Refinishing a Set of BBS RG's - DIY

[ryanjblajda]

heres some pictures. not a lot of progress.

This wheel is one of the ones that i stripped all the way down to metal. i brought it back with primer to a nice smooth layer that i can lay paint onto. but i still need to polish the lip on that one before I do. no point in putting down paint to have to worry about sanding it.



so here you can see the difference between the face with primer and the old paint. the lip on the wheel with paint is currently at a 400 grit level. next is 600. hopefully soon i will get the work study job I'm applying for, so i can just pay someone to do this. never doing it again.



the lips were polished when i took the paint off, but they had pits and nicks everywhere so i got rid of most of them with 80 grit, and the curb rash on this one is the same in the first pictures i posted. the nicks and crap on the left side of the lip are the same ones as the picture below this one.



^^^^ this

versus

vvvvv this




a better look at the primer. there was some overspray, but it will get sanded off anyways.

[ryanjblajda]

well im just glad i have a set of "real" "legit" wheels that i can do justice to and will really set my car apart from some of the others.

[jacbo]

I wouldn't say rare... Probably just means it was an oem wheel rather than an aftermarket wheel.

KBA was the model prefix used on a ton of oem BBS wheels and a few aftermarkets.

All I'm saying is that, say you have a set of RS', they're always going to have an RS model # (rs001, rs178, act) but if you have a set of 1pc RAs or something, chances are they're going to have a KBA # instead of a model # starting with "RA"

[ryanjblajda]

mine look exactly like that!! is that rare? for them not to have a model number?

what is a KBA?

[jacbo]

The H2 is something that goes along with the offset (et) rather then a model #.

They might not have a model # stamped.
Here's a set with a blank spot


Mine were a KBA, which really means nothing as that prefix was used on everything from RAs to RXs

[ryanjblajda]

**EDIT**

apparently they are RGs or RZs....

[ryanjblajda]

i found that in between where the size and offset is written.

[ryanjblajda]

Thats awesome!!

H2 425

[jacbo]

http://www.bbs-usa.com/BBS%20Hardwar...e_Oct_2011.pdf

[ryanjblajda]

uhm whats the format? like a set of 6 numbers?

[jacbo]

What's the model number stamped on the wheel?

[ryanjblajda]

oh. ok. like a said i dont know squat about BBS wheels. i guess i misunderstood what you wrote.

[jacbo]

I said an RS WAFFLE fit into MY 4x100 RGs. The 1/4 locking component is a different thing altogether.

If they're Audi they're going to be 5x112.

Edit: Sure they're not Rx7 FC 'vert wheels?

[ryanjblajda]

So for anyone who hasn't read through my build thread, i recently purchased a set of BBS RG's off an Audi/BMW of some kind.

They are 15x7 ET 35 and i think the bolt pattern is 5x114.3mm thats what the PO told me. If anyone with more knowledge of BBS wheels knows i would love more concrete information. I bought these spacer adapters to be able to put them on my car which is 4x114.3mm.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261074117092?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

ALSO I NEED TO SOURCE CENTER CAPS!!!

so i was told a 1/4 turn BBS RS center cap would fit this wheel. if anyone knows what type of center cap will fit if you could please let me know by posting or PMing me that would be awesome. Also if you know what center cap will fit, and know someone who wants to get rid of a full set or a couple PLEASE TELL ME!! it doesn't matter the paint condition, because i will refinish them to white and replace the center sticker anyways.

THANKS!

Anyways... so i figured i would document the process of refinishing the wheels. I found an arctic white paint from AutoZone i really like that i will most likely use. Im debating adding a pearl layer, or spraying silver on a toothbrush and splattering it on there, and leaving the lips polished.

i have the lips down to metal so i can begin polishing them, starting from 330 grit; through 2,000 grit. I brought the center to a layer of primer that i will probably re-primer over and blend together so that its one smooth layer. But I am going to bring the lips from 300 to 2,000 first. Then i will work on the centers, as its easier to mask the lip and sand any overspray than it is to paint the face and then sand the lip and try not to sand a painted area.

Its going to be a fun process.

I really just need to continue tomorrow afternoon with the (i just saw my cat gnawing on his toes.....while laying on my pizza box -__-) hose from the apartment complex that they let us use to wash our cars. Without a high power/pressurized source of water to really rinse the paint off with its taking forever to try and sand/spray thinner and wipe off paint with towels/paper and shit.

I just need to make sure all the paint and clear will run into the sewer and not be on the pavement. or else this is going to take FOREVER. and i ordered my adapters from ebay today with the money i made selling the 002 XXRs. I should hopefully be able to do a test fit later in the week.

here are some pictures. its dark so my camera was being a weiner. thats why they are out of focus.







^^^^^ this [polished]

versus

vvvvvv this [painted]