Got to borrow one of my buddies speedlines and I think I'm starting to like it more than my think spokes which one would you Guys prefer if you had to choose?

Sent from my iPhone

 

the zo6 wheels loot better

 

My Thinspokes ARE Speedlines!

I may be a committee of one, but the Thinspokes were a major reason I bought my C5 13 years ago. I still have not seen but one or two wheels I like as well on the C5 and the others are over $4000 (so I think I will stay with the Thinspokes!).

 

Make that a committee of 2.

 

Thinspokes. your car your choice. you have to like it no matter what others think.

 

I couldn't decide either. I go back and forth between the two sets.

On a pewter car I have both and like them both, but they give a different impression to the car. Currently I have the polished thinspokes on the car, so I guess that says something.





On my Navy blue car, I like them both too, but the polished thinspokes look better to me.

 

I agree completely, the thin spokes give it a more elegant look as for the speedlines a more aggressive look! I like em both... Btw it is to my understanding that z06 wheels do not come with tpms therefore I cannot relearn the speedlines to my car?

 

It is funny you used those terms (elegant & aggressive). We stated the same that the Z06 wheels had a more aggressive look also. In the pictures they showed up pretty bright, but in many lights they look a little darker gunmetal color and aggressive was the term we used too.

The Z06 wheels and tires sit a little further outboard than the thinspokes (maybe about 1/2" at the outside edge) While they are still under the fender, I noticed that they tend to throw up a few more rocks and noticed some chipping just ahead of the rear tires (rocks thrown from the front tires). On my blue car it is pretty noticeable, but the pewter car doesn't show them too much.

The Z06 tire sizes don't have a lot of choices and are more expensive. I went with a 255/45/17 front and 285/40/18 rear because I found some at great prices. They are bigger than the base stock size although not as big as the Z06 sizes. The speedometer is closer with this sizing than the Z06 sizing on a base car too.

It is the sensor that is used, not the wheel that is used. The Z06 wheels do not have TPMS, however the sensors will mount in them just fine and the car can be trained for them. Just make sure you use the right TPMS for the car. '97-'00 or '01-'04 are different and don't interchange.

Good luck.

 

thanks for that informative response! but since these speedlines are pretty much a loaner for me my buddy has CCW and these were just sitting in his garage he said i can roll with them for a while my question is would my performance be affected in anyway since it doesnt have the tpms ? besides the annoying tpms sensor warning that pops up on the dash

 

No performance issues. I ran them without sensors for quite a while.

Just be ready to clear the annoying tpms message every time you start the car.

 

i notice they come on after some 20 or so miles also? or is it usually just from start up

 

If you don't have sensors, after the first time, it will come up every time at start up.

Sensors go to sleep to save power. It may take a few miles rotating at speed to wake them up. So if the last time you parked the car, they were working you will not see a message at startup, but you will get one when it doesn't see the tpms data after a few miles. So the first time you don't have sensors you may not get the message immediately after start up since it will wait to see if they turn on. But once it doesn't see them it will be immediately at start up from then on. At least that is how both of my '99's work.

 

I like the thinspokes myself, but then I'm not a big fan of the spiderweb-style or painted wheels. Polished and chrome wheels just add a touch of class and just the right amount of bling that painted can't quite match.

Painted



Polished

 

My 2002 MY Coupe wore the stock sized (17' and 18") polished thin spoke wheels when I bought the car. And while I thought those wheels were attractive, still I wanted something different. I ended up with Weld Racing EVOs (18" fronts and 19" in back) in an almost-BBS-like 9 mesh-spoke pattern and chrome plated.

I see very few other cars which have the Weld Racing EVOs. And thinking about it, that's probably why I like them - the wheels are attractive (to me) yet uncommon. "Tasteful yet different" is the look I have sought for my Coupe.

That said, my preference from your two options would be the Z06 wheels, but only if those wheels were in an 18" (f) 19" (r) fitments. [While I'm not a Dub fan, larger diameter wheels, which show less sidewall, are my preference. The stock 17" and 18" fitments allow too much sidewall for my taste, and in my view date the car back into the era when only smaller diameter wheels were being sold.] My perception is that the Z06s convey a sense of power, whereas the thin-spokes convey "style."

I would want any wheels I selected to be polished (or as a second choice, chrome). I don't like painted wheels, regardless the color, because they look unfinished. And black wheels make me recall my high school days (early 60's) when those of us who couldn't afford anything else painted our wheels flat black. (I was personally guilty of that behavior, which is why I have the reaction to black wheels that I do.)

Those are my personal opinions, and you know what people say about opinions...they are like rectal orfaces. Everyone has one and everyone else's stinks.

The Lizzard

 

Both are good looking wheels, but the right choice depends upon the look you are going for.

I bought a set of OEM Speedlines that had about 50 miles on them (!) for my car as part of my Grand Sport project (since performance is part of the theme).

They aren't on the car yet, but I have been tire shopping and can confirm what you have read - there isn't a lot to choose from. I am down to Vredesteins or Nitto NT-05's, the former being a better all around tire, the latter being a better performance tire. Given the relatively few miles I drive, only on nice days, I will likely go with the Nittos.

Your car will look great with either wheel.

 

no good tire choices available for the speedlines. the nitto nt05 is about it. you could use the conti dw i suppose but that front 275 is kind of chubby in their casing

i love the stock speedline wheels and have my set in a spare bedroom here. was just bummed that there were so few available tires which is 100% of the reason i bought tsw's i don't really like the cosmetics of the nurburgring more than the oe z06 wheels but i sure like the michelin pss a LOT more than what i could get for the speedlines

 

A Thinspoke vote here:


Running 18 " rears at all four corners. 275x35 front 295x35 rear. Just had them stripped of the clearcoat and repolished

 

Both of those set of wheels look good on your car. I am running a set of reproduction chrome C5 Z06 wheels and really like them, but would have no problems running a set of the high polished or chrome thin spokes.

 

I DEFINITELY preferred Speedlines on mine (mine are actually 2001 Alcoa's)



Oh yeah, they're ALOT lighter than my repro 5-spokes were while gaining some extra rubber ) car handles better too!

 

The ones that are on my car are that color also, would they be Alcoas? Came off a 04 z06

btw I went with the speedlines and offer to trade for my thin spokes plus a couple of hundred for the speedlines, my only dilemma is getting my sensors off the thin spokes and putting them on the speedlines ... Any idea how much it cost to take them off and remount? Thanks for all the responses guys!

Sent from my iPhone