Whether you’ve got a few niggly scuffs or you’re simply trying to upgrade your ride, giving your wheels a lick of paint is an excellent idea. Available in black, silver and other colours, it'll make a huge difference to the overall appearance and have it popping as fresh as if you’ve picked up new alloys, only without the wallet-bruising price tag.
Not only will a wheel paint spray help to create a new look, but the best paints can also help protect your rims from scratches, high-temperatures and corrosion from the weather. Plus, they can often be used on other automotive parts too. Unsure where to start? Read on for our buying tips and recommendations from trusted sites like Halfords, Amazon and eBay.
While all paints have the same purpose, there are a few things worth considering before you dive in and buy any old can of spray. In this section, we’ll look at the types of finish, why you’ll need to protect your paint (and how to do so) and the volume required.
When it comes to the finish of wheel paints there are three options: glossy, semi-matte (or metallic) and matte. Generally, most factory-painted cars leave the showroom with a gloss finish, hence why they look so shiny.
If you’re looking to refresh the whole look of the alloys, then you have the choice of any finish. This is one of those cases where one isn't any better than the next; it's purely an aesthetic choice and completely up to you which you go for.
However, if you’re touching up some scratches or other damage on the wheels, you’ll want to match the finish to the existing one as even a slight difference can be noticeable. Luckily, most paint companies provide finishes in tune with what car manufacturers produce, so you can choose accordingly.
The next feature to consider is whether the paint comes with any additional protection qualities. After all, the wheels of the vehicle are the closest to the ground and therefore the most likely to pick up nicks and scratches. To protect from this, look for scratch-resistant or scratchproof paint.
You can also keep an eye out for other forms of weather shielding, such as rain-resistance and protection against high intermittent temperatures that occur when driving. Unfortunately, though, these are less common.
If your choice of paint doesn’t come with any protection, it’s not the end of the world. You can apply another coat of clear lacquered paint once you’ve finished, which will not only increase the safety of the job but also mean polishing and cleaning are no longer required. With this in mind, it could be worth applying anyway!
Finally, you’ll want to check the volume of the can. Of course, this will vary whether you’re shopping for the paint to cover the whole alloy or to fix up a few scrapes.
If you’re looking to give the whole set a new, crisp look, then in general, you will require around 400 ml per alloy. Most spray cans come in a 400-500 ml can, so you’ll require one for each wheel you plan on coating. Multipacks or bulk buys are a great shout here if you want to do all four.
On the other hand, the smaller fix-up kits, usually in volumes of around 30 ml, should be enough to cover most minor scratches and dings. That said, if you’ve had a particularly rough or deep one, you might want to get a couple, just to be sure.
Now that you’ve thought about the best finish, whether you’d prefer included protections and the amount of spray paint you’ll need, let’s take a look at our recommendations.
£14.50
Finish | Semi-matte |
---|---|
Colour | Silver |
Protective Qualities | Scratch-resistant |
Volume | 500 ml |
£9.99
Finish | Gloss |
---|---|
Colour | Grey (primer) |
Protective Qualities | Heat-resistant |
Volume | 400 ml |
Pack of 5
£19.99
Finish | Semi-matte |
---|---|
Colour | Silver (others available) |
Protective Qualities | No |
Volume | 12 ml |
£5.39
Finish | Matte |
---|---|
Colour | Black (others available) |
Protective Qualities | No |
Volume | 400 ml |
£19.99
Finish | Gloss |
---|---|
Colour | Silver |
Protective Qualities | Scratch-resistant |
Volume | 400 ml |
£11.99
Finish | Semi-matte |
---|---|
Colour | Black, grey, dark grey, silver |
Protective Qualities | No |
Volume | 400 ml |
£7.99
Finish | Matte |
---|---|
Colour | Silver (others available) |
Protective Qualities | Weather-resistant, scratch-resistant |
Volume | 500 ml |
£7.49
Finish | Gloss |
---|---|
Colour | Black |
Protective Qualities | No |
Volume | 30 ml |
£26.49
Finish | Semi-matte |
---|---|
Colour | Silver (others available) |
Protective Qualities | Scratch-resistant, flake-resistant |
Volume | 400 ml paint, 400 ml lacquer |
£6.39
Finish | Gloss |
---|---|
Colour | Black (others avaiable) |
Protective Qualities | Weather-resistant, scratch-resistant |
Volume | 500 ml |
Image | 1 ![]() Autotek | 2 ![]() E-Tech | 3 ![]() M.A.D | 4 ![]() Halfords | 5 ![]() E-Tech | 6 ![]() Jenolite | 7 ![]() Hycote | 8 ![]() E-Tech | 9 ![]() E-Tech | 10 ![]() Simoniz |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Wheel Spray Paint | Complete Alloy Wheel Refurbishment Repair Kit | Gloss Black Alloy Wheel Touch-Up Kit | Silver Spray Paint | Aerosol Spray Alloy Wheel Refurbish | Alloy Wheel Paint | Aerosol Spray Paint | Silver Touch-Up Stick | Technik Self-Etch Primer Paint | Wheel Spray Paint |
Features | Hugely Popular Wheel Paint for a Durable, Professional Finish | A Complete DIY Refurb Kit for a Snip | A Handy Bottle for Robust Repairs | Compatible With All Forms of Automotive Paint Finishes | An Adjustable Nozzle Makes This Spray Easy To Apply | Acrylic-Based Aluminium Paint for Restoring Your Alloys | Excellent Adhesion on a Modest Budget | Brush On Wheel Paint for Travelling the Rough Roads With Confidence | An Advanced Primer Paint for the Aluminium Alloy Crowd | Get Back on the Road in No Time |
Price | £6.39 | £26.49 | £7.49 | £7.99 | £11.99 | £19.99 | £5.39 | £19.99 | £9.99 | £14.50 |
Finish | Gloss | Semi-matte | Gloss | Matte | Semi-matte | Gloss | Matte | Semi-matte | Gloss | Semi-matte |
Colour | Black (others avaiable) | Silver (others available) | Black | Silver (others available) | Black, grey, dark grey, silver | Silver | Black (others available) | Silver (others available) | Grey (primer) | Silver |
Protective Qualities | Weather-resistant, scratch-resistant | Scratch-resistant, flake-resistant | No | Weather-resistant, scratch-resistant | No | Scratch-resistant | No | No | Heat-resistant | Scratch-resistant |
Volume | 500 ml | 400 ml paint, 400 ml lacquer | 30 ml | 500 ml | 400 ml | 400 ml | 400 ml | 12 ml | 400 ml | 500 ml |
Link |
While you're sprucing up your alloys, why not consider what else you can do to upgrade your ride? We've collected recommendations for speakers and steering wheel covers below, as well as the best socket sets for all you weekend tinkerers.
While the world of wheel paint might be small, being prepared and knowing what you need can save you a lot of time and hassle. We hope that our buying guide and recommendations are going to do just that. After you've chosen, it's all about getting it applied and bringing some sophistication and style back to your car.
Author: Lewis Clark
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