eagle Flight and see if they will sell you just the centers. http://www.jaeeagle.com/

I'm not sure if the centers can be used without the outer rim section. It depends on the size of the holes. I know that the outer rims hold on the centers and the outer rims have 3 holes that are smaller so that the lug nut holds the whole unit on.

I would make sure that you can use half of a simulator before you put out your cash.

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The rear simulators are a 2 piece unit (the hub and outer rim covers).

You can call Eagle Flight and see if they will sell you just the centers. http://www.jaeeagle.com/

I'm not sure if the centers can be used without the outer rim section. It depends on the size of the holes. I know that the outer rims hold on the centers and the outer rims have 3 holes that are smaller so that the lug nut holds the whole unit on.

I was make sure that you can use half of a simulator before you put out your cash.

Thanks for the information. Just trying to dress the old girl up a little without breaking the bank.

Tony

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I'm for the paint, and if while your wheels are off, you wire brush the hubs and paint them with a rust covering flat black, the whole thing looks good. As an old trucker, I wanna see what is happening to lug nuts & when I pull over for tea, I touch test the hubs for hotness, tells me if a bearing is going or if the brakes are dragging, cant do that with faux wheel covers.

Tony

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If you do paint the hubs use high temp BBQ paint (flat black). You can also spray the brake drums with it. I found that it holds up very well to the high heat generated by the brakes.

I like using the "hammer finish" hamerite paint. It has a built in "fish eye" component that gives a very NICE look and hides any imperfections (old rust pits, welds, etc). As an old car sprayer the word fish eye gives me the willies but it looks super slick on the rims.

I think the look of the hamerite paint on the rims looks much nicer then the stainless simulators. I have had both side by side and the painted rims appeal to me more than the "Hollywood" look of the simulators.

As with any painting, prep your surface well. Clean with a good degreaser then wire brush and sand any rough spots. 90% of any paint job is the preparation. The finest spray job will look awful if applied to a badly preprepared surface.

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