How much to powder coat stock wheels?
 

What would it cost?
I have no idea?

Just want a flat dark gray powder coat on the whole wheel.

As a ballpark, I got quoted at $100/each for powdercoating 16x6.5 wheels back in 2008 or 2009, so I'd imagine that it's probably $100-150/each depending on where you go for 17x7s in 2013.

One thing to keep in mind that discouraged me from doing it was that the shop needs to have your wheels for quite some time, and the tires must be removed, so there's a hidden cost of paying the tire shop to remove the tires beforehand and then to mount and balance them afterwards, plus you'll likely need to have the car on blocks in your driveway for a solid week, or buy or borrow an extra set of wheels to use. Seems like most Subaru 16 or 17" wheels from the past fifteen years fit though, so that's not too insane, although when you add it all up, selling your stockers and buying aftermarket wheels in the color you like isn't that unreasonable, especially considering our stockers are only around average weight for a 17x7.

You'll really need to ask shops in your area, as prices can vary.

I got a set f 17x8 done recently and it was $100 per wheel. Any powdercoating shop will media blast anything you give them, but mine had been coated previously and couldn't just be blasted. Since they had to use paint stripper, the cost was higher. Normally it's only $75/ea to blast and coat.

When I asked about doing small parts, they said their minimum was $75.

I'd be tempted to just spray paint the stockers.

FYI - my wheels were a spare set with no tires, so there was no extra cost there. And the downtime was 1 week exactly. That's pretty normal.

I paid $150 per wheel a few years back.

Holy cow. We have a place locally that will do it for $40 a wheel. $150 a wheel is absurd.

for anything over 50 dollars per wheel is retarted..buy new wheels :slap:

edit: unless your fixing real wheels that are worth it :w00t:

Yeah I would NOT have done stock wheels, personally (unless we're talking some STi Rays RS-Zero or something). Which is why I suggested just painting. Luckily I had some inexpensive, light, non-knockoff wheels collecting dust and spiders. I think the coating cost almost as much as the wheels (used). Still, cheaper than $1k for new.

$40/ea is a steal. $150/ea sounds like the only PC'er in town overcharging. Ouch.

Any places I call near me wanted $450-$600 depending on color, I had a friend about an hour away do it for far less.

Your best bet is to find a place that specializes in industrial coatings, not a place that specializes in wheels. Wheel places charge a huge amount more markup because they can.

Just plastidip them!

Right. Why put the strongest coating possible on them when you could put one on that looks like ass and peels off?

There's new metallic plastidip that looks real nice!

Why? this is why
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36898

1. Because you can always go back to stock when ever you want.
2. If you scratch the finish, you can always re-do it. With powdercoat you'll have to strip the wheel and start all over.
3. You'll need to find a company that does low-temp powder coating. You don't want to heat up your wheels 450 degrees for 30-45 min.
4. You save money over powder coating.
5. Applied properly plastidip looks just like powdercoating
6. Powdercoat adds weight.

I mean, really why powder coat in the first place? OEM wheels are painted and clear coated.

I like the idea, but I read somewhere on here that someone was getting a month or two out of plasti-dip before they needed fixed. For all the effort in doing it correctly, um.... no.

Why not use wheel paint? I've used a few different duplicolor colors with great results, and they last a lot longer than a few months. I've done multiple sets that have been on the road for years and they still look fine.