So last winter I went to visit a friend in Maryland and it had snowed. Well they use beet juice/molasses to keep the road from freezing/better traction. This mixture caused the inside of my wheels to collect dirt and grime more than usually since its rather sticky. Well, finally got to cleaning them today and and while I got the dirt off I also noticed the paint on the inside of my wheels was wearing off in spots. So I took 0000 steel wool to get the dirt off and I also wound up taking most of the paint off one wheel.

My question, I guess painting the inside of the wheel with wheel paint would be the best option. Any suggestions, I know there are a lot of discussions on A-spec wheel colors and what wheel paint would match but I have not found an answer. I know its not going to match perfectly but something close. I have the Ebony color A-Specs. The wheel faces are still in great condition and I have no curb rash so just the insides are needing some love.

Here are some pics, the one wheel I was able to get most of the dirt/paint off, the other one I ran out of arm strength.


First wheel I got most of the paint off of








Second wheel I got the dirt off of and tried to get the paint off of but ran out of strength and was on there better

 

1. The color of your wheel isn't Ebony, it's Satin, what most would incorrectly call "euro chrome."
2. The finish itself is a 3-stage process; primer (gray), base-coat (black), and top-coat (silver). Each is very specific because they show through the silver, giving the finish depth.
3. There is no wheel-refinishing company that can match the paint, as the finish and wheel are made by Enkei and they do NOT give out their color codes.

Your best bet, since this is just the barrel, is to just spray-bomb it black yourself.

 

I guess most people called it Ebony but your right it is the Satin, my favorite of the A-specs.
I remember reading about the 3 step process they used to get the look and that it isnt able to be matched. It would be nice if they would give out the color codes, oh well.

I have considered the black, I like to pay attention to the details (something I know you can appreciate, I have seen pics of your cars) and am trying to figure out the best color that will look the best. Not that many people see inside the wheel but because the spokes are rather far apart you can see pretty easily inside. So, hmmmm, black, silver, dark silver, gunmetal.....?

 

The name Ebony may have come from the RL line, it's been a while since I researched it. It's my favorite as well, still wish I had a good set.

The biggest problem with matching the barrel is that it's actually not the same as the wheel face, it's 2 stages and an amount of overspray from the last stage. It's this way on all the wheels of this finish are, they really skip the last step and leave the barrel darker so that it makes the wheels of the spokes stand out more. If you wanted to spend money on it, I'm sure Detroit Wheel and Tire could get close to matching the barrel, they used an Infinity color on mine and it's pretty damn close.

 

Those look great!! I like the color and would be ok with that on my A-specs if they were needing a total redo. I am not wanting to spend the money to have it professionally done, I have other financial priorities right now, plus its due for some maintenance such as the timing belt service and my A/C needs work. I'm guessing the black would probably look the best as it will hide dirt and I wont have contrasting colors that might look weird where the barrel meets the face.

 

Yeah, black or some sort of dark metallic gray. I would just stand a few feet away from your car in bright light and look to see how the barrel looks, then just paint it somewhat like that. I'm pretty sensitive to that stuff because I clean my barrels when I clean the wheels (re: a few times a week).