I was fortunate enough at one time (no more) to have ready access to a blasting cabinet with glass beads. I bead-blasted four Corona wheels and painted 'em with three coats of the aluminum wheel paint from Eastwood Company. After they dried, I gave 'em two coats of Eastwood's clear coat.

Except for the eventual brake dust and road grime, they've stood up well for 6 years and look great. The single blemish is where the moron who balanced the wheels last year attached an adhesive weight to the outer lip instead of between the spokes. When he removed it, the paint came with it.

I also masked the center emblems of the small metal hubcaps and painted them at the same time. (These are the hubcaps I toss in the dishwasher every spring.)

If you're refinishing aluminum rims, be sure to blast and thoroughly paint the stem area (inside) and the bead areas. Aluminum tends to corrode around road salt, so a good paint coating over clean aluminum will prevent a LOT of slow leaks. The paint does a good job of filling the microscopic voids in the aluminum caused by pitting.
--
Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)