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Thin Spoke Wheel Tutorial

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Old Dec 31, 2007 | 11:54 AM
  #21  
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Bought my C-5 thin spokes from West Coast Corvettes,great price good wheels,had them for 7yrs. no problems.
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Old Dec 31, 2007 | 12:03 PM
  #22  
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I have the 2003 OEM polished thin spokes and keep them looking great with an occasional coat of American racing wheel wax. They are clearcoated, but have an incredible shine for a polished wheel.
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Old Dec 31, 2007 | 12:14 PM
  #23  
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Originally Posted by JDs00PewterCoupe
Chrome will eventually peel, but not for a long time if you take proper care of them. Plus they just outshine the polished by a considerable margin. If you can find a set of OEM wheels that have been chromed, that may be the best way to go with a chrome set. It will cost you more for the set though than a reproduction wheel.

That being said, the OEM high polished wheels are still a good choice - I originally had them on mine and they were very good looking. They are very easy to take care of since they are clearcoated. The wheels do seem to get a bit dull over time - at least many of the ones I have seen do. Not sure if that is just the nature of the wheel or whether there has been some improper maintenance done on them. I sold mine about two years after I bought the car in order to put a set of chrome C5 Z06 wheels on there.
When I stripped the factory coat off of mine, it appeared that the "dullness" was in the coating. The coating was a milky white when I finally peeled it off. Underneath the coating were shiny chrome/alum. wheels that could easily be buffed out.

It seems with the coating on, you are at the mercy of its aging process.
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Old Dec 31, 2007 | 12:46 PM
  #24  
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Originally Posted by Bell
I originally had the chrome thin spokes (see my avatar) and cracked one of the spokes at the base. Afterward, I was surprised at how many people I found on the forums that said the same thing happened to them (surprised because I had never run across any threads complaining about it)...
Yes, something to seriously consider before the OP makes the switch; especially if purchasing used wheels. Below are a few recent threads.

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

Heeding post #2 is a MUST as well.
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