69 Firebird - Wheel Setup

[ModernMuseum]

Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a safe Memorial Day.

Concerning the wheel setup on Project Death Machine,
https://www.pro-touring.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=68672

I want to run solid black BOZE Pro-Touring wheels.
http://www.bozeforged.com/protouring.html

I haven't decided on going with a glossy or matte black finish. The car is solid black - almost all chrome has been removed and converted to black. I'm guessing either one would be powder coated for durability. I've read on here that an 8" wheel would be the widest that could be run in the front without limiting the steering. I'm not sure I want to go with the full 12" wide in the back, so I may just run an 11" to maintain a wide stance but reduce the contrast (width) between the front and the back. The vehicle currently has the following suspension components:

DS&E mini tub kit
DS&E rear leaf springs 2" lower than stock
Hotchkis 2" lowered front spring
Hotchkis front/rear sway bar
Ford narrowed 9" 3.73 rear end

Can I get people's thoughts on this wheel setup? I don't have any idea on the offset yet, so any recommendations would be helpful. I want to maintain the stock control arms and spindles right now and do an arm/spindle/brake upgrade in a year or two when the budget opens up again. I want to make sure the wheel selection right now won't experience any negative repercussions with future upgrades.
In summary here are my requirements:

• I would like the top of the wheel to be just under the fender. I prefer minimal wheel gap between the top of the wheel (not the tire) and the fender. I want to maintain the lowest (reasonably) possibly stance in the front. 69 Firebirds that are too high are unappealing to say the least.
• I obviuosly want everything tucked inside the fender. I'll try to find some typical photos of what I'm trying to achieve later today.

I'd like to get people's thoughts on the following:

• Running an 18/19 setup versus 18/18.
• Effect on future spindle/arm upgrades to tubular design.
• Wheel finishes - matte or glossy!!??
• Suggestions for offset

[ModernMuseum]

Ok, here is kind of what I'd like to achieve. Can this be done with the stock spindles/arms and rear leaves as I have them with only minor adjustments? I'm willing to add/remove leaves in the back and change the springs if need be. Again, I'd like to do the control arm / brake upgrade in a few years.

This guy has 8"/11.5" and 18's in the front and 19's in the back:

http://www.lateral-g.net/members/jhanson/

[ProdigyCustoms]

The front 8s are no problem. The backspace on the rear wheels will be totally dependant on how much (if any) you narrow the rear end.

The solid black Pro Touring wheel will look very aggresive. be care though, it is hard to tell where a black wheel starts and a tire ends!

Let us know when your ready, we are a Boze dealer

[68firebird]

I love Boze rims!!!

[ModernMuseum]

Wow, I finally got some replies!!!! Thanks gents. This sub-forum is almost as bad as the brakes forum

Yeah, I'm on the fence about completely black rims. It seems like everyone and their dalmation is utilizing a chrome trim around a black rim. I was thinking that if I don't like the completely black rim, I could come back and add a red pinstripe or something.

The goal is in fact to look very aggressive. I don't want it to look awkward or silly though.

[ProdigyCustoms]

A brushed lip is cvool, and adding a red pinstripe is even cooler.

Check out these forgiles we just did for a member

https://www.pro-touring.com/forum/sh...ght=forgelines

those are a brushed nickel hoop, a little brighter then a brushed aluminum hoop would be.

We could be a brushed hoop / black center Boze Pro Touring no problem.

[ModernMuseum]

A brushed lip is cvool, and adding a red pinstripe is even cooler.

Check out these forgiles we just did for a member

https://www.pro-touring.com/forum/sh...ght=forgelines

those are a brushed nickel hoop, a little brighter then a brushed aluminum hoop would be.

We could be a brushed hoop / black center Boze Pro Touring no problem.

Yeah, those are cool I guess. Definitely not me though.

It's basically just down to what finish would look the best (glossy, matte) and what would be the toughest against rock chips. Paint? Powder coating?

I'm trying to decide if a glossy black car would only look good w/ glossy wheels or if i could skate by with a matte finish (or some in-between compromise). If you were the grim reaper, what would you chooise if you had to collect souls and be aesthetically pleasing? Hehe.

[mc84_zz4]

I saw one of these Z06 Black editions recently, and I thought it looked killer. If you're going to murder it out, go all the way.
JMHO
Your paint looks enviably deep.

