i am doing a DIY refurb on a set of alloys, a nice ebay person sold me with tyres ready to fit, my erse! laquer peeling one tyre a write off! anyway, do i need to prime the bare metal areas with a special primer? i know paint won't adhere to aluminium thats not been etched or primed correctly but in halfords it says use special metal primer which they don't sell! the top coat will be gold, i was thinking of the nearly nine quid a tin smooth hammerite in halfords. or would normal automotive paint suffice? any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

try autopaint in st. helens, merseyside
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I got my primers and paints from them for my Ozs

 

Hi, on alloy wheels we generally sand down the damaged areas and use and acid etch primer to the areas that are bare metal, the best diy on the market would be Upol Acid8 available at halfords! I wouldnt reccomend smooth hammerite. as long as the wheels have been correctly prepped then a general automotive aerosol should do a more then good enough job! Just remember plenty of heat whilst applying paint and ensure u leave enough time between coats! Hope this helps Gaz....