Which maintain their appearance better? Do chrome wheels require frequent polishing or are they clear coated?

 

Chrome isn't clear coated. It requires no polishing of any kind, just cleaning.

 

The chrome wheels are easy to keep clean. You can put a sealer on them to make it even easier. I use Blackfire Crystal Seal.

 

Chrome, as long as it is applied correctly....that being triple-chrome plated...google it for more info, it is essentially for exterior automotive components subjected to harsh environmental conditions...nothing else will survive without peeling, corroding, discoloring, etc.

 

Go with chrome, my 2015. Another Forum member ,jimmy b, had his stock painted wheels powder coater black, machined the rims, center, and spokes to bring out the silver, then cleared them and they looked great.

 

Are Corvette chrome wheels high quality triple chrome plated? Another $2k for chrome wheels isn't chicken feed.

 

I am not impressed with the durability of the chrome wheels. They are similar to the chrome wheels on my old 10 GS. They scratch and pit. My stock rims on my Z51 seem to be pitting a bit as well, but I didn't pay an extra $2k for them

 

The chrome on the factory wheels is top notch. I've never seen better chrome, and I've been restoring cars for 30 yrs. Any wheel will go south, if they're not taken care of, but chrome is very durable, when it's done right.

 

We had black 13 427; Silver 09 Coupe; Chrome 15 Coupe. Like the chrome the best.

 

Randall:

Before I got my Corvette, my build order was going to be for the 5 multi-spoke wheel in Painted HyperSilver Aluminum. I have hyper silver painted wheels on both my Jaguar XKR and Porsche Cayman 981.

Since I could not get an allocation for a build, I ended up purchasing a 2015 C7 off a dealers lot. It had the 19 & 20" 5 Multi-Spoke wheels in chrome.

These Corvette chrome wheels are of high quality. The chrome is impressive and the 5 multi-spoke is easy to clean. Once the car arrived, I cleaned them, then polished the wheels, and then coated the wheels with Pinnacle Black Diamond Wheel Coating. The chrome wheels stay very clean, very little evidence of brake dust and a simply Dawn dishwashingdetergent and water will clean them quite well. The chrome does not scratch, and are easy to maintain. There is an added cost of $1995.00 MSRP to go up to the chrome wheels. Also I like the Corvette name that is stamped into the wheels.

I am glad the C7 had the chrome. I gets lots of compliments and the chrome adds a touch of class to the car. What I like the best, is that these wheels are quite easy to clean. The spokes at the rims, have curves and there are no sharp edges. There is plenty of room to get a cloth rag or microfiber towel in between the spokes.

If you go with the chrome, consider coating them upon arrival. I have provided a link to the product I use on all my premium sports cars for your review.

http://www.autogeek.net/pinnacle-wheel-coating.html

I hope this information helps which is from a real C7 owner with the Corvette Chrome wheels and who is a "detail junkie".

My vote goes to the 5 Multi-Spoke chrome wheels.

 

I think Black looks better but they are bitch to keep clean

 

Every time we drove our 13 427 with black wheels it took about a hour to clean the wheels.

 

I know we should have put differant pads on it.

 

Ever notice on a married woman's finger who payed the extra for the POP? A good diamond will POP how it reflects the light.
Ever notice on a Corvette how the sun POP'S on a particular rim? Then a particular rim looks like POOP? Ya gotta pay for the POP so it doesn't look like POOP.

 

I wonder about the quality of the chrome plating. I made the mistake of trying to wipe off a spot of dirt with my finger and scratched the chrome. Yes, SCRATCHED THE CHROME with my finger. You can see where the dirt spot was because its not scratched. Now these are small scratches and hard to see without the light just right but I see them all the time, now. I remember the chrome bumpers of years ago, you couldn't scratch them with a Brillo pad. Now I never touch the wheels without soap and water first. BE CAREFULL!

 

The key with black or other painted wheels is remembering when you clean them that you are cleaning paint, like your car's body. Don't use anything that you wouldn't use on a fender or a hood. I clean mine carefully and keep them coated with ReJex and they seem to be holding up well.

 

Chrome looks great. However, if you scratch them, they're toast. If you scratch painted wheels you can fix them. We have several companies around Naples that will come to your house to repair them, if need be. The chrome? You gotta replace em. I'm just sayin........

 

I've never had chrome wheels before, been driving BMWs and Audis for over 40 years. I'm really not a "chrome guy", so I think I'll go with the stock silver painted wheels and save $2K. As you said, the silver painted wheels can be "touched" up if needed or refinished a lot cheaper than chrome wheels. Car in LB is sharp enough without the chrome wheels IMHO. I guess I answered my own question.

 

You should have "coated the wheels" when you got your car at first arrival to prevent any scratches. There are several types of protective wheel coatings available.