Question: wheels/wits end

[65-to-00]

I've been happy with the looks of the polished alu OEM wheels that I have had on there.

You may have seen my last posts ..... tried to clean them ..... Mothers and stuff ..... all brand name products. Bottom line is that once they start to get that corrosion/scale/flaking ..... forget about it ... they are now just about worthless junk.

So .... :eyerole

A few weeks ago I started the search for new or used and it looks like:

- for about $200 +/-, I can get chrome replacements .... probably made in China and word is they last three years start to peel.

- found one guy who has used forged fancy wheels for about $2000 for a set that is five years old. Sounds kind of high but they retail for $3,800 new.

Doesn't seem to be a middle ground .... like a polished alu five spoke OEM type .... been spending my "life" on ... Craigslist and E-Bay ... but I will only deal local unless they are new so I can eyeball them. I've no problems buying new from a supplier with a good reputation.

Any ideas?

I'm about ready to go with the American Racing "OEcreations" .... in the chrome five spoke or Z06 style ... but they are the type I've been warned about. A bit over $200 from a local tire shop I've dealt with in the past (no problems).

Nothing ..... worse than showing up at all of these weekend get togethers .... "cruise nights" .... with a shiny black freshly waxed car I love with a set of wheels that were probably trashed by my wife's cats pissing on them ..... (see last years rant) ..

:bash

 

[Back9]

I had a thought... With all the dealer closings, I wondered if any such inventory had been returned to GM as NOS? I took a look at GM Parts Online at

GM Parts Direct: Your direct source for Genuine GM Parts

Sorry - no good!

 

[SANOLS1]

You might try contacting a couple of the custom vette shops. Many people will upgrade their wheels and leave the old ones behind as a core. I purchased a set of factory take off's for a truck of mine a few years back. I got them for pennies on the dollar. I would check with AA or WCC. If you don't see them listed on their website's, it might be worth a call. Good Luck!

 

[Vettelt193]

In my opinion, you are doing something wrong...

What do you clean the wheels with normally?

Never use any of the spray cleaners on a clear coated wheel. they all have acid and will nuke the clear coat.

Now that the clear is screwed up, for whatever reason, I'd do a couple of things. First, if you are the original owner and bought the car new, talk to your dealer. Tell them what is going on. Make sure you bring them the car when it is as clean as possible. Usually the dealer can escalate an out of warranty problem to the area manager and you can get GM to offer you something. My parents have done this twice. once resulted in a new set of wheels on the '98 pace car. The other resulted in a new set of wheels for my mom's old '93 for 75% off of the dealer price. Be nice, and don't expect anything... especially in these times :ugh it is worth a shot though.

If you are NOT the original owner or Chevy doesn't do anything, you can have the clear removed. You can do it yourself with paint stripper and polish them out. or, send the wheels to a reputable company and have them done. You can have them re-done with clear, have them polished with no cleaer so you just have to keep them polished out with metal cleaner, or you can powder coat them. Just about any powder coat shop can do the job if you go that route.

You are correct on chrome... there are many grades of chrome and good chrome costs a lot. It is also no picnic to maintain chrome. they MUST be kept clean. Chrome needs to breathe so it isn't cleared. It should not be waxed either. I have a set of high quality Forged Chrome wheels on my Navigator. They are a pain in the rump for a daily driver. Garage queen, no problem.

Bare polished aluminum, no clear coat, are the most work keeping shiny but can be brought back to life over and over with the mother's powerball that you talked about earlier. Make sure you use Aluminum polish if you go this route... Chrome polish is usually drastically different. Aluminum polish will turn black when you rub it in. that's the sign it is working.

Powdercoat is practically bullet proof, but won't have the bling of chrome or polished. lowest maintenance by far though.

 

[65-to-00]

Normally, I didn't do much to maintain them except for the bit of wax when I hand washed the car, or, in the winter after I .....

.... ran them through the car wash .... :W

.... hey, look, it's Jersey winter and these nit-wits salt every other day even if it doesn't need it and it leaves a salt "dust" on the roads ...

First time I tried to use commercial cleaners was when I noticed that the wheels had gone downhill real fast after the cats took took to peeeing on them .... short story ... wife "adopted" two wild cats who became "garage cats" when they were peeing in the house. Before that they had a few nicks but weren't bad. I think that whatever it is in cat urine got in under the nicks in the alu coat and started to blister it. I'm trying to keep in mind that the car is nine years old however but after owning it for five years ........... wham ....... they went to schizzzzzz!

