Dunlop D1's

[Peter Laidler]

Just had a set of needy Dunlop D1's crack tested (perfect) and fine bead blasted (brilliant) Any suggestions to a particular type/make of protective varnish(?) to use in the rear and in the tyre well area. Can I use the same protection for the outside or do I need to use a special primer there or will the satin black do the same job. Any preference for paint? Thanks

[Dr S]

From memory when I did mine I didn't treat the insides and rears, the fronts I painted with a satin black paint then polished back the lips with a flap wheel. Then some many many coats of clear coat until they look a little plasticky up close.

[surfblue63]

I used etch primer then black Hammerite Smoothrite. On the exposed alloy surfaces I have no coating. I just treat it to a wax polish every time they are cleaned.

Wheels soon after refurb.


Wheels after 4 years, a change of car and 15,000 miles

[Julian K]

Hi

Have been wondering how to tackle my D1s. Once blasted would you etch primer and satin coat/smootherite all external surfaces ( outward facing) and then cut back the lips etc with a polisher or mask off the rims ( ie polish these before painting)?

Any advice appreciated.

Many thanks

Julian

[Leadfoot1]

Originally they were Satin black all over with the rims and spokes machined and left exposed alloy.
Today I'd use an etch primer,then satin black and leave the spokes and rims unprotected as any clear lacquer has very poor adhesion to aluminium and doesn't look right either.

[Peter Laidler]

Don't agree with one part of that Leadfoot. Small point, but I don't think that the spokes were painted and machined originally. I think that they were left as cast - or in a semi rough (or semi smooth!) finish and NOT machine/lathe finished or polished as shown in the picture of the white car above. Outer rim had a machined sheen but not a high gleaming polish.

I am going to do mine as Leadfoot suggests. Hand paint, etch prime, satin black but in any case, lacquer the tyre wells and rear to keep any corrosion at bay. It is a reasonable good alloy mix with good corrosion resistance to a saline or salty atmosphere - if rinsed! Same as road sign material. I might photograph the whole process and write it up and get my pal Tony the metallurgist to comment on the material as he has the same(?) material in his Dolly Sprint wheels (which he's doing next)

Maybe Leadfoot could tell us what he'd use to protect the wheel well and rear........Leadfoot? The good thing among the several good things about these wheels in my humble opinion is that they're easy to clean

Same subject..... Anyone out there in forum land got a tatty old D1 suitable to be used as a pictorial do-it-yourself essay to be photographed while being restored as a small project during the spring. Will be restored, photographed and returned at cost only

[surfblue63]

When I did mine I primed the wheels, polished the rims and spoke edges and then painted. I masked and sprayed the first wheel, but it was a real faff cutting the tape so I brush painted the other three and wiped any excess off with enamel thinners. It took less time to hand paint the three wheels than mask and spray the one wheel. Spraying wheels, especially Dunlops, is a right pain because it is very easy to get runs and uneven coverage because of the deep casting. Also as the casting was rough I used a stippling type painting action so brush marks were not a problem. I prefer a high polished look to the rims and spokes as it make for easier cleaning and protection of bare surfaces. I polished by hand using ever decreasing (finer) grades of polishing cloth, the final being 32,000 grade.

I also primed and painted the rears and the inner rims with the smoothrite to protect those from water, salt and brake pad/disc debris.

[foxy52]

Don't agree with one part of that Leadfoot. Small point, but I don't think that the spokes were painted and machined originally. I think that they were left as cast - or in a semi rough (or semi smooth!) finish and NOT machine/lathe finished or polished as shown in the picture of the white car above. Outer rim had a machined sheen but not a high gleaming polish.

