bigcypress

looking for wheels for 2000 c5 . one supplier says ''email me with questions'' i did and told him i didn't want wheels badly enough to spend over $1000 area for four rims . his reply was ,roughly , spending less than $1000 a wheel i would get such poor quality he would not recommend doing so . i'm not saying he was wrong but would like others thoughts on my parameter of $1000 area for four rims . just stumbled across really nice looking rims on ebay that are at or below my price range but really uncomfortable with them . ebay rims were being sold by '' florida speed shop'' anybody heard of them or bought from them ? sorry i keep asking about wheels but just want to get it right first time and you folks have always been very helpful . . peace and thank you.......edit: just googled the shop and looking at their ''chrome'' wheels it says '' powder coated and two coats of clear'' . don't know what that looks like in person but didn't find it comforting .

Shakeydeal

Just be aware that some of the cheaper wheels are heavier, and that is unsprung weight added to your car. That said, I have had good experiences with TSW Rotary Forged wheels and MRR wheels. Both offer inexpensive, quality products.

Shakey

Black 02

TSW rotary forged wheels are nice in that price range.

With wheels, you typically get what you pay for so do your research before buying inexpensive wheels.

Pounder

I bought mine from here and had great service from them !!!
http://www.westcoastcorvette.com/

Fcar 98

There is a wide range of pricing on wheels. i bought this set of wheels from a company out of Sarasota Fla. In the $700 range. On the car since 2009, no problem. Yes they are a bit heavier than stock. I don't race my car and the way I use it this is a none factor.

Evil-Twin

EBay is about low price ( most of the time ).. the Vendors buy a lot of Chinese knock offs.
China's low price advantage is that they have no quality control. The cost of quality is 1/4 of the total price of a good wheel. when you remove the quality control factor, you can remove 1/4 of the cost.

you can buy wheels for 500 or 600 dollars, you can buy wheels for 10,000 dollars. All those people who buy 10,000 dollars wheels are not stupid. There is an area in between where yu can get good wheels. but my 70 year experience is that " I can not afford to buy anything too cheap. You can but 600 dollar wheels, drive the car on occasion, and keep them forever.

You can spend 600 dollars on a set of wheels, and hit a pot hole with one and that wheel is toast. And you are out 150 dollars because it cost more to try to fix a bent wheel at that price point than to buy a new one.

Ebay, there are all types of powder coating quality and prep, and all kinds of clear coat. With clear coat, every breach of clear coat. Whether it's sand damage or a stone nick, that nick starts to grow because contaminants start eating at the sub straight. The clear coated wheels will never look as good as the day you bough them, the clear starts to decay the minute they are out on the road.

I've posted this before. but to make a point. I bought a set of forged wheels 14 years ago.
After 14 years and 90,000 miles on them, I bought another set, only in bigger sizes.. The same manufacturer, not off the shelf, or out of the box... but a set designed specifically for my application, 13 inches wide, with back spacing and offset, to allow my rear brake coolers to work, and to clear my 14 inch big rotors and still remain under the rear quarters. My point I had wheels for 14 years, and chose the same wheels 14 years later.
I sold them to the first guy who talked me into selling them for 2400 dollars.

If you think all wheels are the same, I would like to see a set of replicas, chrome wheels, or Ebay knock offs with 90,000 miles on them and are 14 years old...

here are my 14 year old wheels with Michelin tire, on the left, next too my new wheels on the right with Nitto Evo.

1Willy1

I really , strongly recomend not bothering with a low end wheel

Your best bet would be to save a little more and buy a quality used set , of a higher brand

Evil-Twin

Because I am a Photo *****... I want to post this about buying cheap things... WE have five photo printers, large format, portable cordless, etc, my wife is into scrap booking.

Because I could not get the ink I needed for one of my printers, backordered . I went to Ebay, even against my better judgement. I bought a set of inks, from a vendor with a high rating. The inks were touted as having a smart chip, recognizing them to display actual ink remaining. they also said, these cartridges are ISO complainant. Very skeptical of all this hype and the cost 1/3 of the OEM price. But I bought them anyway.. The vendor was in the next State, so shipping was fast and free.
One picture is worth... you know..



Got my money back , but what a waste of time... BTW these inks where not recognized by the printer and the cartridges were marked specifically for this printer by the factory.

Vetteman Jack

My car has had a set of reproduction C5 Z06 wheels on it since it was new (added as part of the Milestone Edition package by the previous owner). They are made by Factory Reproductions and after over 13 years, they still look like new. Yes, they may not be the same quality as something like CCW, IForged, etc., but they have served me very well and balance out perfectly.

I had a bad experience with MRR wheels and will never purchase another set of them. TSW is a good wheel as is Forgeline and both will not break the bank.

If you go the reproduction route, just be sure you buy from a reputable vendor, preferably a forum vendor.

