HowTo ·Oct 22, 2025

The Ultimate DIY: Spray Painting Your Ford Transit Steelies

On today's edition of AVC Chronicles, we're not just customizing our vans—we're customizing the ride itself! We're diving into a fun, low-cost DIY project: spray painting steel wheels for our Ford Transit.

We’ve seen the results on both spray-painted and powder-coated wheels, and the durability of a properly prepped, quality spray paint job is surprisingly resilient. This is the perfect opportunity to take those beat-up old steelies and give them some lipstick!

We’re experimenting with four different looks:

Pure White (Rally Inspired)
Flat Soft Iron (Matte Dark Silver)
Intense Shimmer Purple Glitter (The Wildcard)
Baja Blast (Two-tone Seaside & Ocean Mist Gloss)

Let's get to work!

Step 1: Prep is Everything (Clean, Scuff, Dry)

With any paint job, your success lives or dies by the preparation. Don't rush these steps!

1. Clean and Degrease

First, blast off the initial dirt and grime with a pressure washer (or a hose and brush). Next, it’s time for the deep clean. We tried two methods to see if a specialty product made a difference:

Simple Green: A household favorite, biodegradable degreaser.
Adam's Wheel and Tire Cleaner: A specialty product designed to cut through brake dust.

Conclusion: Both worked fantastic! Don't worry about specialty cleaners; simple household degreasers do a great job cleaning the surface. Focus on scrubbing deep into the crevices and the seam where the steel comes together.

2. Scuff the Surface

Grab an SOS pad and scrub the entire wheel. This step scuffs the factory paint, giving the new spray paint something to adhere to. You could wet sand if you wanted, but an SOS pad is easier and gets the job done.

3. Bone Dry

This is one of the most critical steps: the wheels must be bone dry.

Wipe them down with a towel.

Use a compressed air cannon to blow out every drop of water from the cracks and seams.

Let the wheels sit in the sun for at least an hour to ensure all moisture has evaporated. You can't rush this part!

Step 2: Masking and Prepping the Paint

Before you mask, take a minute to warm your spray paint cans in a bucket of warm water. This technique helps the paint mix better, slightly increases the pressure in the can, and results in a smoother, more consistent spray.

We used two masking techniques around the tires:

The Playing Card Method: Shoving a deck of cards between the rim and the tire.
The Masking Tape Method: Using small pieces of tape to follow the curve of the rim.

Conclusion: The tape method is preferred. It sticks securely, and while the cards are easy to unmask, a roll of tape is more practical than ruining a deck of cards!

Pro Tip: To mask the valve stem, cut a clean straight edge on your tape, then use that edge to curve and scoop tightly around the stem.

Step 3: The Paint Job

When painting, treat the wheel as three surfaces: the flat center, the outer rim, and the inner dish area.

First Coat (Super Light): Your initial coat should be super light. Do not go for full coverage! You are just trying to get an even coating that gives the next layer something to grip without causing any runs.
Recoat Window: Read your paint can! Spray paint requires you to either recoat quickly while the paint is still wet (the "recoat window") or wait a full 24 hours. We kept rolling through all four wheels to catch that wet window.

Subsequent Coats (Wet Out): On the second and third coats, you can go heavier. Look to "wet out" the paint, meaning you achieve a full, even glossy layer that dries to a consistent finish.
Paint in the Shade: We had to shift out of direct sun. Consistent shade prevents the paint from drying at different rates in shadowed areas.

Final Verdict & Lessons Learned

After letting the wheels kick for about 90 minutes, it's time to unmask and see the results!

Color/Method	Observations	Key Lesson Learned
Flat Soft Iron (Rustoleum Universal)	Best Overall. The paint went down the easiest and most consistently. The finish is professional-looking and holds up well.	A simple, flat color is a safe bet for a clean look.
Purple Glitter (Intense Shimmer)	Nice look, but could be better. The color is cool, but the glitter effect didn't "pop" enough.	ALWAYS use a black undercoat when applying glitter finishes!
Baja Blast (Two-Tone Gloss)	Nice, smooth finish. The two-color artistic fade resulted in a cloud-like effect rather than a crisp split.	Great finish, but tricky to achieve a specific two-tone look with spray paint.
White (High Performance Enamel)	Most Disappointing. The final texture was rough and did not apply as nicely as the other paints.	Choose your white paint carefully and ensure it's rated for a smooth finish.

If you plan to tackle this project, remember it’s all about the prep work, using an M6 undercoat for glitter, and taking your time!

Which color is your favorite for the Ford Transit? Let us know in the comments below!