Going for the paintng...easy to fix the small scratches they will get in the winter with all the salt and gravel on the road.

 

I know the potential problems repairing powdercoated wheels, but I have a set with maybe 25K miles on them and no problems. No brake dust eating into the finish, they just wipe clean. Very easy to clean. I also had a set painted and they looked not so good the next season. Chips and erosion from brake dust. Easily scratched too.
My new set is clear annodized, and I will just keep them clean and waxed.

 

Powdercoating is more difficult to repair, but its also much more durable than paint. Powdercoating is done at about 400 degrees, and generally when you heat a metal it strengthens it, and then when you slowly cool it, it becomes more stable. I prefer painting overall, and one reason is the ease of matching colors, which is much more difficult with powdercoating.

 

Might have been me....

I'll try to cover some replies here.....

Heating a wheel doesn't always add streinth, brittle?
PC wheels will chip not scratch
PC is good on steel wheels not aluminum
Find a shop who bakes the paint in and you're set!
To strip down PC is way too hard, trust me I know, I don't do that anymore!

Leave PC to hand rails and iron-works...