[ProdigyCustoms]

Matte Black!

[Josh69]

Looks familiar! I was considering doing matte black wheels on mine down the road and those Boze PT wheels are a top choice, I'd love it if you did it first so I can decide after that. LOL!

Keep us posted, cool to see another black '69 in the house.

[ModernMuseum]

I saw one of these Z06 Black editions recently, and I thought it looked killer. If you're going to murder it out, go all the way.
JMHO
Your paint looks enviably deep.

heh, my paint looks deep?

Yeah, the only super black/black combo I've seen is on newish vettes. They seem to be the only crowd that will venture into the uncharted abyss of a completely murdered out vehicle.

Are those glossy? They look like somewhere in between glossy and matte.

[mc84_zz4]

Here's another pic of the same car, they used gloss finish on them..

[montessaj]

Murder it out!

[ModernMuseum]

Wow, that's not sexy at all

That's it, I'll probably end up going with the glossy black. Thanks for posting up that photo.

[ProdigyCustoms]

It is a double powder coat fee, but gloss black lip and matte black center, kind of a two tone black, is very cool also and gives back some detail in the wheel still holding on the the Murder theme.

[ModernMuseum]

Sweet. Do you have any photos of the two-toned powder coated wheels?

[ModernMuseum]

I've decided to go ahead and order the tires and do a mock-up fitment after performance numerous "in-air" measurements. I've decided on these, as they fit my budget and I believe are a good cross between street and track. Most of the 315+ tires seems like track-ish tires anyway unless you want to pay $450/ea. for the Michelin PS2's, which is ridiculous.

Kuhmo Ecsta XS
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....R8EXS&i1_Qty=2

Anyway, tirerack has both a 245/35/1 and 245/40/18 for the front. Will the 35 look too thin up front? It looks like a lot of people have been running the 40 tread wall.

For the rear's, after searching numerous boards, I'm going to go with a 315/30/18.

The wheels I plan on going with a are 8" fronts and 11" rears - Boze Pro Touring 18". After getting the tires here, I'll have to figure out the appropriate backspacing.

[ProdigyCustoms]

I could not find a Pro Touuring wheel in 2 tone black but I got a pick of a Pro Lite in Gloss Black lip and matte black center.

[Ron.in.SoCal]

I've decided to go ahead and order the tires and do a mock-up fitment after performance numerous "in-air" measurements. I've decided on these, as they fit my budget and I believe are a good cross between street and track. Most of the 315+ tires seems like track-ish tires anyway unless you want to pay $450/ea. for the Michelin PS2's, which is ridiculous.

Kuhmo Ecsta XS
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....R8EXS&i1_Qty=2

Anyway, tirerack has both a 245/35/1 and 245/40/18 for the front. Will the 35 look too thin up front? It looks like a lot of people have been running the 40 tread wall.

For the rear's, after searching numerous boards, I'm going to go with a 315/30/18.

The wheels I plan on going with a are 8" fronts and 11" rears - Boze Pro Touring 18". After getting the tires here, I'll have to figure out the appropriate backspacing.

It's important to not make a mistake when ordering custom made wheels, so based on above here's what I'd do:
- measure your wheelhouse @ 10,12 and 2'oclock
- measure the width of your rear end flange to flange
- go here for reference: http://www.1010tires.com/tiresizecalculator.asp
- go to Kore3's website - or any other's that sells the brake kit you are considering - and print out the caliper fittment template for reference. This way when you do any upgrades you know the brake of choice will fit!
- Call Frank w those measurements and he'll get you the proper Bspace for your wheels

Another thing to consider is that you're doing the tubs so you should be good on 315's. If your rear end is too wide for whatever reason, you can usually buy a 1/4" - 5/8" with a fender lip roller.

Last thing - post pics when you get them!

[ModernMuseum]

Frank - thanks for the pics. Looks good!

Flash - thanks for the information. The tires are on the way.

I'm a little confused by your first point: "- measure your wheelhouse @ 10,12 and 2'oclock"

Do you mean perpindicular to the axle, i.e. from the flange face/centerline of the axle to
1) the outer wheel well (10 o'clock)
2) The upper wheel well (12 o'clock)
3) The inner wheel well (2 o'clock)?

Thanks.