SCCA VETTE

I was up in South Bend last weekend to help a friend buy a 03 Z06 and figured we would stop by Tire Rack and see about a new set of wheels for the Vette. I waited in line for the best part of 20 minutes before being waited on. Once I got to the Salesman he asked what I needed and I informed him a set of wheels for a 2003 Z06 and would like to get 18" / 19" combination. He ask if I had been on their website and I advised him I had however it was not much help. He punches around on his computer and advises me there is 1, yes 1 wheel option for my car at $850 each. I was a little confused and asked him to check 17", he found a second option for me for $600 each. I asked him if he was sure and he said yes that is all that is offered for the Corvette.

I was a little shocked to say the least and asked him why they would only offer 2 different wheels to fit a Corvette when there is millions of them on the road and the majority change out the factory wheels. It would seem the "largest" wheel and tire store would carry the "largest" selection. He again advised me that was all that was offered for the Corvette. I advised him he was WRONG, I can find hundreds of options on the internet for the C5 Corvette and by the same manufactures you have right here on display.

I then said well I guess we are down here. He asked if there was anything else he could help me with. I advised him I really doubt it.

I found a vendor on the Forum (1st rate corvette part) that was a great help and new wheels are on the way.

Cliff Notes: Dont waist your time with Tire Rack!

TA

So let me get this straight. You're upset that TIRE Rack didn't have a good enough selection of WHEELS? Wow, who would have thought


BTW "Waste"

rocco16

The Tire Rack offers wheels for the largest markets. That would not be Corvettes.... that would be Hondas, Nissans, Toyotas, BMW, Mustangs, etc.

I've looked at Tire Rack's offerings for Corvettes for years. The salesman was right; they don't have any.....and I don't expect them to.

Corvette wheels, because they don't also normally fit twenty other cars, will always be an expensive niche market. You should be able to find plenty to choose from if you look to HRE, Forgeline, Fiske, CCW, etc.

SCCA VETTE

That makes total sense however I just found it odd that they sell brands (OZ, BBS, Etc) that do make wheels that fit Corvette however did not offer them for a Corvette. They market that they are all about performance and racing however have limited product for the cars that actually fit into that catagory.

I have auto-X raced at the old tire rack facility numerous times and was wanting to purchase wheels and set of track tires from them because they are a big contributor to SCCA and they are local for the most part. I contacted a friend that works at Discount Tire today to see about a set of track tires for the wheels I have coming. I asked him if they could get wheels for a Corvette and he advised they have a lot of options and they can order even more if I wanted to go to a 2 or 3 piece wheel and order it special to fit the car.
Though it was a waste of time and gas to drive over there I guess it all worked out in the end. I got a decent set of wheels at a decent price on line from a CF vendor and friend at Discount Tire hooked me up with a good deal on tires.

SCCA VETTE

hmmm you have a point! The big display racks full of wheels in the showroom must have thrown me off. I am afraid if I would have asked about tires he probably would have told me they only offer 1 tire to fit the Corvette. At this point I probably would have reached over the counter and choked him to death.

leadfoot4

You realize, of course, that A) you're bashing a long time vendor of this site, and B) a C-5 Corvette is now a 10 year old, limited market car. Yes, BBS did offer a wheel specifically for the C-5, but BBS discontinued it a number of years ago. It was in BBS' "LM" series. (and yes, I have a set of them, and yes, they were $800/ea.) The OZ Racing wheels that Tire Rack sells, are custom made, 3 pc wheels, so YEAH, they're expensive.


FWIW, I've also looked at the wheels that DTD sells, and I'm not knocking DTD, but most of them are the same "run of the mill", cast aluminum, Chinese wheels that the "wheel shops" sell. If you want something top quality for a C-5, step up and pay up.....

SCCA VETTE

A) I was not "bashing" anybody and was just stating the FACT if you want wheels for a C5 do not try Tire Rack, they will be little to no help. If you are a member of the Corvette Forum and own a Honda Civic then they could probably be a vendor to use to get you some wheels.

B) Yes the C5 is 10 years old however was produced for 8 years and there is a lot of them on the road. There must be a good market for them being I find vendors all over the web offering numerous options for wheels.

I could care less where the wheels are made as long as they are good wheels. The wheels I picked might be made in China, have no clue, did not ask, did not care. I found the ones that would look good on my car in the size i wanted and did a search to see if people who had bought them liked them and went from there. The wheels I picked I picked because of looks not so much price however not paying $800 for a wheel that looks hidious. They did not offer the finish I wanted however he did give me the option to have them powder coated prior to shipping them to me. So I was able to get a set of wheels that fit my car, look good, and at a good price. And for $200 more I will get them powder coated to the finish I want.

imgn tht

Kinda confused why you thought the store would have more to offer than their website? It was the salesman's first question for a reason...that's what they carry!