Oh .... I tried all of the Vette specialty shops hoping and praying for an upgrade deal. Best I could do and the only deal was for a set of dead stock 2000 painted rims that "never saw the road" .... for .... $900 ....

;squint: $900 ... I was hoping to do better than the silver paint!

 

[SANOLS1]

In my opinion, you are doing something wrong...

What do you clean the wheels with normally?

Never use any of the spray cleaners on a clear coated wheel. they all have acid and will nuke the clear coat.

Now that the clear is screwed up, for whatever reason, I'd do a couple of things. First, if you are the original owner and bought the car new, talk to your dealer. Tell them what is going on. Make sure you bring them the car when it is as clean as possible. Usually the dealer can escalate an out of warranty problem to the area manager and you can get GM to offer you something. My parents have done this twice. once resulted in a new set of wheels on the '98 pace car. The other resulted in a new set of wheels for my mom's old '93 for 75% off of the dealer price. Be nice, and don't expect anything... especially in these times :ugh it is worth a shot though.

If you are NOT the original owner or Chevy doesn't do anything, you can have the clear removed. You can do it yourself with paint stripper and polish them out. or, send the wheels to a reputable company and have them done. You can have them re-done with clear, have them polished with no cleaer so you just have to keep them polished out with metal cleaner, or you can powder coat them. Just about any powder coat shop can do the job if you go that route.

You are correct on chrome... there are many grades of chrome and good chrome costs a lot. It is also no picnic to maintain chrome. they MUST be kept clean. Chrome needs to breathe so it isn't cleared. It should not be waxed either. I have a set of high quality Forged Chrome wheels on my Navigator. They are a pain in the rump for a daily driver. Garage queen, no problem.

Bare polished aluminum, no clear coat, are the most work keeping shiny but can be brought back to life over and over with the mother's powerball that you talked about earlier. Make sure you use Aluminum polish if you go this route... Chrome polish is usually drastically different. Aluminum polish will turn black when you rub it in. that's the sign it is working.

Powdercoat is practically bullet proof, but won't have the bling of chrome or polished. lowest maintenance by far though.

I agree with Vettelt193. This sounds like the most sensible advice. I've stripped the clear coating off of a few mororcycle rims and polished them out to look better than new. Whichever you decide, good luck!

 

[jrose7004]

I bought some i-Forged Swifts on E-Bay for $750.00, then sent them to a wheel shop for restoration and now they look like new. I spent $1,200.00 on them total. They're $3,800.00 new so I think I got a good deal.

 

[jdeatsch]

identical replacements from Jegs. $200 each.

Yep.

Ask me how I know.

Jim

 

[65-to-00]

jegs?

Spoke to them on the phone today .... they have thousands of wheels ... :eyerole

But .... all chrome .... no alu in a replacement .... ;squint:

Dang!

 

[gmjunkie]

Spoke to them on the phone today .... they have thousands of wheels ... :eyerole

But .... all chrome .... no alu in a replacement .... ;squint:

Dang!

Call Randy Farris at "Farris Wheels" in Winchester,TN (931) 967-0077 he'll probly have a set!! I know he had a slug of C4,C5,C6 wheels at the Expo!!
Tell'um the Crazy,Ugly,Toothless,Moon Shine tote'n "GMJunkie" from Old Fort NC gave you the number,He'll know who it is!!!

 

[bwing]

Spoke to them on the phone today .... they have thousands of wheels ... :eyerole

But .... all chrome .... no alu in a replacement .... ;squint:

Dang!

Found this for you, don't know how far they are from you.

C5 Corvette Polished 5 Stars

 

[65-to-00]

bwing ..... up in Greenwood Lake area bout' 55 miles or so but it's a nice ride up in the "hills" so I did send him off an e-mail and waiting for a call back.

Junk .... I'll sure give Randy a call on Monday!

Retirement is getting weird .... got an answer from a shop today when I called and the guy reminded my it was Saturday and he was there by luck. I honestly had no idea what day it was!

So ..... thanks to all for the help.

There is just something about those alu .... the chrome are easy to come by and cheap too but .... I guess I got used to that "understated" look of aluminum.