Evil-Twin

Good advice here.. If you have no road hazard issue, there is no need for an ultra strong wheel. But if you want strong wheels, you can't get any better than forged wheels. CCW starts out with a solid 60 lb ingot of forged aluminum

Black 02

I agree with this. If you buy a used set of quality wheels you'll always be able to get your money back out of them.

If you buy cheap new wheels, your either stuck with them or will take a huge loss on them if you decide to sell.

In many cases, it's much less expensive in the long run to buy quality wheels. You'll also feel more proud of them and your car will look nicer and more unique than on a set of cheapies everyone else owns too.

Fcar 98

Believe me my cheapies get a lot of compliments. Yes i agree about the level of quality when it comes to wheels. Just like everything else on these cars. A lot of the miles on my car are highway. They are well balanced, and being in the northeast the roads are littered with potholes. So i guess i have been lucky that the last two sets of cheapie spanning the last 16 plus years have not had one problem.

The Rabbi

I bought my car 6 yrs old and the chrome wheels were pitted in corners and by the valve stems. They haven't gotten worse. I've considered new wheels but we like the stock ones. I did get a price once to re-chrome for about $800 and the car would remain stock, as far as wheels anyway. I've heard too many times about aftermarket wheels not able to balance. I saw a Vette with black chrome wheels and it sure looked nice.

Jeff T.

IMHO a plenty depends on you. Bill's wheels, incredible for 14 years old. I would assume Bill is like me, ****, picky, perfectionist. Someone who takes care of his investment.

I don't have the extra coin for CCW's, yet, and bought a set of GS wheels in C5 sizes. Bought them from a forum sponsor. Opened the box and I was amazed at how good they looked.

They certainly weren't as much as CCW's, but I treat them like they were. So far, so good!

Cybermind

To each his own, I guess. Not trying to knock anyone's wheels but.......

My rule for wheels is simple. I will only replace them with wheels that either meet or exceed OEM wheel quality. Period.

I will never touch Chinese knockoff wheels. Yes, they may be fine for everyday driving and may last for years. But, its hit and miss. Wheels are much more than just for esthetics. I need to know that they have been properly engineered and manufactured to meet stringent specifications.

My life is worth more than a few bucks I save on cheaper wheels.

bigcypress

i TRULY appreciate everyones thoughts and time you've spent sharing them . i will soon be 77 and haven't bought much in the way of car stuff in the last 50 years . we just say ''the car needs _____'' and go have it done followed by complaining about prices . first vette was a 1962 i bought for $3000 in 1964 . sold it in 1966 for $2500 and bought a new 1966 vette convertible for $4100 . one of the options on it was a teak wood steering wheel for ,i think , $31 . those kind of experiences are why i'm so stunned at the price of wheels . . . peace and thanks again .

Fcar 98

When you talk of OEM. there were lots of OEM five star that are found with cracks. Maybe not the best rule of thumb.

Evil-Twin

When you are as old as we are...you can easily remember the good old days. I am right there with you.. back then you could go to any GM dealer, and buy solid lifters for 2 dollars each, you could buy a solid lifter cam , from the dealer, with one of three grinds, the cost ? 18 dollars. the cost of options, and the variety of options was amazing, back then you could order a GM car from the factory, and get any color that GM produced with a special order code. Variable radio option codes where 20 and 30 dollars.. want power windows? 44 dollars. want AC ? 65 dollars. want one of 4 differential gear ratios, free. Variable options for intake manifolds, very common, Order three 2's ( trips ), Two Four barrels, or fuel injection. And these options where for passenger cars back in the 50's.

Remember the Dinah Shore show ? when the new model year was being presented for the first time... ? Remember when New cars on transports, were all covered to conceal their appearance before the official unveiling ? All of the dealerships, had concealed fences so you could not see the New cars. It was a very big deal back then... Any Car person in their 70"s remembers that.

bigcypress

in the 50's we used to go out on ''telegraph road'' which was the route from toledo to detroit and look for car haulers stopped at restaurants or truck stops just so we could be first to see the new cars . we were not unique as a lot of folks did it . i know generations have said this forever '' things were simpler then , and better , and it seemed like most folks were kinder'' . by the same token the number of cars with flats or broken down that you'd see in a hundred mile trip was EXPONENTIALLY greater than now . . peace .. ps. think i just ''hijacked' my own thread .

CorvetteBob52

I bought mine from Florida Speed Shop, They are the SR1's They are made at West Coast Corvettes in So. Calif., I very reputable shop and produce some of the best parts for corvettes that money can buy, They put this line of wheels out for buyers that could not afford $2500 wheels for their cars. Mine were in the $1200 range for all 4 with free shipping from their shop in Florida to my doorstep in Lancaster, So. Calif.. So far I have had no issues with them whatsoever. Maybe not the lightest wheels on the market but I do not "Track" my car and the chrome is show quality and it fit my budget. Here they are on my vert.