Rob 2010 Report post Posted February 22, 2014 (edited) Hello all, I am new to this forum but Wanted to share something with you that I just did to my 2010 Ford fusion Hybrid. I have been contemplating buying new aftermarket rims to replace the stock 17 inch silver rims my hybrid came with. I found some I liked but instead I opted to experiment to try and save some money first. I ordered a product called Plasti dip in flat black and then i ordered the glossifer as well. I removed my wheels 2 at a time and put that side of the car on jack stands. I thoroughly cleaned the rims with soap and water, then drive them really well. The temperature was 30F outside so I painted in my little shed with an infrared heater. I wore a re-breather mask too haha even with a window cracked to vent the air out. Never using this product before it took some time to get used to but it was pretty easy as it is very forgiving. I sprayed on 2 light coats , 2 medium coaots and 2 heavier coats. I used the infrared heater to quicken the drying time by holding it front of the rim, when the color went from gloss to flat then I knew it was dry (tacky) and ready for another coat. Getting in between all those spokes was a major PITA at first but once I got used to it, it still stunk just not as much haha. After 6 coats of black the rims were looking nice, I then began spraying on coats of the glossifier, 3 in total, it is much thinner and spray on very nicely. The thing I noticed is as you use more glossifier the rims become more shiny but it also turned them into a deeper gray. I then remounted the rims inserted the center caps (which I also sprayed and then just cut out the ford emblem. Here is what I left out. Plasti dip is a rubberized coating that can be applied to basically anything that does not get hot. It does dry but it still feels kinda rubbery. The best part about it is if you do not like what you have done or want a change or it started to peel, IT CAN BE REMOVED. It pulls off like a thin stretchy rubbery layer. (google images of people peeling it, they paint their entire cars in it. ) My advice is to do it in warm weather so you don't have to use a heater to cure the stuff on.. I am impatient haha. I used 3 cans of black and 1.5 cans of gloss Here are the Pictures: What wheel looked like originally 1st light coat 2nd coat 3rd coat 6th coat 3 coats of glossifer added peeling it off my tires final look on car with newly addded 18% tint closer look[ Edited February 22, 2014 by Rob 2010 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hybridbear Report post Posted February 22, 2014 Looks nice. Thanks for sharing the info about the process! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rob 2010 Report post Posted February 22, 2014 no problem, any questions feel free to ask. I like the aftermarket look a lot, always have with every vehicle i have owned, just didn't feel like buying a new set of rims right now Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
acdii Report post Posted March 1, 2014 I am trying to find a replacement Flex, and keep finding one without the appearance package which has the black rims. If I cant find one that has them, there is always this option, though its mainly the wheel design that I liked the most. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeffbarko Report post Posted March 2, 2014 If you had opted for a non gloss finish would you have done more coats of black?I'm considering plasti dipping mine matte, but don't know if I should get the 6pak on amazon or not. Also, did you use a spray tool for the can, like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002EQEE82/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DERI'm assuming taking the rims off is the best option, as mine are almost the same on the 13'. Doesn't seem easy to wrap/remove the brakes with a plastic bag considering the small spoke gaps we have. Thank you for this posting btw, very helpful. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rob 2010 Report post Posted March 2, 2014 Nope. 5 to 6 coats of black is enough. You could do more if you wanted. It is recommended for 5 to 6 though. I wish I had one of those handles.. My index finger was killing by the end and for 2 days after as well as the underside of my forearm. So far it is holding up well and looks great still. I'm hoping it will last the summer, it will peel when i get new tires put on sadly. At that point if i am sold on keeping em black I might paint them. For 4 wheels under 20 inches. 4 cans is lots. Nothing wrong with 6 cans though. Just incase.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rob 2010 Report post Posted March 2, 2014 If you have the same rims as I do i highly recommend focusing on the inner spokes first.. It takes some time to get them covered nicely without runs. The only thing I wish was there were less spokes or bigger gaps haha. My biggest thing was being able to change the color if i wanted. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
