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Yet another thread about black vs chrome wheels? Once you go black you never go back
This thread I started has nothing to do with Back vs. Chrome wheels.. it was " NEVER " mentioned in the topic. If you think " That" was the intent, and you are bitching about it being another one of those threads, maybe you should not have participated in this one. Everyone, up until this point ha been civil in the discussion as intended. Lost of discussion on types of wheels and alternate colors. AS I stated before, I dont particularly like black wheels. I have them on my New C 7, That's how it came. This thread is about color balance and wheel choices within that balance to enhance the overall look. Again this thread was Never about black vs. chrome.
I'm definitely " NOT" a fan of the " Murdered Look " ( all Black everything )
Last edited by Evil-Twin; Aug 27, 2019 at 09:08 AM.
When I was younger, I was against black wheels for some of the reasons mentioned. Black holes where the wheels are supposed to be, how dirty they can make the tires look, thinking I needed to show off the details of the wheels, etc. I had chrome ZR1 wheels on my first red 4th gen Camaro and it was a classic look. I bought some wagon wheels to throw drag radials on and painted them black because they're not the prettiest wheel and because I've always thought of racing wheels as being black, gold, or some sort of color. I'm a fan of function over form, so the race car look held a sort of purpose to me. Fast forward a few years and I've definitely noticed a sort of trend: the guys that prefer chrome tend to be more showy, while the guys that have black wheels on their cars are usually more inclined to get down and dirty playing with the cars. I think I've landed somewhere in the middle, and lately I catch myself thinking a nice set of silver finished wheels is one of the classiest and cleanest setups you can do now that isn't played out
FWIW, my car has black F14s on them and I like them, but if FYRARMS wanted to trade his brushed set, I'd be all over it
Last edited by INSTIG8R; Aug 27, 2019 at 09:15 AM.
IM pretty old and have been a car person forever. Learned to rebuild motors when I was 14. Learned because I was curious.. definitely part of the DNA of a born aspiring automotive engineer. Being around cars for 70+ years, Ive seen many trends. I doubt any here knows the origin of Chrome revered wheels.. But as an FYI, Ill tell you.. back in the late 40's and early fifties. automobile wheels ( rims ) where two piece, a center section ( hub area )and a barrel section ( the rim ). these two components were riveted together. Car enthusiast would drill out the rivets, turn the hubs around thus dramatically changing the offset. re-rivet the two pieces and have them chromed. This occurred on the wet coast as a trend. All types of automotive wheels have evolved from this " Idea " created by some young visionary hot rodder. just alittle fyi or CTI ( choice tidbit of information.)
Because of my youth Chrome was always a consideration , but in the last 20 years, chrome wheels for me became boring and way too common
Fast forward a few years and I've definitely noticed a sort of trend: the guys that prefer chrome tend to be more showy, while the guys that have black wheels on their cars are usually more inclined to get down and dirty playing with the cars. I think I've landed somewhere in the middle,
Well said IMO. I think that there is some truth to that thought process.
I think Part of the choice to own a corvette is to be a bit showy, be it show of speed or a show of style, or a combination of both. Wheels can be defined as Showy, busy, functional, trendy, Wheels are a critical part of the aesthetic equation for an owner who views his Corvette as more than transportation. Wheels are expensive and can add much to the character of the car.. the wrong choice can be detrimental. Cheap wheels on a low aspect ratio tire can be a disaster both financially and emotionally. Even good OEM wheels can crack.. cheap wheels are a disaster waiting to happen. All part of the wheel consideration.
I was thinking about the concept of rim color, when it occurred to me that we "older" guys may still have the memory of the smaller size of the rims in mind? ( I'm 52, BTW) With all the sidewall that used to show on the older cars, there was a built-in "combination" of chrome and black; or in the case of Torq Thrust wheels, anthracite grey. Look at the rims on this '64, it's a blend of black, machined aluminum and grey all under the fender. They look like overfilled balloons when compared to today's rubber bands of sidewall.
Could the fact that our rims are so much bigger today have an effect on how we perceive the color to appear in the overall scheme? Today the color of the rim shows right at the lip of the fender, making the combination a bit more pronounced, and to some, more stark, than the resting point of the tire's sidewall.
I think I have always liked the chrome or polished aluminum wheels because I also like a thicker sidewall, and have equated black rims with the bare-bones steel rims on economy vehicles or stock cars. It's just a conditioned response from the automotive past, and in NO way a knock on the beautiful designs that grace so many fine vehicles.
It's probably a trite and insignificant part of the color equation, but I keep thinking that the difference in rim size may be a subconscious factor for us older generations that the younger generations don't necessarily have a reference point for. With that said, I love the "new" powder coated color wheels that have opened a literal rainbow of color choices! Anthracite is still cool, too!
Last edited by Edmund Iverson; Aug 27, 2019 at 11:02 AM.
I also like this wheel on my wife's car. I like the style, and the color combination. I also like the fact that Zaino works very well on her black car.
Look at how the the spokes are highlighted by that dramatic color !! That's beautiful!!
But I would not like that wheel as much if the highlight was red.. the orange blends in with the black and woks well on the caliper , the red would be a drastic contrast.. Its these subtle choices that make or break the over all look.
Im just having some trouble warming up to them ( Black Wheels )... for 60 years of owning cars, toys hotrods, my wheels have always been a huge part of the car's statement.. mostly bling ( Chrome ) and in recent years a much more favorable forged polished aluminum.. Most real car guy can see the difference righ off the bat.. Others just think they are Chrome.
Of course, I recognize that black wheels go with my car.. but the wheels and the color , at least for me are taking some time to accept.. But Im feeling better about them as the days go on.. and its not a question of learn to live with them.. If I found a wheel I liked I would buy it. This thread is a typical part of my research into feed back.. no one is going to make up my mind for me.. but I encourage the participation as a means to keep this forum a float.
Bill
For the first 10-12yrs of its life, my car had polished wheels.
Then, the 2nd owner plasti-dipped them in a Matte Black finish.
The top picture definitely looks more "show" and the second picture looks more like "go". Both look good to me but I'd prefer my black rims to actually have a shine to them which that plasti-dipped doesn't have.
When I put chrome wheels on my 2002 back in 2003 I was definitely going for show and today, with the help of Zaino, they still look new. Personally, I think black wheels on a blue car looks horrible. Bill, stick with the black or maybe dip them in hydrocarbon?
