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rostyle wheels

PostPosted: Thu Aug 23, 2018 7:10 pm
by craig12
after looking over my magnum , I realise that when it left the factory it would have had nice shiny rostyles , I realise theyre virtually impossible to find in very good condition , so can anyone tell me please the best way to get nearest to a factory finish, is it sandblasting, chemical stripping, angle grinder ?

Re: rostyle wheels

PostPosted: Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:49 pm
by 1972nail
Sand, bead, or what ever blasting is the best way to get them back to the bare steel. Soda blasting will not remove the rust, just the paint.

You will need to paint them almost immediately as they will rust with the moisture in the air. If the blaster can prime them for you all the better. However, you will need a high build primer to get a smooth surface as blasting can be quite rough on the steel and the rust may have pockmarked them a bit too. Best to budget for the blaster to prime and then be prepared to sand them back by hand, fill and prime again.

You could get them powder coated silver, but if they get chipped or kerbed they are very difficult to repair, so painting would be my preferred option. There are masks which you can buy to make painting the black bits easier. They are available for MG Midgets but are quite expensive and can be a bit awkward to use from what I've heard. I think Fred has used them on a set of wheels so he may be able to fill in the details.

Finally a good coat of cleat lacquer to finish them off and you should have nice shiny wheels again.

Magnums also chrome trim rings to give them extra bling. There are several widths so you need to be careful what ones you get. Most people prefer not to fit them as they are held on by teeth which bite into the paint and cause rusting.

Re: rostyle wheels

PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2018 6:57 am
by lord13
Don't 'sand' blast them, they will look rough and pitted afterwards and will be difficult to get nice and shiny. bead blasting is better...However, those ones you have look as they do by design ( my design), they have been partially stripped to take them back to bare metal (mostly) on the areas that were meant to be silver, then a liberal coating of lacquer to prevent rusting. ( its a thing I do, not to everyones taste )
Anyway, to get nice shiny smooth metal to get a great paint finish you should get a selection of medium to fine wire wheels for your drill, in various configurations ( cup, twist, flat disc, etc ) and strip the paint and any rust using those. they are not aggressive enough to cut into the metal, and will semi-polish as they go. you could also use a paint stripper first, to get the lions share off, then go in with the wire wheels/brushes, and finish off those hard to reach areas ( the rim/centre piece join ) with a wire brush/flexible blade ( whatever comes to hand ) to get all the debris off. The metal on those wheels is predominantly good and smooth, it will take a bit of time, but will be worth it. Use an air line with a blow gun attachment to get rid of all the dust etc, wipe over with thinners and blow them again, then spray prime immediately to prevent rusting.

The spare in the boot has not been touched by me, that's what all the wheels looked like when I got her, about 15 layers of silver paint on each one :(

Re: rostyle wheels

PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2018 10:30 am
by 1972nail
I agree Mitch, sand blasting can be coarse. My guy uses 'spent' media (fine used aluminium oxide) on surfaces that need to be reasonably smooth. It takes a bit longer but easier to prep for paint afterwards. I always use a high build primer on top of a rust preventing primer like Zinc 152 or Bonda Primer. Both can be thinned using paint thinners and sprayed or both can be bought in an aerosol.

Re: rostyle wheels

PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 5:18 am
by craig12
is the magnum rostyle the same size that was fitted to avenger tigers

Re: rostyle wheels

PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 11:25 am
by Johnboy HB
No, the Avenger has the same pcd as Ford's

Re: rostyle wheels

PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 12:56 pm
by 1972nail
The Magnum / Viva / Victor Rostyle is unique to Vauxhall. Some people have fitted Rostyle from MG Midgets but there are different MG Midget pressings and some of them are too small around the front hub. When tightened up they can split and not be noticed. Also Midget ones are 3/8" stud holes instead of 7/16" and they have a different offset which makes them look a tiny bit narrower.