Steel wheels, Correct colour for refurbishment Options

[cal914]

This is a picture of my 1970 914 in August 2012 when it arrived at the docks in London from the USA. The car has now been fully restored, but now its time to refurbish the steel wheels. Re-chroming is too expensive, and I don't think authentic.

Can you help me with the RAL colour that they should be sprayed?

Thanks

[Tom_T]

Hold on though - those are chromed already, so their either the 912 4-lug Porsche chrome wheels, or the VW version chrome, or the after market chrome wheels like Montgomery Ward & other suppliers sold.

So put those aside until you can have them properly chromed - do NOT paint them (it will look like crap & not hold well to the chrome anyway).

Instead, try to locate a set of the OEM 914 steel wheels that are either done or that you can do with the Wurth silver suggested above. German eBay sometimes has them closer to you than the US.

TheSamba.com & the local UK VW suppliers & group websites may also have the VW version - just make sure they have the 40 offset for the 914 - & not other VW Bug/Ghia offsets.

Also in the Originality & History Forum there is a nailed topic on original wheels & tiers, & there are some posts on how others have restored the steelies with the silver paint - & it's the same process for the 70-72 early steel wheels & for the later 73-76 "star mag" types. You'll have to wade thru a lot of pages/posts to get to it, but be patient.

IIRC the backsides had a dark gray, then silver sprayed on the front with some blow-by over-spray onto the back, but that was covered & the paint for the back at the O&H wheels topic.

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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[Dave_Darling]

... the 912 4-lug Porsche chrome wheels...

I thought all 912s were five-lug?

--DD