I think you misunderstood what the salesman was stating when he said that was all that was offered for the Corvette...the point he was trying to make, was that was all TIRERACK had to offer. Obviously, there are other choices in the marketplace in general.

I would also disagree that the majority of Corvette owners swap out their wheels. It may seem that way reading through these forums, but this is also an enthusiast site, and we tend to get jaded that we represent the entire population of owners. I bet if we took a poll, the overwhelming majority would be on stock shoes still.

I can appreciate that you were looking to support a vendor that not only supports the CF, but also the SCCA that you participate in. But as you said, plenty of other places that sell wheels and glad to hear you have something on order that will make you happy.

leadfoot4

Titling a thread "Don't waist your time at Tire rack" isn't bashing a vendor......You a political "spin doctor"????

SCCA VETTE

Again was just stating fact. Drove over there, waited in line for a long time and they offered nothing. If you own a C5 it is not worth your time if you need wheels. Why is it if the TRUTH is not positive it is bashing?

imgn tht

You know you're absolutely correct...It wouldn't be worth my time to go to the store, as I would have looked at their website and realized they had nothing to offer me before I wasted "a long time" (i.e. 20 minutes) for them to tell me the same thing I already would have known.

SCCA VETTE

Just because their website does not show something does not indicate they can not get it. I bought a few sets of wheels over the years from Discount Tire and all 3 sets were not offered on their website however the salesman was able to pull out the manufacture catalogs and make some phone calls and get what I needed. If I would have known their salesman used the exact same website I used in my living room I would have not even made the attempt.

And yes standing in line for 20 minutes is too long even if they would have had 100 wheel choices however after driving 30 minutes to get there figured I would wait. I really had no idea it would take that long when there was only 2 people in front of me and 3 people working.

exracer28

I have had mixed results from them but over all most of their Corvette related products are over priced with few options. They seem to be geared to the imports more so than domestics. If you like their cool aid just drink up.

smellya

They sell tires for the most part. That is the reason they are called tire rack. Did you really want the teddy bear wheels they sell for your vette? 800 dollars is the start of a decent price for a track wheel. CCW and Finspeed wheels start around there.

strand rider

I think I will disregard this advice, although it might be well intended. The information available on the site has been useful to me, and I try to pay sellers back that have provided me a useful service.

I would suggest the poster join the Jensen club to toughen up against hard to get parts. He wouldn't come crying around here about old Corvette wheels not stacked up at every corner store.

PLus I have script from these guys, secured in a silent auction for a charity car show. You must admit they are charitable.

I don't get too bent up when people don't have stuff for old specialty cars. What hurts is when you get turned down for crap car parts, because the crap car is too old. That, right there, is a low point for the day, even if you are trying to help someone else.

I once paid 50 bucks for a very minor obsolete door handle part. THe guy said he gave me that price on the phone so I wouldn't come by and bug him, he was busy getting stuff ready for containers, sending high end English and Italian used car parts to where demand was calling. He was surprised when I showed up paid the money and took the small pot metal casting needed to make my left door lock engage, off from deep inside the door. Supply and demand, I'm used to it by now. Nobody is at work without motivation, and even car parts have to earn their keep.

I would offer one more thing. Special orders can be problematic, if the store doesn't often sell that way. Dealing with a store accustomed to special orders , as the good poster did, is the way to go. Sometimes it is more of a sales concept than something a store regularly handles, and your money and time can get tied up with indifferent results..

StKnoWhere

I've been buying from TireRack for all my cars probably since they started, and maybe via Luke most of that time and always had great service at competitive pricing.

Several times I've gotten great deals on their close outs, the TPMS tool recently offered is an example.

My most recent tire order was placed on a Sunday and the tires were delivered by noon on Tuesday, hard to beat that kind of service.

A special thanks to Luke for his years of support and advise in the automotive forums.

RedZ4me

I'm in Ontario, Canada and used TireRack 4 times now, 3 for tires, 1 for a closeout TPMS tool deal.......no issues at any time. A++

0Luke@tirerack

the auto notification got me all worked up but, I'm glad that some appreciate our services and product offerings but, I do know we do not have much in the way of wheels to offer for a Vette.

To the OP I am sorry you feel that we were not up to your expectations and left disappointed. Even with the title of this thread I would still welcome you here to AutoX on our track with us and the SCCA, NCCC as well as many others clubs ...

MotoJB

..."waist"? Facepalm.

Tire Rack has been great for many sets of tires and a set of BMW BBS rims for me over the years.

As for the Corvette, it's clear via one search on their site that they aren't the best place for Corvette rims...so many other good sources for Vette rims.

You can't expect a shop that supplies to a gazillion types of cars to have a great selection for all.

Corvettes are best served by Vette-focused/specialized shops IMO.

RACE U

So, why would tire rack advertise in various corvette magazines, and shiw several wheels?

They are including wheels in their corvette magazine advertisements that wont fit corvettes?