Hi please help! I am in the UK and getting info is so hard. I have just bought a 67 Lesabre but have yet to receive it. I want to put some buick rallye wheels on it but I am so in the dark As far as I know no repros are made, well non with the correct bolt pattern ( why oh why does nobody make 5x5 pcd rallye wheels? ) so I can either get a second hand set or adapt some from coker tires. So far I have had a quote for a 2nd hand set including delivery to uk for 2000 dollars which is hefty I think. Or to adapt the 15" rallyes from coker tires I must use a wheel adapter to go from 5x5 to 5x4.75. Does anybody know if this will work? has anybody done this? does anybody know what wheel would be best for clearance 15x6, 15x7 or 15x8? I have to order the wheels as a special order so it can't be wrong. So far my best bet are the new ones from coker if I can adapt them unless somebody has some for sale!. Finally, were the rallye replacements thinner than the original steels? as far as I know the steels were 15x8 but the rallyes seem to be 15x6 anybody know. Please please help all help will be much appreciated...THANKS JIM
ive got a few with the rings still inside. they are not mint. im in north Carolina. if I recall they are about 38 lbs each
Just to be clear, the Chrome plated road wheels were not an option on LeSabre in 67, Only on Wildcat and Riviera . Those will work on the LeSabre though.
Hi a bi g thanks to everyone who posted... i had no idea they were not available as an option for the lesabre but still they do look the nuts. Still any info will be appreciated as to my questions about the fitting of repros and why nobody makes 5x5 magnum 500 or rallyes, is there some reason? Cheers
They were never made for 5 by 5 applications so there are no center cores to be re -hooped. Lack of demand. The Buick Road wheels in 5 by 5 are close in design to the smaller rallye wheels and readily available on the used market.
Hi to all, just to say Topcat I sent you a message and My3buicks I didn't really understand what you meant...the wheels were right but where do I get 'em? Am I confusing rallye wheels with road wheels? Are they not the same? The 5x5 option was available for the wildcat but were they called road wheels? It's all a mystery still to me... thanks for all your replies though it is all a steep learning curve
Here's a little info that might help. You're looking for 802's (drum) or 853's (disc brake) They are still out there, you just have to be patient, advertise, and watch this forum, ebay and craigslist (http://searchcraigslist.org/)
The official name on the 67 order form was "Chrome plated Wheels" - you will hear them called road wheels and chrome wheels among other names. As I stated earlier the Chrome plated wheels were not an option, they were Wildcat and Riviera only in 67, The smaller "A" body cars (GS, Skylark, Special) had a different style chrome wheel but looked similar. The official name on the 67 order form for those wheels is "Custom Chrome plated wheels" The base LeSabre's came is a dog dish type cap, the regular wheel covers called "Deluxe wheel cover" was an option, also an option was the "Super Deluxe wheel cover" which looked like the Electra wheel cover but with a Trishield center. and then the top wheel cover option was a "Wire wheel cover". You see lots of LeSabres with the Chrome Plated wheels added and most people just assume they were an option. Nothing wrong with adding them, I usually post info like this just to keep a little bit of original facts alive.
Hi big thanks for all info and for the downloads very useful...am waiting to hear back from a couple of members on possible availability so fingers crossed...cheers all
I think it's common here and there to 'upgrade' to nicer wheels especially when a factory wheel from a newer or more upline model becomes available (usually at a fraction of their original dealer cost). At one time those chrome rims, both big car and smaller pattern, were just a trip to the junkyard or classified ad plus $100 or so away from adding some flash to your ride. Same holds true for multiple examples, especially where the manufacturer used the same platforms or bolt circles (and rim designs) for years. When something like the big bolt circle 'road wheels' are so commonly available used, for so long, at such a cheap price, no one sees any profit in reproducing them. Likewise, if they were available, you'd still be money ahead shipping used ones over vs. buying new repros, and that's presuming no quality issues with a repro. (There have been some issues with the smaller circle repros). Also, I'll vouch for TopCat--you won't find a better guy to deal with. Patrick
hi all, again a massive thanks to all who bothered to reply. It is so nice to be getting some help. I first set out on this journey to buy an american car about 6 months ago after many years of admiring them from afar. After months and months of research I finally decided the 67 2 door Lesabre was the one. After many sellers on craigslist dismissed me as a scammer I finally found a decent trusting chap in Kansas and the deal was done. However, along the way my path has been thwarted by almost this code of silence with regards to information. I sent lots of emails to manufacturers, car parts suppliers and shipping companies and the response at best was so half-hearted, even now companies typically don't respond, leading me to believe that the economy over there must be booming! However, all that seems to have changed now I have joined this forum and hopefully can find out the information I need while not bothering to waste my time on manufacturers. The amount of misinformation is staggering too, for instance if you are looking for a dual exhaust for a 67 lesabre, when you go on to Jegs or any other website including the flowmaster site it says that ( or used to say?) they make one. I was a bit doubtful that this was the case because it said it was for 'a' body gm cars. So I emailed them and eventually they said 'er yeah we can see your issue can you call us?' Which I did and it doesn't fit the lesabre...so I saved myself a lot of grief and money by checking and double checking...Now I'm rambling but you get my point that this forum is a life-saver for me...before I go, badboattail will the riviera wheels fit as I got drum brakes I believe? also what is the name in the signature thing? I am useless with technology, hence the 67 lesabre thing...cheers all Jim
Hi, well at the moment I am in Belgium, having just sold a house in Italy and now on way back to UK... originally from Brighton ( East Sussex) area but not sure where I am going when I get back, possibly Southern Ireland...thanks for links and info...top man! Jim
Hi, that's amazing that's for the info again...not sure if it is a custom or base, how will I know? It is on its way over at the moment, so not even seen it, the anticipation is killing me. I reckon it may be my new home when my missus finds out I've bought and she has to sell her Punto! All I know is it is untouched, still has single exhaust and old points etc and original carb. I have got some new headers and will change to a dual exhaust, at some point I will ask some questions about this, but the carb I will leave I think, it is a Carter 4 barrel. May update air cleaner and distributor, what do you reckon? Previous owner has thrown in 2 air shocks for it and the only other thing I will change are the wheels. Thanks so much for your interest it all feels a little less daunting now as soon as I have pics I will post...oh yeah it's green with a white roof.... Jim
I forgot it's got the stall converter thing on it which at the moment I have no idea what that is...Jim
I replied to your PM, then saw your location(s). A friend of mine (and many here) is a world traveling Australian who goes by 'StephenInTheUSA'. He's currently in Leeds; that's a haul from Brighton but he's a great guy to lift a pint with. He owns a '76 Electra Limited coupe that's stored with a Georgia member until his return. Patrick
An aftermarket source for similar-looking rally wheels would be Circle racing. See within this thread, toward end: http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.p...bolt-circle)&p=2610484&highlight=#post2610484
Hi all, ok Steve thanks for the link... this is for boattail and a big thanks for all your effort 'tis much appreciated...just while I'm here the car has got unassisted drum brakes any ideas what I should do? Are they any good? The previous owner assured me they were ok but they have a bit of a rep back here. Scarebird do a conversion kit anybody got any advice? Will it affect the wheels I should get if I change to discs? cheers all Jim
