jimmantgaris

i have a 99 auxr6 that's black and i want to get rid of the standard 16's and get some 18 inch chrome 5 spokes. my mates are trying to talk me out of it saying the chrome isn't very durable and a bugger to keep clean.i reckon chrome and black looks trick. just check out the latest zoom magazine cover!!

 

Mike

Steve's EF2 Ghia (on the Owners Cars page) has chromed 16" XR alloys, so I can comment from his experiences on the maintenance. Yep, for them to look their best, they need very regular cleaning. I'd say for the best results you'd want to clean them weekly with a proper metal polish. Steve found with his that after a short period of neglect, they haven't really looked the same since. As for durability, they seem not to be any softer or weaker than the regular ones on my XR8. So basically the conclusion is that they are certainly a sweet thing, but do need regular attention to keep in their prime :)

Will there be any clearance problems on the front end at full lock mate? I know Sam has a bit of trouble with his 18's on his EL with this..

Cheers
Mike

XR8chic

Hi,

Yeah - if you can afford it - got for it!! It will look unreal!!!

I had chrome rims on my old EA. I never had any problems with them. I used to just wash them with soapy water every week.

I have 18's on my ED. (they arent chrome cos I couldnt afford the extra $1800) I dont have any clearance problems at all.

Also - check out the current car of the week on the website... Tomis Blown EL XR8.. it has gorgeous 19inch chrome rims....

:-)
Kelli S

Venom XR

I had the 16" chrome Ford Explorer wheels (on there when I got it, looked very effective though) on my old EA.

Mothers make an excellent Mist spray for chrome wheels, spray-on/wash-off deal. Works well, and for stubborn marks, they have a chrome polish as well. Highly recommend their stuff.

ajrs EF XR6

Jim,

Have seen a black AU F/mont with full body kit and chrome 17" in I think they call it 'shadow' or similar in some wheel brands.

Very tidy package in daylight and menacing in the dark.

RAT

Hi Jim, go for the chromies but purchase wisely because there are 2 types of chroming on the market - dipped & sprayed. Dipping is the more traditional way giving a better finish (smoother & more resilient) where as spraying can give a slightly rippled look & if not done properly, can peel. Most 'cheap' wheel deals, like the ones in the 4 cylinder magazines, are sprayed, they're not bad but check them carefully for pitting & you can tell they're sprayed if only the face of the rim/dish has chrome on it. As far resilience goes, they're not as easy to patch from gutter marks etc as say a fully polished rim but they're easier to clean because brake dust hoses right off, the dirtiness your friends are talking about is more to do with brake pads & not the wheels. Another point is watch the offsets, Kelli mentioned the blue EL with 19s, its actually Vince's car & he had a bit of mucking around with rim fitment: pumped/lipped guards, used spacers on rear & longer wheel nuts - but the car sits extremely low, another alternative is fully polished like the Simmons on Tomi's green EL XR8 under the owners gallery.