To "Bling" or not to "Bling"? That is the question....

[Roberts68]

What do you guys think?
I go back/forth almost daily but seem to keep leaning towards polished. When I get back to teetering on the fence it is mostly because this paint won't be around forever. It was painted in '96 and I am really liking the more retro nostalgic look of the Trans Am themed Resto-Mod/PT cars I see moreso than the outta this world builds. I appreciate both but a $4k set of wheels may as well be made of unobtanium as far as my lifestyle and paychecks are concerned.

I am thinking of a 5 spoke, probably soft-lip, lets say Billet Specialties Dagger or Boyds J5R just to give you a visual. FWIW I like the 5 spoke ala Cragar SS from back in the day, I'll be running 18's to clear my front brakes, and I like the wheels with slimmer spokes and larger windows but there are other 5 spokes that do the trick too.

Do I go all polished or do grey centers for this car?





Disclaimer: Your opinion while appreciated and considered may not assist me in my eternal indecision. It is a virtually terminal condition that I have learned to live with.

[muthstryker]

Its easier to go from polished to gray centers, then from gray centers to polished. You could always buy a set of polished wheels and when you change the paint you could have the wheels powder coated to a gray color of your choice.

With the paint you have now, I think polished would look the best.

[John510]

My 2 cents. Gray would not look anywhere near as good on your car because all of your window trim, door trim, mirrors, handles, and bumpers are polished. Slapping on a set of gray wheels will not look right. Polished will fit better because of all your trim.

[SLO_Z28]

My 2 cents. Gray would not look anywhere near as good on your car because all of your window trim, door trim, mirrors, handles, and bumpers are polished. Slapping on a set of gray wheels will not look right. Polished will fit better because of all your trim.

I agree. This car screams for a polished wheel. I think the Billet Specialties Dagger is a great choice for that car.

That car looks badass now, wheels are just gonna seal the deal!

[NJSPEEDER]

Car has a flashy paint job so it only makes sense that it would have flashy wheels. Go fully polished.

[mc84_zz4]

my 2 cents. Gray would not look anywhere near as good on your car because all of your window trim, door trim, mirrors, handles, and bumpers are polished. Slapping on a set of gray wheels will not look right. Polished will fit better because of all your trim.

^^ x3

[PTS]

Hey Robert,

Fully polished as suggested or maybe Brushed/Polished depending on the wheel. The Dagger has enough spoke dimension that fully polished would look good.

Perry
PTS

[67zo6Camaro]

Ok here it goes as the odd ball.... I like polished rims but your car has great detail in the paint. When I look at the picture provided I see "trying to hard" and the rims pop before I start looking at the flames and good trim detail. I really think your car would have a little more agressive look and the paint would blend better with a wheel that does not scream look at meeeeee. As some would say less is more. I love the paint and I think it's the eye candy.... and all other details should be toned down to show case that.

I have had the experience of trying different wheel colors on my ride.... and some do look better. Try a test fit wheel from somewhere.

Good luck.

[Tony_SS]

I have to say, I love the subtly of that paint job.. so maybe a wheel that is a subtle bling? Your car now is about 10% chrome. How about a wheel that's the same? Maybe a clear coated medium silver brushed center and a polished lip with polished center caps and chrome lugs? Then the wheel has the same touches of chrome that the car does..

[ponchopwr70]

Nice polished five spokes to match the paint for sure.

[monteboy84]

I'm gonna have to disagree with most here, I'd go with something that has a polished hoop and a gray center. It'd help subdue the car a bit, and I think the polished hoop would help tie it in with the chrome trim a bit.

-matt

ETA:

This is what I was picturing, something along these lines:

[Roberts68]

Wow, I really appreciate all the feedback. Almost as much as I appreciate the compliments!!

The car was painted by Greg Stahl when he was at Gould Bros. Chevrolet in Monticello MN. I wanted a simple stripe around the nose and I was told that if I was going to do any sort of graphic the price would be the same, even if it was flames and I was hooked. We collaborated on the colors and style of flames I liked based on about 50 pics I took at CarCraft St Paul in '96. I like this, I don't like that, I hate those and so on. I wanted something more tangible than ghost flames but subtle. Chrome Illusion paints were brand new back then and cost something like two appendages and a testicle so we did it with blends of color and pearl instead. My car was bumped by a Lund Industries truck he painted for SEMA which he had done annually for several years. The guy is an artist and last I heard paints under the name Top Gun Customs and as far as I know is out of Cambridge MN.

I've always sort of wanted it to look like a "real life" Hot Wheels car in a way. Something cool enough that we might have spared it from use in the sandbox or scraping on it's roof across the sidewalk like they did after an endo on the expansion joints... but I digress.

I have also considered polished hoops and 3 spoke knock-off/spinners with a media blast or brushed center. As stated though there is no other brushed or matte finish on my car anywhere except 2 temporary pieces in the interior... the steering wheel and B&M shifter handle are brushed.

I had already considered going with polished now and having the option to refinish the centers in the future. Either in case of a desire for change or even if the wheels get excessively scuzzy from use, brake dust, laziness and what have you. I do hope to drive the hell out of it when the time comes again... and the sooner the better!

[Tony_SS]

I'm gonna have to disagree with most here, I'd go with something that has a polished hoop and a gray center. It'd help subdue the car a bit, and I think the polished hoop would help tie it in with the chrome trim a bit.

-matt

ETA:

This is what I was picturing, something along these lines:

Yes, that's what I was eluding to in my post.

You can always clear over those centers to make them easy to clean.

[67zo6Camaro]

Bitchen rim choice suggested. I like it. Lower the stance, fatten up the tires.... and thats the look I would go for. Nice.

[Roberts68]

Nice wheel but it doesn't do it for me. In my opinion it says "Bonneville Salt Flats" too much for my car. I am pretty set on the 5 spoke and as I said I like the slim spokes/big windows to show off some big brakes through.

VWW does make an 18 now and out of what they offer I prefer the V40 but there are other wheels I like better because of spoke dimensions and detail. Here is a link to a pic of V60's on a '69 Camaro off of Vintage Wheel Works 'site gallery:

V60 17X8" 4.5" backspace in the front, and 17x9.5" 5.5" backspace in the rear.