Author Topic: Powder Coat *real* Magnesium Wheels???  (Read 10218 times)

69Z28-RS

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Powder Coat *real* Magnesium Wheels???
« on: May 10, 2019, 01:09:18 PM »
I have a set of the 15x8.5 TA70 magnesium wheels which were ran on R.A.C.E. trans am camaro in the '69-73 time frame.  They haven't been used since the mid'70's.  (To my knowledge the last time they were used was on a '73 Camaro IMSA car during an IMSA GT race at Talledega; it was raining heavily and Bob ran them the whole race with rain tires (and came in 3rd)! 

Thewheels are good, no cracks/welds/etc, but the old paint is flaking off and the wheels are 'crusty' as magnesium gets.   There's a 'new' powder coating shop near me that told me they will clean them (by water/media blasting) and powder coat them in black or dark gray for $100 each.  It sounds like a great deal to me to make these wheels 'look new', but I'm unfamiliar with powder coating magnesium.   Do any of you older 'trans am' guys know?

Gary
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crossboss

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Re: Powder Coat *real* Magnesium Wheels???
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2019, 03:34:43 PM »
I have asked your question to some of my older Trans-Am experts. Hopefully they will chime in.
Just another T/A fanatic. Current lifelong projects:
1968 Olds 442 W-30
1969 Mustang Fastback w a Can-Am 494 (Boss 429)

crossboss

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Re: Powder Coat *real* Magnesium Wheels???
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2019, 04:19:32 PM »
I got your answers…and very quickly!

 "I powder coat all the time Magnesium wheels , and for me I think it's the best way to go.
after sand media blasting first a lay some powdercoating primer ,and after that the final color in powder coating."
« Last Edit: May 10, 2019, 04:50:53 PM by crossboss »
Just another T/A fanatic. Current lifelong projects:
1968 Olds 442 W-30
1969 Mustang Fastback w a Can-Am 494 (Boss 429)

crossboss

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Re: Powder Coat *real* Magnesium Wheels???
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2019, 04:49:37 PM »
More info from another:

"I agree that it's a good way to refinish and preserve them but:

-any cracks? might have them X-ray'd if they were truly in all out competition 45 years ago...
-powdercoater should know about outgassing issues of magnesium. wheel has to be pre-heated/baked to release...?something/nitrogen/whatever? gases.
-then powdercoat


any method that seals the magnesium from the elements is good.
If you P/C before perfroming the outgas process (pre-bake), it'l eventuually come out and ruing an otherwise good finish.

It costs MORE to abrasively strip powdercoating (vs paint) to correct an improperly done job."
Just another T/A fanatic. Current lifelong projects:
1968 Olds 442 W-30
1969 Mustang Fastback w a Can-Am 494 (Boss 429)

69Z28-RS

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Re: Powder Coat *real* Magnesium Wheels???
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2019, 07:47:29 PM »
Thanks for checking and replying Crossboss!  :)

I think that Talledega race was the most they ever were used, as Bob (Christiansen)  ran his rain tires on these six spokes, and ran the regular race tires on the 'lighter' 5-spokes (one of which was cracked)... He regularly X-rayed the 5-spokes when he was racing them.

I don't plan to do anything with these six spokes but 'cruise and be cool'... :).

Any idea what temperature they need to be pre-baked before the cleaning/powder coating?  I don't think this powder coater has ever done magnesium...

Gary
09C 69Z28-RS, 72 B 720 cowl console rosewood tint
69 Corvette, '60 Corvette, '72 Corvette
90 ZR1 red/red #246, 90 ZR1 white/gray #2466
72 El Camino, '55-'56-'57 Nomads, '55-'57 B/A Sedan

maroman

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Re: Powder Coat *real* Magnesium Wheels???
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2019, 08:22:29 PM »
Can we sneak a peek at what they look like now? How much does the Dow coating cost?
Doug  '67 RS/SS 396 auto I know the car since new

crossboss

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Re: Powder Coat *real* Magnesium Wheels???
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2019, 08:29:58 PM »
Thanks for checking and replying Crossboss!  :)

I think that Talledega race was the most they ever were used, as Bob (Christiansen)  ran his rain tires on these six spokes, and ran the regular race tires on the 'lighter' 5-spokes (one of which was cracked)... He regularly X-rayed the 5-spokes when he was racing them.

I don't plan to do anything with these six spokes but 'cruise and be cool'... :).

Any idea what temperature they need to be pre-baked before the cleaning/powder coating?  I don't think this powder coater has ever done magnesium...

Gary



Gary, glad to help! Concerning the 'pre-heat' I have no clue….That would be a question for an experienced powder coating guy that IS familiar with magnesium wheels, and how to proceed with the process.
-Scott aka 'crossboss'
Just another T/A fanatic. Current lifelong projects:
1968 Olds 442 W-30
1969 Mustang Fastback w a Can-Am 494 (Boss 429)

69Z28-RS

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Re: Powder Coat *real* Magnesium Wheels???
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2019, 01:27:32 PM »
Can we sneak a peek at what they look like now? How much does the Dow coating cost?

I assume you mean the 'as is' condition after a few years of use on the track and 40 yrs of storage in my garage? :)
Here they are now; photos are still 'warm' as I just photographed them!   One of them is 'cleaner' as I lightly sanded and sprayed some 'cast blast' on it a few years ago.   I had to greatly reduce the sizes of these images to allow posting within the standards.



