Nubo
Well-known member
Who says muscle cars get to have all the fun?
Maybe I'm going through an adolescent phase, but I decided my LEAF would look good with white lettering on the tires. The Bridgestones don't get a lot of love. I say it's time to be proud and Rock those Eco tires :mrgreen:
When I looked for something to do this with, the product with the most favorable references seemed to be "Ranger Tire Paint" http://www.rangerpaint.com/. I suspect that their "breakthrough" comes in decanting rubberized white road paint into little cans, but whatever works....
The first attempt failed miserably and the paint began to flake after the first drive. They don't give much in the way of instructions other than to just wipe off the tire with a dry rag. But usually when paint fails that spectacularly it's a surface prep problem. I suspect some mold release compound was still on the tire or maybe some silicone product was applied at some point. So for the second attempt I scrubbed the lettering vigorously with a stiff nylon brush and a solution of water and Dawn dishwashing liquid, scrubbed vigorously again with clear water and dried the tires. I used denatured alcohol to keep the brush clean. Apropos, you shouldn't use petroleum-based products with this paint.
This iteration seems to be holding with no signs of cracks or flakes after a couple of high-speed runs. I'll try to remember to give an update after a few thousand miles.
The painting is a bit tedious, but the lettering does have raised ridges which makes it fairly easy to fill them in. Perfection is elusive, especially after three coats (and you do need three). Still I think it shows well.
They also have some colors available.
I think it really brightens up the appearance whereas before the wheel areas were sort of visual black holes. Even my wife thinks it looks good and she's not afraid to critique my nutty ideas. :lol:
Maybe I'm going through an adolescent phase, but I decided my LEAF would look good with white lettering on the tires. The Bridgestones don't get a lot of love. I say it's time to be proud and Rock those Eco tires :mrgreen:
When I looked for something to do this with, the product with the most favorable references seemed to be "Ranger Tire Paint" http://www.rangerpaint.com/. I suspect that their "breakthrough" comes in decanting rubberized white road paint into little cans, but whatever works....
The first attempt failed miserably and the paint began to flake after the first drive. They don't give much in the way of instructions other than to just wipe off the tire with a dry rag. But usually when paint fails that spectacularly it's a surface prep problem. I suspect some mold release compound was still on the tire or maybe some silicone product was applied at some point. So for the second attempt I scrubbed the lettering vigorously with a stiff nylon brush and a solution of water and Dawn dishwashing liquid, scrubbed vigorously again with clear water and dried the tires. I used denatured alcohol to keep the brush clean. Apropos, you shouldn't use petroleum-based products with this paint.
This iteration seems to be holding with no signs of cracks or flakes after a couple of high-speed runs. I'll try to remember to give an update after a few thousand miles.
The painting is a bit tedious, but the lettering does have raised ridges which makes it fairly easy to fill them in. Perfection is elusive, especially after three coats (and you do need three). Still I think it shows well.
They also have some colors available.
I think it really brightens up the appearance whereas before the wheel areas were sort of visual black holes. Even my wife thinks it looks good and she's not afraid to critique my nutty ideas. :lol:
