I have a question concerning the finish my "VW like" steel wheels. I get the impression that many have been repainted due to use over the years. Mine have. However, when I compare my unpainted spare and old photos of original wheels to mine I don't like the paint a prior owner used. It is sort of a flat, metallic dark silver. The orignal spare is brighter.

In the process of touching minor knicks on the unpainted spare I just grabbed some Rustoleum "Aluminum" colored paint and found that it blended in perfectly. Now, I'm thinking off painting all 4 wheels on the car the same color. Any advice as to what paint others may have used and if this makes sense on a car I'd like to show eventually?
Thanks
Steve

Wurth silver with clear is nice.

While I feel pretty certain that VW put a clearcoat on these wheels, it was a very thin coat & did not lend itself to severe or long-term use.

I had my wheels restored in the early 80's (see the locked thread on wheels, in this forum). I wanted them to look original, yet be tougher. Had the restorer use Glasurit silver, with a heavier clearcoat. 25+ years later they look like new, front & back (rear should not be as perfect as the front). If you look at the pics, you'll note that the centers of the front side do not have the flat black layer on them, as they were delivered. I may still put that coating on, but I like the way they are & that view would be covered by the hubcaps.

I'm sure that Wurth products would work as well.

I've also had good luck with Rustoleum products through the years, but doubt that a rattle can approach will provide a consistent finish on the complex surfaces of a wheel.
Pat