Well, I guess Specialty Wheel no longer carries 15" Buick rallyes for my GS. What's up with that? I have heard to many horror stories about Wheel Vintiques. What now guys? I want NICE ones!
That sucks, I just got my rears from them a couple of months ago and I was going to get some 15x8's for the front. Did you call them or what?
I want the same wheels that the GSX's came with stock. 15x8's??? I e-mailed SW and they said they no longer carry them :ball: I need someone to say: "Derek, this is what you need, and here is where to get them".
I called Specialy wheel last week and order a set of 1970 WG repop wheels. He said it would be about 8 weeks because they did not have the centers they needed. He said something about it using a regular outer ring but a 67 68 inner center. He said they could also do the non polished inner spokes. Qouted me $225 a wheel. I thought that was fair. The below was from Glenn Stringfeld who ordered his a couple years ago. Make sure you talk to Tom. I talked to another guy the first time I called and he had no idea what I was talking about. "Talk to Tom at Specialty Wheel and tell him you would like the WG style 15x7 Buick wheels for the GSX and remind him that the center section is brushed chrome instead of shiny chrome. Besides myself, I know of 2 other GSX owners who have ordered from them and are very happy. These wheels will not have the WG code on them but are as close as you will get, as far as looks. Their number is 503-668-4793" Mark
Derek,I just got a set of WV from Sumitt. I had to order them in, it took about a month,but they sure are pretty. $125 each
Thanks for the info Mark. I will give them a call today if I get the chance. What is the the difference between a WG wheel, and a WV wheel? Since I have a GS, is the brushed center correct? Keith, do you have any pics of your wheels? Sorry for so many questions!!!
WG is the wheel stamping on the back of a 1970 wheel. The 1970 wheel has a different look then the 1971 up wheels. The inner ring on a 1970 wheel is about the width of a quarter or 3/4" the 1971 wheel and up are not as deep about 3/8" to a 1/2". That is the real differnce. I am guess the wheels from Wheels Vintique (WV) are 1971 and up wheels. The orginal wheels do have brushed (not pollished) look to them on the spokes. Typically when you get a wheel rechromed they actually make the spokes polished chrome like the outer ring of the wheel. They look good that way but not correct. It really depends on what you want to do. The Wheel Vintique wheels are cheaper although Wheel Specialty I think charges $145 or so for a 1971 up Buick rally wheel. You need to ask them when you talk to them. If you want the 1970 wheel you will have to be specific with Wheel Specialty.
Does Duane take off points for incorrect spoke finish? I recall one car at Salem had one wheel that had an incorrect inner ring, so I think they took off for that. Duane, you following this thread?
Would points be taken off for the spokes of a ralley wheel being chrome like they are for repro wheels?
Ken, I do not take points off for wheels with a "too shiny" center. There are only so many good originals left. Getting wheels rechromed is the only option for many of us, and I do not want to fault anyone for doing it, although there is a vendor that does them almost like the originals. (I also do not know who that vendor is, but I have seen a few of the wheels.) However, if you purchase these wheels they better have the following 2 things correct; They better have the correct centers for that year, and They better have the correct offset for that year Both the centers and the rim offset changed in 71 and those are 2 things I look for when judging the cars. Duane
We got 15" X 8"s from Coker Tire :Brow: Had em on the shelf & shipped the same day :TU: http://www.cokertire.com/store/customer/home.php?cat=346 D.
Thanks much for the response, Duane! I was planning to order a set through Y1 using their end of year sale discount tomorrow. I'll ask about offset, and availability. I'm not sure who their supplier is? Yearone P/N is HF74S for a set of 4 15x7 wheels with 4" backspacing. The catalog price is $566 and using discount code HSB4, you can get 10% off through tomorrow. Hope this helps!
I believe the offset for a 15X7 is suppose to be 4 1/2 for "correct" 1971 wheel. Duane Is that correct? Year One also has at least a 2 month wait on getting them. Any way of finding out who does them almost like the originals?
Guys, I don't remember what the 15" wheel offsets are for the 70 and 71 on up styles but all of them had a 4 3/8" backspacing. The difference between the wheels is not how far the centers were pushed into the wheel, the actual cross-section of the rims was different, hence the different rim codes. If you take a 71 on up style wheel and recess the center so it looks like a 70 WG wheel, the tire gets closer to the outside of the car and you reduce the backspacing. I need to check over my notes because I don't have the different centers noted for the 15" wheels. Both the 70 and 71 on up styles may have had the raised centers. However, I do have the different centers noted for the 14" wheels. They used the flat type centers up thru 1970, then changed to the raised centers from 71 on. The 14" wheels, up thru 72 also had a 4 3/8" backspacing. Duane
As far as ordering new repo 15x7 wheels, this is the information I have gathered from different vendors I have talked to. Jegs - Wheel Vintiques - 4" backspacing, $500 for 4 wheels and a charge of $8.99 for handling all 4 Specialty Wheel (Oregon) - 4 1/4" backspacing, $580 + $90 shipping to Mi. for all 4. Stockton Wheel 1-800-395-wheel - 4" backspace, $664 for 4 wheels, not sure of shipping costs. No warranty on chrome. They said they could change the back spacing to 4 /38 if I wanted for about $10 more a wheel. What to choose o No:
FYI- I just placed an order with YearOne and asked about the wheels. I asked one of their techs to go into the warehouse with dime and a quarter and check the wheels they have (15x8 currently). The lip next to the center section of the wheel is about a dime width, not a quarter. It looks like the Y1 supplier is making '71 and up type wheels. BTW, no discount through Y1 on wheels (discount exempt).
