Gram lights 57D Luminous yellow fade help?

[Trini-Kouki]

not sure if im not supposed to post this here but here goes.


i recently got my hands on a set of 57D gram lights in the luminous yellow color.

http://naritadogfight.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/dsc2543.jpg?w=800&h=531


anyways, did alot of research on them, did searches here also but couldnt get the exact answer ive been looking for. I did as posts here and other sites said and clear coated them when i got them. i laid on 4 coats of clear coat. Put my tyres on and the car looks amazing, sorry, no pics of the actual car right now but its the stock pearl white color with the luminous yellow rims.


anyways, ive read that UV rays from the sun makes the color fade fast if its not clear coated. i clear coated them as said above but im still kinda paranoid on how fast they mean when they say "fades fast." My car parks at the side of my house, covered with a roof, no doors and stuff tho, so it still gets some sunlight, again, not direct, the roof covers it.


what i wanted to know, anyone got experience with these rims or colors types? if clear coated, how long do i have under my current conditions b4 fade becomes noticeable? i tried emailing rays to see if they can provide me with the color code for the rim but no reply. i live in Trinidad, Caribbean, so shipping is gonna be a bitch to send to rays in the USA to repaint.


i know these rims will fade but hey, wanna get some usage out of em lol only drive my car like 4 times a month but im just worried about my parking conditions and fading. any info will be welcomed also, does anyone have the color code for that particular paint?


thanks again, sorry for the long write up, i try to give as much info as i can.

[D.Adams]

Did you clear them with automotive clear out of a gun or can. I know PPG makes a clear that has a UV blocker in it. If anything invest in some wheel covers or just make some out of ply wood. A lot of rv owners out here in az cover there wheels with boards. Also I'm sure you can ca the manufacture and get paint or the code from them.

[Trini-Kouki]

i cleared them with automotive clear. sprayed it from a gun. not sure if it was UV protective tho :(

yea, i was thinking about the ply wood idea also. i will try to get in contact with RAYS to see if i can get the paint code from them. Also i just wanna know how quick the fade will happen. if it takes a year or so to start fading with the clear coat on, i mean hey, thats cool, i can live with that. if its 2 weeks then it fades tho, that sucks lol.


im thinking to invest in a car cover also, might help since birds like shitting on my car :P


anymore info will be welcomed and thnx for the reply D.Adams.

[lesfriskynipps]

Mine faded in a couple of weeks after leaving it under the sun by accident. No clear or anything. I'm also in texas (pretty sunny out here)

[DJZ]

I have those same exact wheels same color and every thing, and they are pretty much always in the sun and havnt faded enough for me to even notice, brake fluid even got on one of them and took the clear coat off and I never got around to re clearing it and it still looks the same as before. I wouldt worry about it. quit trippin they just wheels:hey:

[derek king]

They fade. Just re powder them every other year or something.

[zooopreme]

They fade. Just re powder them every other year or something.

Captain "restate the obvious" here.

He's trying to find out the color code.

One of his options for getting the color retouched is to ship to the US which is expensive which is why he's asking for the color code.

[Trini-Kouki]

so im guessing, once cleared. they hold up for about 8months to a year or so? niceee. Yea, i gotta quit trippin lol. i just love the color. i know rays can repaint them for me but due to my location, shipping will cost almost the same as the price of the rims lol. plus, i live in the caribbean, our sun is brutal lol everyday.

any more views will be much appreciated.


anyone here got the color code by chance?

[Trini-Kouki]

zoopreme. yea, i would love to have the color code but im also asking for experiences that people have had with the rims. basically, trying to figure out how long it takes to fade with my parking conditions. this way, ill know if i need to modify my parking which will be kinda hard at this time. if they take like a year or so to fade, then thats no biggie, the color code will still be nice to have tho, cause i love this color lol

[Trini-Kouki]

I have those same exact wheels same color and every thing, and they are pretty much always in the sun and havnt faded enough for me to even notice, brake fluid even got on one of them and took the clear coat off and I never got around to re clearing it and it still looks the same as before. I wouldt worry about it. quit trippin they just wheels:hey:



hey man, can you tell me how long you got ur rims on the car now?