I am going to do mine as Leadfoot suggests. Hand paint, etch prime, satin black but in any case, lacquer the tyre wells and rear to keep any corrosion at bay. It is a reasonable good alloy mix with good corrosion resistance to a saline or salty atmosphere - if rinsed! Same as road sign material. I might photograph the whole process and write it up and get my pal Tony the metallurgist to comment on the material as he has the same(?) material in his Dolly Sprint wheels (which he's doing next)

Maybe Leadfoot could tell us what he'd use to protect the wheel well and rear........Leadfoot? The good thing among the several good things about these wheels in my humble opinion is that they're easy to clean

Same subject..... Anyone out there in forum land got a tatty old D1 suitable to be used as a pictorial do-it-yourself essay to be photographed while being restored as a small project during the spring. Will be restored, photographed and returned at cost only

..............................................................................................16 years after a refurb in 2000 they looked like this.. autosol on the silver bits and a good spray and polish with Carnauba wax on the whole wheel.. perfect protection from salt in winter .. foxy52

[Pete]

D1s came unpainted as standard, paint was a cost option!

[Peter Laidler]

Really Pete....., you're having me on! I bought a set new in 19701 and they were normal ally and black.

[Pete]

Really Pete....., you're having me on! I bought a set new in 19701 and they were normal ally and black.

Its certainly how they were advertised. I'll see if I can find the ad.

[surfblue63]

No mention of the black being optional on the brochure I posted the other day. It says "Matt black finish with polished aluminium rims". Looking at the last page the brochure might be dated 7/70. Maybe they changed the spec after a year or so as I think they first appeared in 1969.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=20713&hilit=dunlop

[foxy52]

Really Pete....., you're having me on! I bought a set new in 19701 and they were normal ally and black.

Its certainly how they were advertised. I'll see if I can find the ad.

...the pics shown show how they should look.. some owners make a huge mistake of painting the spine edges black.. comes to think of it any paint job on D1,s is hideous and without taste compared to how they should look.. mine were refurbed 69 originals.. ally and black ...the only and correct look........foxy52

[Pete]

No mention of the black being optional on the brochure I posted the other day. It says "Matt black finish with polished aluminium rims". Looking at the last page the brochure might be dated 7/70. Maybe they changed the spec after a year or so as I think they first appeared in 1969.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=20713&hilit=dunlop

1968 Stu, maybe you're right that the ad blurb was changed. I'll find it.

[Leadfoot1]

To answer a couple of things regards my other post.

When I said paint the wheel,except the spokes and rim in etch primer and satin black,I meant the whole wheel,front,back and where the tyre fits. I can't remember if this was original or not , I suspect that paint was only on front face originally.

Regards machined spokes, I'm 99 percent sure they were machined,unless very early ones were not, but the vast majority were.

Non painted versions? Don't ever remember seeing those, I'd say they were always painted,unless very early ones were available raw.

Protection is a tricky one, if you use Solvol or polish on the alloy it changes the colour to a bluey grey, which isn't right, but if restoring them yourself you will lose the machined finish, or more likely it will have gone years ago,so a polish is the best bet. If you have them machined just keep them well washed and often.

[Julian K]

Thanks for the replies on the refurb activities and sequence. Will progress this over the Christmas hols as an alternative to watching the drivel that is Christmas TV.

[Ministwo]

I had a gold set and painted them black. Still in the shed somewhere.

[Peter Laidler]

Same meat, different gravy but has anyone made/machined a new set of wheel centres for these wheels? Not bothering with the configuration at the rear, just leaving them flat at the rear with a shallow centring/locating lip. It's been a catch 22 situation using stainless and aluminium. Machine one face on the bar and part off.......... but whatever face you do next means that the jaws cannot grip the shallow lip at the rear OR the jaws cannot grip the angled front face. What a bugger. No wonder they just sintered them! Or does anyone make them from stainless (or chromed ally

[smithyrc30]

Surely you machine the back (inside) first leaving a smaller diameter tail, drill and tap the center for your retaining mechanism, then hold the tail to machine the front including taper.

Well that is how I would do it.

[Peter Laidler]

Yep....., got that, seen it, got the T shirt and tried it........ But to machine off the tail, you've got to hold the tapered front outer edge in the chuck. And the 3/8" deep jaws are shallower than the 1/2" tapered surface. Result, it won't hold. You could cut the 'tail' off with a saw. The tail has to be quite substantial to support the machining of the front face though. Might try that next but it's a LOT of stainless or alloy to waste and a lot of time on a manual lathe