09C 69Z28-RS, 72 B 720 cowl console rosewood tint
69 Corvette, '60 Corvette, '72 Corvette
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69Z28-RS

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Re: Powder Coat *real* Magnesium Wheels???
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2019, 01:31:53 PM »
Thanks for checking and replying Crossboss!  :)

I think that Talledega race was the most they ever were used, as Bob (Christiansen)  ran his rain tires on these six spokes, and ran the regular race tires on the 'lighter' 5-spokes (one of which was cracked)... He regularly X-rayed the 5-spokes when he was racing them.

I don't plan to do anything with these six spokes but 'cruise and be cool'... :).

Any idea what temperature they need to be pre-baked before the cleaning/powder coating?  I don't think this powder coater has ever done magnesium...

Gary



Gary, glad to help! Concerning the 'pre-heat' I have no clue….That would be a question for an experienced powder coating guy that IS familiar with magnesium wheels, and how to proceed with the process.
-Scott aka 'crossboss'

I would assume that baking at 250F or so would take care of the 'outgassing' required??   Magnesium can 'combust' at nearly 900F, but I assume that the powder coating oven wouldn't get anywhere near to that.   I've seen wheels GLOW red hot during heavy braking during road races... 
09C 69Z28-RS, 72 B 720 cowl console rosewood tint
69 Corvette, '60 Corvette, '72 Corvette
90 ZR1 red/red #246, 90 ZR1 white/gray #2466
72 El Camino, '55-'56-'57 Nomads, '55-'57 B/A Sedan

maroman

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Re: Powder Coat *real* Magnesium Wheels???
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2019, 03:25:45 PM »
Thanks Gary.
Doug  '67 RS/SS 396 auto I know the car since new

Trans Åm

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Re: Powder Coat *real* Magnesium Wheels???
« Reply #10 on: May 12, 2019, 03:07:59 PM »
Gary, I am a jealous jealous man. hahaha

I LOVE those wheels. Can't wait for you to get them mounted.



Did they ever make that style of rim in aluminum, or were they racing Mags only?
Nick

69Z28-RS

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Re: Powder Coat *real* Magnesium Wheels???
« Reply #11 on: May 13, 2019, 02:30:09 AM »
Gary, I am a jealous jealous man. hahaha

I LOVE those wheels. Can't wait for you to get them mounted.

Did they ever make that style of rim in aluminum, or were they racing Mags only?

I'd love to see how they looked on my Z28, but I doubt they really could be ran very much as I tried to run 15x8 Corvette wheels back in the '70's after buying my car, and they scrubbed pretty badly on the front, so I put back the original YH wheels.

I think the ARE AD70 wheels are pretty unique; I've seen a few sets in photos of the original Trans Am Racers (although much fewer than you see with Minilites), and I've seen the Univ of Pittsburgh (restored) TA racer which had them on it.  I have a photograph or two of them on that car.  I don't think they've ever been done in Aluminum, although I have no way of knowing for sure other than saying I've never seen any.

The "story" on the AD70 wheels were that they were a 'fix' for the ARE 5-spokes that were originally being ran on most of  the TA cars, but were having a spokes 'cracking' problem on several sixties TA cars.  ARE designed/built these wheels which are stronger (and heavier) but by the time they got them available for the racers, *most* of the racers had converted to Minilite wheels (another case of being a day late).   I weighed the 5-spoke ARE wheels and these 6-sopke wheels several years ago and posted the weights of each - should be in a old post.  I've never seen an equivalent 15x8 minilite weight but I doubt they are as heavy as the AD70's but might be a bit heavier than the 5-spoke AREs.
09C 69Z28-RS, 72 B 720 cowl console rosewood tint
69 Corvette, '60 Corvette, '72 Corvette
90 ZR1 red/red #246, 90 ZR1 white/gray #2466
72 El Camino, '55-'56-'57 Nomads, '55-'57 B/A Sedan

69Z28-RS

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Re: Powder Coat *real* Magnesium Wheels???
« Reply #12 on: May 13, 2019, 03:27:28 AM »
If you check out page 10 of the following link (posts 92 thry 98)     

http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=7924.0

You'll find an ARE ad for the TA70 wheels, and also photos of the Univ of Pittsburgh trans am camaro running these wheels...

09C 69Z28-RS, 72 B 720 cowl console rosewood tint
69 Corvette, '60 Corvette, '72 Corvette
90 ZR1 red/red #246, 90 ZR1 white/gray #2466
72 El Camino, '55-'56-'57 Nomads, '55-'57 B/A Sedan

ZLP955

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Re: Powder Coat *real* Magnesium Wheels???
« Reply #13 on: May 15, 2019, 11:48:07 AM »
Gary those wheels are a fantastic design, love 'em. Do you know the backspacing?
Tim in Australia.
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69Z28-RS

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Re: Powder Coat *real* Magnesium Wheels???
« Reply #14 on: May 15, 2019, 01:02:14 PM »
Gary those wheels are a fantastic design, love 'em. Do you know the backspacing?

4" backspacing on the TA70 six spokes...

I talked to the powder coater yesterday, and need to go see them and ovens/etc.  If I get them powder coated (or maybe just have them cleaned and baked and then Paint them?).. I'd like to run them occasionally to shows/etc on either my Z28 or my Corvette, but I'd need some 'racey looking/appearing', but still 'streetable' tires!   Does anyone have any suggestions for such a tire to run on a 15x8 wheel?  I suppose Good Year blue streaks don't qualify as 'steetable'.. :)
09C 69Z28-RS, 72 B 720 cowl console rosewood tint
69 Corvette, '60 Corvette, '72 Corvette
90 ZR1 red/red #246, 90 ZR1 white/gray #2466
72 El Camino, '55-'56-'57 Nomads, '55-'57 B/A Sedan

 

anything