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The C5 portrays to me exactly what you said...it's never dirty, brake dust is always removed daily...it's a sleek/clean image with a good color scheme balance.
The C7 on the other hand looks more angry, rowdy...a car ready to get down and boogy whenever wherever. Given the fact that a third color is not to your liking, what about a simpler black wheel...something in a simple 5 spoke that MAY pop more due to the simpler style.
Like a Forgestar CF5 design.
I'm sure CCW/Forgeline make a similar 5 spoke design since I don't see you buying Forgestar
Last edited by smitty2919; Aug 26, 2019 at 08:25 AM.
Ive had My C5 for 20 years, The CCW's where chosen 20 years ago.. They felt right 20 years ago, that's why I bought a second set when I made the wide body choice and needed wider wheels.
I'm still trying to warm up to the black wheels and still exploring options. Thus the discussion.
Thanks for all the participation.
Bill
I'm a fan of chrome and polished wheels. When I bought my C5 used it had the chrome C6 Z06 style wheels on it. I liked them then and still like them now. I've shopped other wheels and just have found any I liked enough to change out. If I do ever replace the wheel I have I will go chrome again.
This is an interesting thread because I think about how back in the day the chrome reverse wheel was the thing and mag wheels were the ultimate wheel upgrade.
It was a big deal to have four bar Lancer hubcaps or three bar spinner hubcaps. I had a set 1964 Chevy Super Sport hubcaps on my 1959 Impala convert that was red with a black top. It was as cool as I could make it in 1966 as 16 year old kid working part time and going to high school.
Latter on I was able to swing a deal on two Mickey Thompson mags on the front and chrome reverse on the rear. That was beyond cool to me.
It seems strange to have mag wheels that are painted. But I'm old school I like chrome or polished wheels and I also think that what ever you like is fine with me.
I like your C5 wheels more than the C7 black wheels. I do see your point about three colors and don't have a good answer.
Thanks for bringing this up as I said before I do think about it a lot.
My C5 had gloss black wheels (Cray Scorpions) with chrome rings when I bought it. Not my first preference, but I did grow to like the look. Had they been all-black, I may not have even bought the car. Eventually I had the opportunity to buy some polished CCWs. I’m very happy with the look now. I agree that with all-black wheels, detail is lost from a few yards away and any styling opportunity disappears.
So my car previous to my C5 was a flame red and tons of black modified neon, yes neon srt4. I chose a hyperblack color on my wheels and really enjoyed the overall scheme and always received compliments on the wheel color!
The hyperblack really worked against the all red and gloss black look and I would suggest something along those lines!
I hope people can see what I mean. The black wheels go with all the black on the car. but fail to be well defined. Adding silver wheels would define the wheels but would not compliment to total look of this car.
I think anything other than black would not look right on your new car. You are trying to compliment a two tone look not force it into being a 3 tone look.
JMO but if you were to put a chrome or silver wheel on that car they would take way from the look of the car almost to the point of being a distraction.
I understand everyone has their own tastes. There are definitely black wheels I like and some I don't like at all. With that being said, I bought my C5Z last November and it had some C7 ZR1 (I believe) wheels and a vinyl stripe on it. I pulled the stripe and put some powder coated OEM wheels back on it. To me, the black wheels just look night and day better. I completely understand some don't like this look, and I'm cool with that.
Last edited by 0VERKILL; Aug 26, 2019 at 10:44 AM.
It's good that we can have a discussion about the subject instead of the usual black wheel haters vs chrome wheel haters. I have a couple of neighbors who both have black Chevy Silverado pickups. One has his all blacked out, i.e. black wheels, black bumpers, black trim, blacked out tail light covers, etc. The other one has chrome wheels, chrome step bars, chrome bumpers, etc. To me, the chrome really pops against the black truck. The all black one just seems like it has too much black and needs some sort of contrast. It's too subdued looking, but that's just me. I know a lot of people like the all blacked out look...