[DJZ]

hey man, can you tell me how long you got ur rims on the car now?

well I had them on my car which is always parked out doors for about 5 months, then my tires blew about a month or so ago and they have been laying on my padio in the sun for about a month.

[Trini-Kouki]

ok kool. thanks for the quick replies. any more stories are welcomed. feeling a lil better now. first one in my country with these rims, and WOW, it really makes a statement i must say lol.

keep em coming guys, also, still in search of that color code.

[joshchewuhh]

i had them in that color, faded in a year looked like shit. I was talking to a powdercoater he said if you get them powdercoated it will not fade. I doubt clear will do anything.

[Trini-Kouki]

did the fading start in a year? or did it completely fade in a year? if it started fading b4 the year, when did it start?

again, i dont mind painting them every year. i mean after the second year, i might get fedup of the look, but right now, i love it. would love to get the color code. still no reply from rays.

[hOngsterr]

clear should work, unless you got the cheap clear and they diluted the shit out of it,

best tint and nieko actually knew how to keep their color i believe, im not sure if niekos is repainted though.

[joshchewuhh]

i noticed the fading in about a year. (my car is garaged) but ya once it starts it fades quick. I highly doubt rays will release that code. Honestly id get them powdercoated. I powdercoated mine white. maybe ill go back to the yellow who knows. They have powdercoat in fluorescent yellow.

[nieko]

Mine faded in about a year. I parked outside A LOT.

Tey look like asshole now.

I am getting them powdercoated soon.

[ixfxi]

if you cleared them you should be okay, relax


by then, you'll be over running yellow wheels anyway

[derek king]

Captain "go fuck yourself" here.
Captain "restate the obvious" here.

He's trying to find out the color code.

One of his options for getting the color retouched is to ship to the US which is expensive which is why he's asking for the color code.

"what i wanted to know, anyone got experience with these rims or colors types? if clear coated, how long do i have under my current conditions b4 fade becomes noticeable?"

For one. The factory paint/coating on the luminous grams is terrible and chips and flakes if you look at it too hard. We have re powder coated our own and they withstand abuse much better without chipping or flaking and we are still having no issues with fading after a season.

Best bet is take the wheel to a place that does powder coating. They can match it very closely.

[zooopreme]

Captain "go fuck yourself" here.


And your initial answer answered his question? Right...?

They fade. Just re powder them every other year or something.

No fucking shit, Sherlock. He knows that already. It's right here:

anyways, ive read that UV rays from the sun makes the color fade fast if its not clear coated. i clear coated them as said above but im still kinda paranoid on how fast they mean when they say "fades fast." My car parks at the side of my house, covered with a roof, no doors and stuff tho, so it still gets some sunlight, again, not direct, the roof covers it.

Which brings me back here:

any info will be welcomed also, does anyone have the color code for that particular paint?

So why get your panties in a bunch when you didn't help him from the start & then provide an answer that others gave to him before you?

[ixfxi]

funny... no one here cares to mention the possibility of weakening the wheel during the powdercoat process


ive gone through sets of wheels that have not had problems, but have also seen (first hand) wheels get weakened after being coated. a complete set of r33 gtr wheels all had stress cracks on the spokes after only mild driving. odd.

since then, its paint for me. and i can appreciate the OP's reason for wanting to keep them in good condition.

[Trinidrift3]

paint or powdercoat them

bonus is you can make them whatever color or finish you want. more unique to have your own finished gramlights, then refinishing them the original color.
powercoat is durable as hell, but you chance weakening the wheels
paint will chip over time and will need to be resprayed, but you do not chance weakening the wheels

and :love: from a trini

[derek king]

And your initial answer answered his question? Right...?



No fucking shit, Sherlock. He knows that already. It's right here:



Which brings me back here:



So why get your panties in a bunch when you didn't help him from the start & then provide an answer that others gave to him before you?

Nobody cares that you just won the internet.

funny... no one here cares to mention the possibility of weakening the wheel during the powdercoat process


ive gone through sets of wheels that have not had problems, but have also seen (first hand) wheels get weakened after being coated. a complete set of r33 gtr wheels all had stress cracks on the spokes after only mild driving. odd.

since then, its paint for me. and i can appreciate the OP's reason for wanting to keep them in good condition.

