Repainting Rocker Covers

My 2008 GSA magnesium rocker covers are crazed, chipped and corroded and I fancy giving them a repaint, I presume the standard finish is powder or enamel?

Any advice on the best way to strip them back to bare metal eg nitromors ?

I have access to an industrial blast cabinet at work but wonder if that might be a bit agressive on magnesium alloy?

I would like to repaint close to a factory finish, anybody found a heat resistant rattle-can paint thats a close match to the standard grey finish ?

Thanks in advance.

Ive read all sorts of horror stories about powder coated magnesium. It cant take the heat of the best stuff.

Try Nitromors but you may be better taking them to a car wheel restorer who will have the correct dipping system. I would only grit blast enough to etch the surface as its pretty soft stuff.

Etch primers can take the heat. I used it on my engine top (messed up by a prehistoric brake fluid leak). It's been fine with rattle can etch primer and Hammerite silver.

I rubbed mine down and painted. They looked fine but car wheel paint can't take the heat. I quite fancy a crinkle finish. Not too Hardley is it?

You could try mixing some Hammerite black with silver to get a charcoal grey look. Replicating the BMW green/grey wont be so easy.

Ordinary rattle can paint can take the temperature but it does soften when hot and if you have rocker cover protectors which are in hard contact with the rocker covers you will get some damage to the paint finish; would you be bothered if it was under the protectors? On mine I didn't see any other paint damage but that's only over a short time.

I've had plenty recoated,the horror stories normally relate to covers so badly pitted through corrosion that the owners blame the refinishing company for a poor result.
They need to be chemically stripped,then blasted with the correct media,and from there can be powder coated or painted in the desired finish.
If the cover is corroded and eaten away,when blasted it will be pitted,end of.....
You cannot put metal back in.
Use reputable professional companies who know the score

Thanks for all the advice, I might ask my local wheel refinishers for a dip & strip job or source some spare rocker covers from a breakers depending on price.

You could have them powder coated then fine blasted to etch the finish. You can then fill and paint over with whatever you like knowing the metal is properly protected.

This thread any use?

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/312323-Scraped-Rocker-Cover?highlight=covers

I remember Schtum commenting on a thread about painting rocker covers, so a search under his name and some keyword(s) may cough up some more advice - I remember his post(s) as being relevant

Al