I went through a similar conflict decision with my '19 Z06. I went polished with my MSG C5 but didn't feel polished would look as good on an Arctic White with Carbon Flash trim. I couldn't bring myself to ordering the OEM black wheels because, similar to other black wheels, the cuts and design of the wheel disappears as you move away from the car and especially a white car, I didn't want the black holes look where the wheels should be. Even with painted, or non-black brake calipers, it just looks too dark for my eyes. That's why I chose the Transparent Smoke Finish Forgeline AR1s to match up with the Shark Gray vents.
IMO I evaluate a car in a 10ft or closer range, at which point you can see the detail of a black wheel. I agree it is hard to photograph black wheel, but what does that matter? Unless your car will ONLY be in pictures then it's an issue lol.
It's gong to be hard to get away from a tri color scheme with your car. Even a charcoal color can seem like it's a grey wheel with permanent brake dust. You can tell when a gloss black wheel is dirty and when it's not. Now a matte black wheel can "always look dirty even when it's clean".
On the complete flip side I've seen a gold colored wheels on a red/black car that I oddly don't mind lol.
When it comes to black wheels I think simple = better when evaluating in all aspects of direct sun/overcast/up close/in pictures or rolling down the road.
I hope people can see what I mean. The black wheels go with all the black on the car. but fail to be well defined. Adding silver wheels would define the wheels but would not compliment to total look of this car.
Maybe a dark gunmetal color, carbon fiber hydo dip or even a red lip on the black would break it up a little?
I turn 50 in late October, so I suppose I can be classified as "old". I spent my teens in the '80s, when almost every cool car was shod with heavy and shiny chrome wheels---except mine. My friends' cars were wearing Cragar S/S and SST wheels, Keystone Classics, and Superior Mags. My cars were wearing machined aluminum American Racing Outlaws and Centerline Autodrags. Maybe it was the "Miami Vice" culture at that time, but my bedroom wall posters were all Lambos and Ferraris and Panteras and 930s. None, of which, had chromed or polished wheels. Regardless, I was never a fan of shiny wheels, even at a young age. I just don't like the extreme look of both very shiny wheels and very dark or black wheels. I like subtlety and a slightly muted appearance. I like less reflections that shiny wheels create, but I like more definition that black wheels don't create. I like balance.
Personally, I think black wheels can look good on the right car. It has to be the right color and the right shape. Since the spoke design will be lost to the eye, there needs to be a machined or polished lip to separate the wheels visually from the tire. Otherwise, it looks like black wheel covers. My previous C5Z had black wheels with a polished lip. I didn't think I would like the look, but I did. It worked well with the silver paint and the red calipers. The non-black lip made all the difference. My current car is metallic blue, and black wheels would just look awful on it. Chromed or polished wheels would be overload, too. So, I had the wheels custom hand-brushed and clear coated. The brushing brightens up the wheels without looking like a mirror. You can really see the spoke definition, and the brushing refracts light just the right amount. Again, I like balance, and this finish is my favorite on virtually any color of vehicle. Not too shiny, and not too dark. Also, easy to clean, with no polishing required. LOL
Black on that blue would not be wise. It's funny how almost every picture of a black wheel can not be seen LOL. What style wheels were on your silver car?
I went back and forth about C6Z or C7Z wheels to buy for my silver 03Z...EVERY picture of those black wheels on a silver car I had to edit and lighten the picture to make out the wheel design and how it flowed with the car. I ended up going with gloss black 18x10.5 square C6Z wheels to keep the spoke design simple, and to make life easier to clean them LOL.
The C7Z wheels looked good in some pictures but after seeing a red C6 with the same wheel that were dirty, I said "screw cleaning those!" and the fact they didn't look quite right during some angles.
My friends' cars were wearing Cragar S/S and SST wheels, Keystone Classics, and Superior Mags. My cars were wearing machined aluminum American Racing Outlaws and Centerline Autodrags. Maybe it was the "Miami Vice" culture at that time, but my bedroom wall posters were all Lambos and Ferraris and Panteras and 930s. None, of which, had chromed or polished wheels. Regardless, I was never a fan of shiny wheels, even at a young age. I just don't like the extreme look of both very shiny wheels and very dark or black wheels. I like subtlety and a slightly muted appearance. I like less reflections that shiny wheels create, but I like more definition that black wheels don't create. I like balance.
