They were still mounted w/ the tires. What i do when i paint like that is i use index cards, like the kind you would use for notes for a speech, and place them all the way around,overlapped between the rim and bead of the tire. I also mask the tire off with paper to protect from overspray. This gives you a clean look and the index cards are a lot easier to mask the tire with then paper, at least thats what ive found.