None of mine are having any issues and I jump my car and curb bash it. Hows that for insite soopreme???

BOOOOM

[Trini-Kouki]

thanks alot for the info guys. feeling alot better lol.

i realize the paint really is badly done, but rays said that on their website basically lol. was installing some bonnet struts today, spanner fell, just tapped the rim, piece of paint came off lmao. no biggie tho.


i rather the paint than powder coat. i guess ill hit up a paint shop tomorrow and see if i can get it matched. who knows, maybe i might get fedup of the luminous yellow even b4 it fades, but for now, i love them. If i still like em when it fades, ill have the color matched and ill just spray em over in the same color. If not, im going TEAL or just plain white lol.


only prob im having now with these rims, when i wash them, brakes get wet, keeps dripping on the inside of the rim and that way, THEY NEVER STAY CLEAN hahahah. no biggie.


saved and paid alot to get these rims, so i really wanna keep them in good condition. also, the green flows really nice with my white car. in trinidad, we pay 30% taxes on all car parts lol, plus, shipping is a bitch. so it costs alot for me lol


thanks again for the replies. i still welcome any more information on the topic. thanks. :D

[eighty-six]

i never knew how they look faded and then i found these pics :bite:

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSeWX7F_nY6HXJ53E0LAcCqIFF5MyYZX eXBfNOW8R47lZQH4EMtoQ

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSuHLCixHyicgE3F9lEf7LPh_hAy_2mo s-nkNn63lNKA0f2bQXi

[DJZ]

The bright color gets boring after a while, if somehow mine ever fade (which I doubt will be any time soon) I plan to just paint them white

[Te37]

LMK when you get that color code, ive been trying for a while now but Rays wont tell me. :nono:

[bc.]

only the luminous have fading issues right? i just ordered some white 57Ds and don't want any problems...

[Trini-Kouki]

i think the pink is the same, cant confirm for the orange.


UPDATE.


got a reply from rays today. They basically told me in a short email reply, "NO, we cant give you the color code." LMAO.

they also said, while the rim is still fairly new, just go to my local paint/body shop and get them to match the color as close as possible. no other details in the email.


i can quote the email if anyone wants.


spoke to my painter and he said that he put down 5 coats of clear on it for me when i gave him it to clear. hope thats enough. need to get time to hit the painter up to see if he can match the color. ill just keep the code, if i can, ill get him to paint something and ill take pics and post code for anyone that needs it, if its a close enough match that is.


i got some info in the paint thread that even if the color is matched, i need a white base coat, then the color then the clear to get it to POP like how RAYS does it. can anyone confirm?

To the guy that said the bright colors will get boring, yea, i think it might also but i always loved to add bright colors to my rides. even when everyone was behind this black on black look.


I have a final look for my car and it involves these rims in this color, dont have much cash to get the other stuff to complete the look right now so i wanna keep them in the color in great condition without fade or even self, get the code to paint em back when i get the other parts.


thank again for the replies. im guessing, without the clear, mofos fade pretty quick, with the clear, i got about a year or so to play with. hmmm

[ixfxi]

it will not fade with the clear

good clear has UV inhibitors that prevents the base from fading

[Trini-Kouki]

nice. hope i got good clear :S lol

[rebornS14]

its noted in the RAYS catalog,

"Luminous colors are susceptible to degradation by ultraviolet light and may fade or discolor after six to twelve months of exposure to road conditions.
Before purchase, please be aware that RAYS cannot be held responsible for the fading or discoloration of fluorescent coatings."

the RAYS distributer in the U.S. recommends putting on a UV clearcoat if you want to keep them from fading. i had a body shop spray clearcoat on my first set and they had no fading issues parked outside in the sun for about a good year.

also... ive seen a set displayed at a shop for about a good year and one of the wheels that gets sunlight is faded compared to the ones that dont get any sunlight.

[Trini-Kouki]

aight man, thnx for the info. hope my clear was UV protected

[KiLLeR2001]

Powdercoating forged aluminum wheels is a big no-no. I was considering powdercoating my LMGT4s but upon further review I've decided to paint them.

[LEXUS SC300]

yeah, you need a powder coated clear coat not from a rattle can. you can powder coat aluminum just need to find some one that knows how.