Refinsihing Cookie Cutters

[caproader]

Guys.

I am in the process of refinishing a set of 15x7 cookie cutters with black paint finish that I took off of a 75 911 I parted out. My intention is to refinish them to the silver finish used in 1973 so that I can put them on my 73 911.
However, now that I have chemically removed the paint, I notice a very rough surface finish from the casting process. Did all cookie cutters have this rough finish or only the ones painted black? Were the original silver cutters machined to a smooth finish or were they simply painted silver. I have never seen an original 73 cookie cutter up close so I need some information and advice. What are my options with these wheels if I am going for the 73 OEM look? Better question: What was the 73 oem finish?

Thanks

Caproader
73 S with Sporto

[admin_old]

Hmmm. Are you sure these aren't repro Fuchs wheels? The factory wheels are forged so there shouldn't be any signs of casting. Look on the back of a wheel and let us know what it says and shows.

Sherwood

[ttweed]

The "cookie cutter" rims were made by ATS and they were cast, not forged, so the surface finish is not as smooth as the Fuchs.

I don't think I've ever seen any "original silver finish" OEM cookies from 1973 (weren't they all 6" rims that year?), I have only seen black centers with a polished lip. If you're trying to paint them, they will probably need several coats of a hi-build epoxy primer with 180-grit sanding to smooth out the porosity before the final color coat. I would consider powder coating them, as the electrostatic coating does a good job of filling surface imperfections, and there is a wide range of colors available.

[admin_old]

Hi Tom,
Thanks for the correction. I overlooked "cookie cutters" and assumed "fuchs". I agree with your solution of powder coating them to fill in the casting porosity.

Sherwood

[caproader]

Guys,

[caproader]

Guys,

Thanks for the help and thoughts.

So far I am in the pre-design engineering and procrastination stage of setting up a committee to investigate the alternate possibilities- otherwise known as checking the budget to see if I have enough pictures of dead presidents to finance the operation. Your help gives me the idea that maybe I can do this myself.

Thanks

John, aka caproader

[ttweed]

Originally posted by caproader
Your help gives me the idea that maybe I can do this myself.

John-
Certainly, you can do it yourself, and you will have the satisfaction of accomplishing an improvement on your car with your own hands. But I sometimes cringe when I hear about the number of hours people have spent refinishing their wheels by hand. It can be quite labor-intensive. When I consider that a local shop here in SD will sandblast and powdercoat a wheel for $40, and I factor in the value of my time, it's a no-brainer for me.
YMMV,
TT