Re: Powder Coating Wheels

[John Cecil <jcecil@domain.elided>]

Hi-
I powder coated the wheels on my 1750 Spider, and they look very good with
one exception. The powder coating process has a problem when it has to cover
sharp angles an discontinuities in a surface. The Alfa wheels have such a
condition where the outer rim intersects the inner section. I hope this is
clear - look at the wheels and you will get my drift. What happens is, the
powder coat "bridges" the discontinuity with little "balls" of coating
material. Hard to explain, but imagine little balls, approx. 1/16 in., in
the narrow angle of the rim to center section.  Not a real problem, but if
you're after cosmetic perfection, it is somewhat unsatisfactory. The cost
for 5 wheels to be powder coated was $125, it was done in Chico, CA, but the
service is widely available and is routinely used on wheels.
I am in the process of restoring a Lancia Fulvia Zagato, and I did not
powder coat its wheels as a result. Instead, I had them painted with an
Imron epoxy. They look better than the powder coated Alfa wheels, but the
finish is probably somewhat less durable.
Regards,
--John Cecil
<jcecil@domain.elided>
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