Refinishing my 17" Fondmetal type 5800 wheels
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 11:16 pm
I came across this set of Fondmetal 5800s on the Bnet Facebook page about a year and a half ago. I loved the look the first time I ever saw them on a Beretta. IMO, the Beretta doesn't look good with a super modern wheel - They do better with a more traditional style, complementary of their own ~30 year old design/styling.
The Fondmetal 5800: 5x100, 17x7.5", ET35.
When I found a set of 5800s for sale, I jumped on them. Drove over 900 miles round trip to get them and still felt good about the purchase. LOL! When I picked them up I found that they had pretty extensive chipping, curb rash and general neglect. Having secured the wheels, I decided to shelf the refinishing project for a while.
That brings me to this past week - Realizing Bfest2015 is only ~4 months away, I decided to get started on them. I had the wheels media blasted to remove the paint. After the blasting, it was easier to spot the imperfections. Then I had to choose the color I wanted to paint. I was originally going to just go the cheaper route and use the Duplicolor wheel paint and do them in gunmetal. I wasn't totally happy with the shade of gunmetal that was available, but I figured it'd be better than just going with a standard silver. Before settling on paint, I talked with yellow3800 about my idea and he suggested going with a true automotive grade paint and choosing the exact color I wanted. Within a few days, we had compared multiple color samples and chosen the exact color. Apparently, the color we chose is also the lower body trim color on 2001-2003 Toyota trucks/SUVs. It is a darker metallic silver.
Last Sunday we began the process. After working out the damaged areas and using various primers, the wheels were ready for paint. After spraying them with a few coats of paint and clear, they looked amazing! The color is absolutely spot on for what I was going for. I wanted a color that would look good on any of the 3 Berettas I own.
I'm waiting at least a week for everything to cure before having the tires installed. I'll be using a 215/45/17 tire.
The only trick now is installing longer lug studs. The factory studs are only long enough for the lug nut to grab a few threads with these wheels. At ~$15 PER CORNER (x3 Berettas), I may start out with one car for now. Most likely, these will go on the Garnet GTZ first.
The Fondmetal 5800: 5x100, 17x7.5", ET35.
When I found a set of 5800s for sale, I jumped on them. Drove over 900 miles round trip to get them and still felt good about the purchase. LOL! When I picked them up I found that they had pretty extensive chipping, curb rash and general neglect. Having secured the wheels, I decided to shelf the refinishing project for a while.
That brings me to this past week - Realizing Bfest2015 is only ~4 months away, I decided to get started on them. I had the wheels media blasted to remove the paint. After the blasting, it was easier to spot the imperfections. Then I had to choose the color I wanted to paint. I was originally going to just go the cheaper route and use the Duplicolor wheel paint and do them in gunmetal. I wasn't totally happy with the shade of gunmetal that was available, but I figured it'd be better than just going with a standard silver. Before settling on paint, I talked with yellow3800 about my idea and he suggested going with a true automotive grade paint and choosing the exact color I wanted. Within a few days, we had compared multiple color samples and chosen the exact color. Apparently, the color we chose is also the lower body trim color on 2001-2003 Toyota trucks/SUVs. It is a darker metallic silver.
Last Sunday we began the process. After working out the damaged areas and using various primers, the wheels were ready for paint. After spraying them with a few coats of paint and clear, they looked amazing! The color is absolutely spot on for what I was going for. I wanted a color that would look good on any of the 3 Berettas I own.
I'm waiting at least a week for everything to cure before having the tires installed. I'll be using a 215/45/17 tire.
The only trick now is installing longer lug studs. The factory studs are only long enough for the lug nut to grab a few threads with these wheels. At ~$15 PER CORNER (x3 Berettas), I may start out with one car for now. Most likely, these will go on the Garnet GTZ first.
