Help me decide (keep em' chrome, or paint 'em)??
#1
Help me decide (keep em' chrome, or paint 'em)??
Ok, I'm trying to decide if I should keep my wheels chrome, or have them painted. Below is what I presently have (Chrome) and what I would like. But I'd like to see what you guys think.
Also I'm hearing some dangerous things about powder coating rims. So I'm debating whether I'll paint them or just keep em chrome. Please post any input you have on chrome vs painting (especially durability in salt), your age, and which you prefer better.
PS: The car you see in the second picture belongs to a forum member so I didn't want to totally use it without his permission which is why I cut out the majority of his car.
![](http://cjlela.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pgTZKV0YFjx--tvyzgsUyrhPl20UzatT82-laTg6vDcejYoRnYTGdfrGt1IyQPflKpd3f9VsI4LZUDpbQoT3P5jlTE9Fjt87X/sig3.gif)
![](http://cjlela.blu.livefilestore.com/y1p-P7sisVEL-xjyu14UBja1mt9v6iuxPY6H8coTCiobJX1JLY4mf3XdcRVrgBI2DXuP2lNyLZRdGQ5NN9drK654IaVkubPRv6m/sig1.gif)
Also I'm hearing some dangerous things about powder coating rims. So I'm debating whether I'll paint them or just keep em chrome. Please post any input you have on chrome vs painting (especially durability in salt), your age, and which you prefer better.
PS: The car you see in the second picture belongs to a forum member so I didn't want to totally use it without his permission which is why I cut out the majority of his car.
![](http://cjlela.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pgTZKV0YFjx--tvyzgsUyrhPl20UzatT82-laTg6vDcejYoRnYTGdfrGt1IyQPflKpd3f9VsI4LZUDpbQoT3P5jlTE9Fjt87X/sig3.gif)
![](http://cjlela.blu.livefilestore.com/y1p-P7sisVEL-xjyu14UBja1mt9v6iuxPY6H8coTCiobJX1JLY4mf3XdcRVrgBI2DXuP2lNyLZRdGQ5NN9drK654IaVkubPRv6m/sig1.gif)
#2
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2016 E550 Cab & 2011 GL 550 & 09 VROD Muscle & 06 Seadoo Speedster LE .......
the second car is what u r looking up to he is running this forum and it looks sick....on ur car Chrome looks OK factory colour will look 100 times better...but then u will also be taking partials ideas from him.... and second thing Painting or powder coating Chrome doesent hold well u will have to get them down to bare nickel if u want the paint to last........ Colour matched Looks Much better than full face chrome... on WHITE...
#3
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2016 E550 Cab & 2011 GL 550 & 09 VROD Muscle & 06 Seadoo Speedster LE .......
u also took the pick at the dealer without his permission and then posted it without his permission...thats a No No.. but i guess no harm if u r just researching...
#4
Actually Nooooo....
Not sure what you mean by color match. When I say get the wheels white, of course I mean match the color of my CLS. Not sure if that's what you meant or not.
Secondly, K was one of the first people I met on the MB and AD forums. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. But I didn't bother asking. Also I'm not worried about my wheels biting of his because his car has way more work done. I'm not trying to do all that. I just want my wheels lookin' right. And noooo I didn't take a picture of his car at the dealership. That was the picture of his car I used that I found online because it showed the wheels a little better and got my point across. Stop thinking so hard about this man, it was simple question. To white lip or not to white lip. That is thee questiooooon.
Secondly, K was one of the first people I met on the MB and AD forums. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. But I didn't bother asking. Also I'm not worried about my wheels biting of his because his car has way more work done. I'm not trying to do all that. I just want my wheels lookin' right. And noooo I didn't take a picture of his car at the dealership. That was the picture of his car I used that I found online because it showed the wheels a little better and got my point across. Stop thinking so hard about this man, it was simple question. To white lip or not to white lip. That is thee questiooooon.
#5
The rims you have on might look better painted or machine brush. I'm never a fan of chrome. You have a closer shot of your rim to make a better assessment. I'm 35. Since your wheels are chrome, it might be problematic to get them painted etc...without long term affect. Better off to but another set and keep these since you seem to like them.
