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I have been looking for a new set of wheels for a few months. I have a lot of possibilities but have a few questions. I know Chrome is the easiest to maintain and Polished Aluminum requires a bit more effort. But what about painted wheels ? They would be powder coated and clear coated. Would they chip easily and how much work to keep clean and to look like new.
Also, has anybody every seen Chrome painted wheels ? Do they look like chrome ? Chrome paint is also an option.
I would never consider a "chrome painted" wheel. It's either real chrome or it isn't. Personally I like the painted wheels on most colors and am not a big fan of chrome wheels. That said, they do look good on some cars and a lot of folks like them. If the chrome gets chipped it is very difficult and expensive to repair but you can have painted wheels touched up or even blasted down and repainted. Knock on wood, my car has almost 4K miles and I don't have a single scratch or nick on my painted wheels. I know it will happen at some point so I'm not going to stress about it when it happens. Clear coated polished or machined aluminum wheels are also very nice and I considered them when I placed my factory order. Good luck with your research and decision.
I have the standard Z51 Painted Wheels on my 2015 Coupe. In the past I have usually gone Chrome. But I objected to the $2000 cost this time. The Wheel that I really like the best is the Pearl Painted Z06 Wheel. I guess I have never heard of Chrome Painted Wheels before. And like poster #2 says, Chips are going to happen ...
Go with powder coated wheels, as powder coating is more durable and they will not chip like painted wheels. I have black factory painted and so far no chips, guess I have been lucky so far.
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
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I've had chrome and painted wheels and both are pretty easy to keep looking good. I've always just put a good coat of car wax on them and keep them clean, and they have stayed in great shape for many years.
Do the '09 Z06 pads dust as bad as the '14 Z51 pads do?
Yes. Both are equally bad as far as dust production, but the painted Spyder wheels on the Z06 were a PITA to clean. I used to call them the Thomas' English Muffins of wheels, because of all the nooks and crannies.
vs. the clean uncomplicated surface of the Torque wheels.
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.
Wheel Maintenance
