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As the subject indicates.. Im on the hunt for a true to the era of my 96 vette set of wheels that are more race inspired. As an example; the HRE 540 is a pretty close example..
I hate a car that has exposed tires so they must tuck in as close to stock as possible.. It seems all the wheel manufactures are using a +30 offset these days which makes the hunt difficult I think..
Anyway.. am I the only who thinks these wheels make a great statement on the C4? Anyone have any recommendations? Ive been searching ebay and did find a set of HRE 540's but not sure if they will fit my 96 which comes stock with a +54\6 offset on 9.5 in the rear and I think +56 on 8.5 in the front and at $2k they break the bank.
Perhaps to play in this type of wheel I need to save some more funds.
I think my attraction comes from my racing a scca Gt1 Camaro but I really must have a set like this to complete the look of my c4.
I think all cars should run era correct rims to look good. Hence why I am looking for BBS RS type wheels for my ZR1(good luck). I am also a fan of the proper offset. I actually put 1/2" spacers on my wifes 335i as the rear wheels were tucked in just a 1/2" too much and it looked stupid. Good luck with your crusade.
Exactly why buying wheels online is difficult and stressful. I couldnt agree more.
It's no better trying to buy them in person when they don't carry them.
All is not lost though, try this out: https://www.wheel-size.com/calc/?whe...cl=50mm&sr=0mm
It should help to decide if what you want is viable or not. Plug in what you have and vary the other side to see what fits or doesn't.
When I was looking for tires and rims to replace the originals on my 86, it was a perplexing task especially since mine has 38mm backspacing.
Plugged my current info into that website and started looking for various combinations till I found what fit like the originals. Rims were not easy to find but find them I finally did. Then I got the proper tires to go with them. Originals were 16x9.5 +38 rims with 255x50xr16 tires. Try to find a variety of tires in that size (good luck). I wanted something that if I was away from home and had a tire issue I could get one in a reasonable timeframe and I didn't think I could in the 16" size.
I ended up with 18x9.5 +40 rims with 255x40zr18 tires. They fit like a glove, exactly as the originals did. They ride and handle very well, I'm happy with them.
I suspect you are thinking of the German made BBS wheels and others similar. There are a bunch of low buck knock offs of them similar to the one originally pictured.
It's no better trying to buy them in person when they don't carry them.
All is not lost though, try this out: https://www.wheel-size.com/calc/?whe...cl=50mm&sr=0mm
It should help to decide if what you want is viable or not. Plug in what you have and vary the other side to see what fits or doesn't.
When I was looking for tires and rims to replace the originals on my 86, it was a perplexing task especially since mine has 38mm backspacing.
Plugged my current info into that website and started looking for various combinations till I found what fit like the originals. Rims were not easy to find but find them I finally did. Then I got the proper tires to go with them. Originals were 16x9.5 +38 rims with 255x50xr16 tires. Try to find a variety of tires in that size (good luck). I wanted something that if I was away from home and had a tire issue I could get one in a reasonable timeframe and I didn't think I could in the 16" size.
I ended up with 18x9.5 +40 rims with 255x40zr18 tires. They fit like a glove, exactly as the originals did. They ride and handle very well, I'm happy with them.
I've not seen 18's that look nice on a c4 until I saw yours. Now you have me thinking about 18's.
Funny, for the last hour Ive been using that website. Im not at home so not sure if the 50mm tire to fender lip is right for the 96. if it is, I may go with this:
yes too rich for my blood unless found used on craigslist. Which is maybe what I need to do is hold off until I find them used. which would suck because my tires are no longer safe to drive on and I just bought the car last weekend..
OE wheels 18 x 9.5 X +55mm & 285's on all corners. Car is a 90.
They are polished not chrome.
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I've been thinking about doing what you did. I dont like chrome on vette wheels.. but polished is very nice I think.. do you have any more at angles which show the depth of the polished metal?
CCW are pricey but custom made to the application and are a lot less pricey than some of the other high end 3 piece wheel manufacturers.
I like the classics so much that Im thinking about sucking it up and buying a nice used set.. I figure $1500 is going to be about the price point.. depends on condition of course.
I've been thinking about doing what you did. I dont like chrome on vette wheels.. but polished is very nice I think.. do you have any more at angles which show the depth of the polished metal?
Another option that might work for you is C5 Z06 wheels. The real GM/ speedline vesions came in two sizes 17x9.5 and 18×10.5
I belive the offset is 54mm and 58mm so pretty close to the stock C4 56mm offset.
I have the 18x10.5 versions on my C4...
The 17x9.5 versions only weigh 19lbs and the 18x10.5 ones weigh 21lbs. So both are lighter than the stock C4 17x9.5 wheels (25lbs I think). So you will get a ln improvement in your unsprung weight which helps handling.
I think replica Z06 wheels are a bit heavier than GM/speedline ones (but still look very nice).
If your not in a hurry watch your local craigslist and Ebay and you should be able to piece together a set for not to much money. It took me like 8 months but I got all 4 of my perfect condition wheels for $550 (not including tires). But I had to piece my set together.
If you want the wheels 'tucked' well inside the wheel wells go for the 17inch ones, the 18in ones don't stick out past the body but they are not as 'tucked as the 17in versions. I have tired both sizes on my car.
Old school 90 race inspired wheels
CCW are pricey but custom made to the application and are a lot less pricey than some of the other high end 3 piece wheel manufacturers.