#6
I didn't get much input but I went ahead and dropped the wheels off today to get painted (face black, lip color matched to the car).
I'm not fan of chrome wheels on certain color cars either (white being one of them) which is why I wanted to change them up. It just so happened I bought the car with the wheels on them.
Thanks for your input. I know paint won't hold up like powder coating. But the shop does this every day and is fully aware that the rims need to be stripped down before hand, not just painted over (in case that's what you were thinking).
I'll post pics when it's done.
I'm not fan of chrome wheels on certain color cars either (white being one of them) which is why I wanted to change them up. It just so happened I bought the car with the wheels on them.
Thanks for your input. I know paint won't hold up like powder coating. But the shop does this every day and is fully aware that the rims need to be stripped down before hand, not just painted over (in case that's what you were thinking).
I'll post pics when it's done.
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#8
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2006 CLS500, 21" Interad Turismo Wheels, Renntech Lowering Module
The look of the wheels intself from the second car are great because the wheels are actually nice. Those wheels are a hell of a lot better looking than yours, no offense, but even after paint, I don't think your going to get the look your expecting.
I wouldn't spend the money painting them if i were you. I'd just get some better looking wheels with the colour combo your after.
I wouldn't spend the money painting them if i were you. I'd just get some better looking wheels with the colour combo your after.
#9
BakerBenz: Thanks, I'm convinced they'll look great too I just wanted to see with what the other Benz lovers thought. It's funny I've found MBworld to be unhelpful feels more like a bunch of crabs in a barrel. I'll def post pics.
3FIFTY: (speaking of crabs in a barrel). LoL. I appreciate your input. My wheels are MHT forged 3 piece wheels. Not that I care for me it's about what looks good. The wheels with the painted white lip are almost identical to mine. So what are you talking about? We both of a huge rear lip and a smaller front lip, both are 5 star the only real easy to notice difference is the color. So I'll take your criticism of my existing wheels to mean you do like the black/white combo vs chrome look.
PS: You don't seem to know too much about wheels. Find me a set of 3 piece quality staggered wheels with huge lip in rear that come already black face with white lip. Nearly all the wheels you see like the nice ones above have been painted or powder coated. So when you say I'm not going to get the look I'm going for, I'll take that to mean you don't know what you're talking about. If you do find wheels that come pre done, how do you think they got the lip white and the face black? They powder coated or painted it. I do intend to get the look I'm going for as I didn't take it to someone's basement to get it done, I paid a professional company that does this for a living. If you ask "K" he'll probably tell you his wheels are powder coated or painted.
3FIFTY: (speaking of crabs in a barrel). LoL. I appreciate your input. My wheels are MHT forged 3 piece wheels. Not that I care for me it's about what looks good. The wheels with the painted white lip are almost identical to mine. So what are you talking about? We both of a huge rear lip and a smaller front lip, both are 5 star the only real easy to notice difference is the color. So I'll take your criticism of my existing wheels to mean you do like the black/white combo vs chrome look.
![Smilie](https://mbworld.org/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif)
#10
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2006 CLS500, 21" Interad Turismo Wheels, Renntech Lowering Module
3FIFTY: (speaking of crabs in a barrel). LoL. I appreciate your input. My wheels are MHT forged 3 piece wheels. Not that I care for me it's about what looks good. The wheels with the painted white lip are almost identical to mine. So what are you talking about? We both of a huge rear lip and a smaller front lip, both are 5 star the only real easy to notice difference is the color. So I'll take your criticism of my existing wheels to mean you do like the black/white combo vs chrome look.
![Smilie](https://mbworld.org/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif)
In MY personal opinion, those wheels dont work with this car. My comment wasn't geared towards quality or how it was going to be painted/powder coated. I thought perhaps you werent too crazy about the wheels to begin with, and why you were asking to have them painted/powder coated. So what I was getting at was that if you didn't like your wheels to begin with, painting them to match that other style wheel wouldn't work because your still looking at the same wheel. I think a coloured wheel can sometimes make the difference on something that your not happy with, but if it's the wrong wheel to begin with it doesn't matter what colour, offset, size, it is, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work.
So yes i'm down with that colour, but in my opinion I think your style wheel is wrong, that's it.