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St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09, '14-'15-'16-'17-'18
Source of factory chrome Z51 wheels?
I'm looking to replace the silver painted wheels on my Z51 for a set of factory chrome wheels. The guy at Discount Tires tried to tell me that there is no such thing....that GM sends them out to be chromed somewhere else.
What's the truth here? I have no interest in repros....I want what comes on cars from the factory with chrome wheels.
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09, '14-'15-'16-'17-'18
Thanks for the replies so far...
Forgot to mention... the guy then looked up a supplier that sells those wheels and quoted me a price of $2,000 and my wheels in exchange for original Z51 chromies. I had already seen one of the forum vendors offering a chrome wheel exchange for about $1,000 after all is said and done. This vendor advertises that they are the OEM GM chrome wheels.
Methinks that the guy at DT is trying to pull a fast one.
Look on the Parts For Sale on this forum. The OEM wheels have the raised Corvette lettering not found on reproductions. I found a like new set on this forum at a very good price.
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15- '16-'17-‘18-‘19-'20-'21
NCM Lifetime Member
Originally Posted by Red Racer
I'm looking to replace the silver painted wheels on my Z51 for a set of factory chrome wheels. The guy at Discount Tires tried to tell me that there is no such thing....that GM sends them out to be chromed somewhere else.
What's the truth here? I have no interest in repros....I want what comes on cars from the factory with chrome wheels.
Guy at Discount Tire speaks poopy with forked tongue ............ I am at my wits end with them here in TX because of their line of bs . The GM chrome wheels come from the same supplier as the basic wheel. No issue ........... I'd suggest calling Gene at House of Wheels. He is a forum vendor and gets hands on a lot of dealer takeoffs. Odds are he will have what you are looking for.
Those are reproductions. You have to learn to read between the lines. In the description body within the auction they refer to the wheels as "Z51 style". I've seen this numerous times and it always means they LOOK like something, but they are NOT that thing.
In the past I have always gotten the new Corvette with the painted wheels. I have used West Coast Corvettes in the exchange program a couple of times. Seemed to save about a thousand dollars or so. Call them and tell them you want the OEM chromed wheel. Maybe you can send them yours and they will chrome them for you and return the same. I can do that cause the Corvette sits thru the winter. Don't know what your time frame is. I am sure you can ask any vendor the same question. Good Luck.
I'm looking to replace the silver painted wheels on my Z51 for a set of factory chrome wheels. The guy at Discount Tires tried to tell me that there is no such thing....that GM sends them out to be chromed somewhere else.
What's the truth here? I have no interest in repros....I want what comes on cars from the factory with chrome wheels.
West Coast Corvettes has an exchange program. For $1000 they take your wheels and you get the chrome set want. Also try House of Wheels here on the forum in the parts for sale section. I bought a really nice set from Bob for a good price. Oh and your Discount Tire guy is full of BS.
Forgot to mention... the guy then looked up a supplier that sells those wheels and quoted me a price of $2,000 and my wheels in exchange for original Z51 chromies. I had already seen one of the forum vendors offering a chrome wheel exchange for about $1,000 after all is said and done. This vendor advertises that they are the OEM GM chrome wheels.
Methinks that the guy at DT is trying to pull a fast one.
As a point of reference, the '16 list price for the factory chrome wheel upgrade is $1,995. See photo. Tks.
Discount Tire must not due random drug testing on their employees. I would keep a close eye in the for sale section of this forum. Perhaps you can score some gently used wheel or even possibly trade someone your silver wheels for their chromies...
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-
'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
Sounds like your local Discount Tire guy is trying to increase his profit on those wheels. Some good options to get a set of the chrome wheels are mentioned above.
Bob from H O Wheels told me they were all made in soon to be mexico even the GM wheels.
I boutht a set of repo's for my C5 and loved them, no issues at all
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09, '14-'15-'16-'17-'18
Originally Posted by mitchydkid
Those are reproductions. You have to learn to read between the lines. In the description body within the auction they refer to the wheels as "Z51 style". I've seen this numerous times and it always means they LOOK like something, but they are NOT that thing.
Thanks...
Another clue is the lack of the raised Corvette lettering on the wheel. Smart move on Chevrolet's part to include that little feature on their factory wheels.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but if a wheel discounter is selling 'new' Z51 OEM chrome wheels with the raised script, they're probably an original wheel that has been re-chromed by an aftermarket chrome shop. Wouldn't real OEM wheels have to be take-off from a Z51 or purchased over the parts counter?
I've seen multiple sets of 'new OEM' wheel for sale by vendors, but upon inquiry, they have been refurbished.
I read here somewhere in a thread that seemed definitive that the repro C7 wheels on at least 14-15 MY cars were manufactured in the same Chinese factory as the OEM wheels. Production of C7 OEM wheels has now been moved to a plant in Mexico
I just bought a set of repro Z51 wheels from House of Wheels for my winter (all-season) tires, and they have the same JWL certification stampings as my OEM Z51 wheels. Both sets were made in China, appear identical, and the finish quality is also identical.
The only difference is the repros do not have the raised Corvette lettering, which I can live without. I'm not worried about the repros for winter usage, they're cost-effective alternatives for that purpose, and they may well be of equal quality. Even the OEMs are not top-dollar, forged wheels.
08-27-2016, 06:24 PM
Source of factory chrome Z51 wheels?
I am at my wits end with them here in TX because of their line of bs . The GM chrome wheels come from the same supplier as the basic wheel. No issue ........... I'd suggest calling Gene at House of Wheels. He is a forum vendor and gets hands on a lot of dealer takeoffs. Odds are he will have what you are looking for.
