What Color for Mangusta Wheels

Argent Silver.

The best way to find the color is to use a wheel with existing paint if you have one. Go to an auto paint store and have them take a picture and check it on their computer. That will give you a 99% match.

If not, Thunderbird Silver is very bright and reflective. It is an old color that works well on the wheels.

Argent Silver is simply a name that many companies use, you will find many colors called that, all different.

Thunderbird Silver is a neutral color that will go well with any car color.

After painting coat the wheels with acrylic to make them durable or use a paint formulation that is anti-chip.

Dick Ruzzin

The closest I found was Ford argent silver (J,1G), then I cleared with caliper clearcoat.

Bob, magnesium Mangusta wheels need protective paint, but late factory 'Goose Campys were aluminum look-alikes. They can simply be glass-beaded & left unpainted.

Thanks for the info. They are early mag wheels, but have been painted at least 3 times. I see a silver, then gold, then a blue silver (Hall Pantera color). Never had any trouble with leaks. I was just going to have the body shop strip, sand and fill them and then paint them to match the car or use one of the colors recommended here on the Forum. Thanks again...

Found that my wheels looked hand cast so I was careful when I finished them that I maintained the "Hand made' look. I did a lot of finishing on them, correcting major flaws bit I kept the look which is special. I have avoided finishing everything on the ca, keeping the look of hand welds, etc.

You can also use silicon seal around the valves when they are installed.

Good luck, go slow and enjoy the restoration process, you will feel better about the car when finished.

DICK RUZZIN

Dick Ruzzin

> Here is info on process to refinish magnesium wheels. Only surprising thing with yours is I did not notice if they were porous on the inboard side!

Stolen from a post on Fchat

++++++++++++++++++

>
>
> >
> I am in the process as we speak of refinishing a set of vintage magnesium Cromodoras, albeit not for a Dino.
>
> Here's what I am doing, and have done for several similar magnesium wheel sets in years past, with outstanding long term results:
>
> 1) Get wheels down to bare metal, I prefer soda blasting.
>
> 2) Immediately (and I mean within hours) treat the bare mag wheel with a metal stabilizer. I used to use Magna-Dyne for this as it was magnesium-specific, but it's been discontinued. Next best substitute that I could find and have used for this recent wheel set is Pre-Kote.
>
> 3) Multiple light aerosol rattle can coats of a yellow zinc chromate primer, one light coat per day to allow for ample drying time. MUST be zinc chromate, accept no substitutes. Aircraft Spruce sells both the Pre-Kote and the zinc chromate primer, both are easy to find and inexpensive.
>
> 4) Finish coat to suit. I use Eastwood silver enamel wheel paints.
>
> I've been doing this work for -years- and have had -NO- problems with corrosion beneath the paint or any similar long term deterioration / stability issues.
>
> While you do need to follow specific steps, refinishing magnesium wheels is an easy DIY project.
>
>
>
> ****Mag wheels can be very porus at the rim but the porosity can be sealed with PPG Deltron DPLF Epoxy primer DP401LF and DP402LF. The preferred paint selection info was given to me by the local helicopter service shop.
> ****
>
> SURFACE TREATMENT FOR MAGNESIUM AND ALUMINUM
>
> 1. Remove all WD40, etc., with lacquer thinner.
> 2. Apply paint remover, let soak, and remove with plastic scrapers.
> 3. Rinse thoroughly.
> 4. Wear rubber gloves.
> 5. Mix Alumiprep 33 (1 part Alumiprep to 5 parts water for light oxidation, I part Alumiprep to 2 to 3 parts water for heavy oxidation).
> 6. Brush the Alumiprep solution on the magnesium or aluminum item, scrubbing oxidized parts with synthetic abrasive. DO NOT ALLOW TO DRY.
> 7. Rinse thoroughly until water sheets and does not bead.
> 8. While surface still wet, apply Alodine 1201 with a brush. DO NOT ALLOW TO DRY. About 2 to 5 minutes treatment time. Surface should turn gold.
> 9. Rinse thoroughly with cold water until water sheets and does not bead.
> 10. Follow with a warm water rinse (not over 140O F).
> 11. Let dry for 24 hours. Handle carefully at this stage.
> 12. Paint when dry.
> Note: Small aluminum parts can be dipped in Alodine + 2 parts water for treatment

quote:

Mix Alumiprep 33 (1 part Alumiprep to 5 parts water for light oxidation, I part Alumiprep to 2 to 3 parts water for heavy oxidation).

I have two Pantera magnesium wheels that were stripped several years ago but not sealed or painted so they are heavily oxidized. Will this treatment remove this kind of heavy oxidation? I'd really like to salvage them. Thanks.

I used a BMW metallic silver powder coating when I had mine done. Shop did have to seal the rims and fix a few pock marks too! Rears were really bad IIRC. Some of the original paint might appear to be just grey. Others seem to be slightly metallic.... I went with the metallic to subtly bling them up a bit! It goes well with the original metallic body color also.

Keep in mind that blasting the magnesium wheels can induce "work hardening" into the wheels, and just being 40 years old doesn't help either.

Any wheels being shot blasted and powdercoated should be annealed before returning to service. This means cooling them down overnight in the oven without introducing them to room temp until they are way down in the temp range! Cooling them down too fast will reintroduce stress into the metal! (Does not apply to aluminum rims!)

In fact any magnesium wheel 40 years old should be annealed......if you plan on driving the car! At least that is what I hear is recommended......ask any aircraft maintenance guy worth his salt!

Steve

Thanks for all your help. This project has been more work and cost than I expected. The last coat of epoxy primer when on today. So they should be back in body shop for final prep by the end of the week. Still have not decided on a color. I will first try Eastwood's metallic silver, then ford 1G Metallic Silver. If those do not work I will take a look at BMW Titanium Silver. Here is a picture after they were first etch primed and were on there way to the body shop for plastic filler.

Bob, just for fun can you weigh and measure your wheels.

Yours being an early car I would assume 7 and 7 1/2 rims all in magnesium. My stats are as follow

7 in aluminium 18.6lbs
7 1/2 magnesium 13.4lbs
8 in aluminium
8 in, magnesium 13.8lbs

Bob,

I went with a BMW silver metallic, in powder coating...

The stock color may have been Argent...which probably was a flat color. I liked the little bling that the very fine flake provides in the BMW silver.

Steve

It seems I learn something new about this car every day. This is the first time I have had the tires off the car and never have weighed or measured them. Fronts are 8" at 13 lb 4 oz and rears are 9" at 13 lb 8oz. Thanks for asking.

So it looks like my wheels are 7" and 8".

Steve,

There are several BMW silvers - non of them named BMW metallic silver. A silver that BMW has used for years is # Code 354 BMW Titan Silver Metallic/Titanium Silver Metallic/Titansilber Metallic.

Could this be your color?

Bob,

Sorry, can't give you the exact name....! It is what turned up in the powder coat color chart.

Here is one of the only handy shots I have of a wheel....I can see also that it's a little dirty..... Let me know if you would need a better shot and I will dust off the camera later today!

Steve

It looks like it could be the BMW color I was considering. I will give it a try.

Thanks Steve