New Powder Coated MG ZR Hairpin Wheels

Bought a spare set of MG ZR Hairpin alloys, way back at the start of the year, with the intention of spraying them black myself.

After a LOT of consideration, I decided to have them powder coated. That then raised the problem of where to get it done. A number of recommendations were made to use City Powder Coaters, in Birmingham.

This is the place I used, and I have to say the finish is fantastic for the price, £25 per wheel inc refitting the tyres and balancing. The guy that I spoke to was a really nice bloke, always willing to help and let me examine the wheels at every stage of the process, which I imagine most companies would not allow without becoming agitated.

I'm still deciding what to do with the centre caps, but to be honest, I quite like the look with them missing. Almost a race feel to it, which is the direction I'm taking the styling.

Anyway on with the pictures, first up is how the wheels looked when I got them home. Look ok, but I'm a detailer so there is room for improvement.

MG ZR Hairpin Alloy 16"MG ZR Hairpin Alloy 16"

The detailing began with a light jet wash to loosen up the tyre soap and dust from the factory, then a hand wash using a microfibre wash mitt and some Meguiars Gold Class Shampoo and Conditioner. They were then dried with a microfibre.

After that, two layers of Meguiars Step 3 Carnauba Wax was applied, this should hold off the brake dust and grime for as long as possible. Then finally, two coatings of Meguiars Endurance High Gloss Tyre Gel.

This left the wheels looking like this.

MG ZR Hairpin Alloys 16"MG ZR Hairpin Alloys 16"

MG ZR Hairpin Alloys 16"

All cleaned up they looked absolutely awesome, very high gloss finish and a deep black. Exactly what I wanted.

So having spent ages cleaning them, I eagerly set about fitting them. Finally here are the photos of the wheels fitted to the car.

I think they look really good, they tie in with the rest of the car, giving it that aggressive race look that I was aiming to achieve.

(Note: Some eagle eyed readers will notice the tyres are low in the photos, directly after taking the photos I went to the garage and blew them up to the correct pressure)

Rover 25 Solar Red ModifiedRover 25 Solar Red Modified

Rover 25 Solar Red Modified

Rover 25 Solar Red Modified Rear ViewRover 25 Solar Red Modified Rear View

MG Rover 25 Painted Calipers Black WheelsMG Rover 25 Painted Calipers Black Wheels



14 comments:

  1. hi could you tell me where you got the front bumper splitter please?

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  2. Hi Craig,

    I'm assuming you mean the seat leon cupra splitter? (the black one).

    If so, I bought that direct from Seat, £21 or there abouts. Just go in and ask for one.

    If you mean the ZR splitter, then I got that one second hand from a member of themgzr.co.uk

    Hope this helps.

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  3. wow, they look really stunning powder coated in black do those alloys. It really suits the car as well as show up the red brake coaters that match the car's colours. It's looking dapper is that motor of yours.

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  4. Thanks MackMac, glad you like them, I'm definitely glad i went with them!

    (p.s. sorry for the delay in authorising the comment!)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi where did you get you de-badged grill from

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  6. Hi there,

    I got the face off grill from a company called motobuild. You can find their catalogue here: http://www.moto-build.com/

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi mate!

    Your R25 is just amazing!
    Where do you get the rims? Or are the MG ZR ones?

    Best Regards!

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    Replies
    1. The alloys where purchased on eBay second hand. They are called "Hairpins" and are originally found on the MG ZR. They are 16" and are originally alloy silver finish. I had these alloys refurbished and powder coated gloss black.

      Hope this answers your question, thanks for the nice comment.

      Best regards,

      Andy.

      Delete
  8. hi andy im thinking of getting the moto-build face off grill do it come with all the brackets to attach it and is there any were to attach the grill mesh thanx

    andy fern

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    Replies
    1. Hi there,

      Thanks for the comment, apologies for the slight delay in responding.

      No, I don't believe the grille came with fixings for the mesh to the grille frame. In the post/link below, you can see I used cable tie mounts fibre glassed onto the back of the frame, then cable tied the mesh to them. This worked very well and I never had a problem with it.

      In the post below, you can find links to all the posts regarding the face off grille and how I made it/fitted it.

      http://andybuckr25.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/face-off-grille-finished-and-fitted.html

      As for the brackets that fit it to the car, it did come with some, but for me they didn't fit well, so I made some and fibre glassed them on, bespoke to my car so that the grille fitted perfectly.

      You can see those by clicking the link to the post below.

      http://andybuckr25.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/new-mounts-for-fog-fibre-glassed-on.html

      Best regards,

      Andy

      Delete
  9. Hi whee di you get the side skirts?

    Regards
    Craig W

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    Replies
    1. Hi Craig,

      I picked them up off eBay I believe, they are (or were at the time) quite rare to find, especially in Solar red.

      Keep an eye on the listings and forum for sale sections and you should find some.

      You could always buy some pattern copies and have them sprayed. I believe MotoBuild sell some, jump on google and check them out.

      Best regards,

      Andy.

      Delete
  10. Awesome car!! I am thinking of getting some hairpins for my rover. Is your car lowered or on standard shocks and springs?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Apologies for the slow reply, thanks for the comment.

      The car is lowered on standard MG ZR 160 springs and dampers. There is a post on this blog about installing them, they are 20mm lower than the Rover 25 springs and dampers.

      Hope this helps, good luck with your car!

      Thanks,
      Andy

      Delete

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