Advice -To Paint Wheels Black Or Leave?

[Rjw289]

Wanted to get some input as to whether to leave my 289 FIA wheels in the cast color or paint them black as the competition cars were? Pros and cons appreciated.

The majority in Monterrey seem to have been a flat/matte blackish color but when looking at others elsewhere they are normally left in the standard cast color.

[fordracing65]

Powder coat flat black, nothing looks better...

[ERA Chas]

Who told you 'competition cars' had flat black wheels?

[Rjw289]

I have noticed in pictures that many of the comp cars, especially the 289 FIA cars had black wheels versus the cast non polished wheels. Is that not correct?

[ERA Chas]

If you mean period pictures from the '60's and '70's those are oxidized magnesium Hailbrands.
Anything later is the modern black-coated wheel craze seen on over-restored originals from Canepa or kit cars.

[Rjw289]

Yes a lot of Canepas cars have had the wheels painted black. I think they make the cars look more aggressive. Many of the Cobras in Monterrey had this look too.

I take it you like the "cast" look better?

[Got the Bug]

I like the black look. Power coating the wheels would definitely make them easier to keep clean.

[tkb289]

Chas is correct, there does seem to be a trend lately of all black wheels, even on some CSX2xxx cars.

For wheels, there are lots of choices and it's something that is relatively easy to change in the future should one decide to try something different. The 'look' of the wheels does make a difference in the overall appearance of the car.


Bruce Canepa's CSX2xxx



CSX2xxx (Monterey 2012) The kidney bean wheels look great on this Cobra



Here is a good example of the natural finish
CSX2323



CSX2323



For my ERA I chose to have the centers powder coated black and leave the polished rim bare

[Bartruff1]

I saw the FIA cars race in Europe and they did not have black wheels..

[Blue Cobra]

My preference for the 15-inch Halibrand wheels (or ripoffs), is matt or flat black centers & lugs combined with bare / polished rims & knock-offs. Just like the picture of tkb289's blue snake. That's a finished looking 1960's sports car in full trim. Black also hides brake dust well, so when your on the road doing the evening spit-shine in the parking lot, you just wipe the rims and they look clean again.

Although, I'm planning to pick up a set of 17-inch Halibrand ripoff's from FFR for the track for better cornering, and they are not blacked out; so I plan to put them on as is to see how I like them. Then I can contrast them to my current Halibrands. I figure I can always powder coat, and it's nice to have options.

BC

[Mark Brye]

You could plasti dip them matt black to get an idea of what it would look like. And if you don't like it, just peel it off. If you do 4 or 5 coats of the stuff, it will peel right off if you don't like the look. Or leave it on all summer. If you like it, then powder coat later. I hope I don't sound like I belong on a honda forum....

[Rjw289]

Thanks Mark. I am not familiar with that process? I like the current look of the cast coloring but every time I see some of these cars with black wheels, I get the urge to have them powdered coated a flat black. Just trying to get a feel from other Cobra owners how they feel.

My car is Meditteranean Blue with black pipes and a black roll bar so,black wheels may compliment them?

[rodneym]

How about going with the Trigo FIA 'as cast' (no coatings) and just let them get nice and filthy. Don't clean with any product.

[D-CEL]

I love my wheels black! No regrets!

[Fullchat289]

ERA#2124

17" set from Vintage Wheels painted black on Hoosier A6's:



15" set powder coated satin black by a local guy on Mickey Thompson S/T radials:



- Allen.

[Rjw289]

Satin Black looks very nice. Any closeup pictures of satin black versus a flat black?

[Fullchat289]

Sure....Here's a pic of the 15" done in Satin before I had tires mounted..



This is Jim Farley's USRRC car...looks like they are more of a "flat" finish...



- Allen.

[Rjw289]

Allen-thanks for the pictures. I really like the satin finish as it appears to not be such a "flat" black like Farleys 289 and many others I have seen. I just would them to be too "shiny" if you know what I mean.

Any pictures with the wheels and tires mounted on your FIA?
Thanks.

[Fullchat289]

Here are a couple shots from the front and rear...just gathering what I can off of my computer...





- Allen.

[ERA Chas]

Hands-down, Allen has the most 'complete' ERA FIA on the forum. It's got it all together-looks, Webers and a serious motor. Just my .02.
And I'm NOT a black wheel fan. It just works beautifully in this combo. Really has the vintage 'Brit' look about it.
'Cept for those crappy window-slider thingies...