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I hope to order a C7 base model in the spring. Wheel choices seem to be my sticking point. It seems, in general:
Chrome: If you're over 50 years of age. ($1995! Jeesh! What a money maker for GM!) and I'm 58.
Painted Silver: 35 - 50.
Painted Black: 30 - 35.
Satin Black: 20 - 30.
Combination of the above: politically correct that no one is completely happy with.
If I could get a Z51 style wheel in polished aluminum, this wouldn't be such a hard choice.
The age/wheel choice is BS. For many of us it totally depends on the particular vehicle involved. I'm in my eighth decade and got an all black '18 and what wasn't black from GM I made so. But, I have new chrome (and, polished stainless) Dayton wires on my '66 Excalibur SSK, like it came with.
If you don't like the factory wheel colors, simple... paint (or have them painted) any color, or polish, as YOU wish. More importantly ENJOY it when you get it!
I took a trip to the #2 Corvette dealer to look at both color and wheel combinations in person. The first thing both I (52) and the father in law (82) picked was black painted wheels.
In my particular case it depends on the color of the car. The darker colors I like chrome or silver. On the the lighter colored cars black looks good on some of those. I'm not locked in. Some are really enthusiastic about their wheels and will only go one color. And I understand that.
As a kid decades ago, the only vehicles I saw with black wheels were beat up jalopies that were missing the hub caps. I will admit that the black wheel look of today has grown on me depending on the car color.
Black wheels on white is Sexy as *&#%. Each is own. Age may have some impact, but this is really about personal tastes, and what I've discovered is this changes throughout ones lifetime.
I hope to order a C7 base model in the spring. Wheel choices seem to be my sticking point. It seems, in general:
Chrome: If you're over 50 years of age. ($1995! Jeesh! What a money maker for GM!) and I'm 58.
Painted Silver: 35 - 50.
Painted Black: 30 - 35.
Satin Black: 20 - 30.
Combination of the above: politically correct that no one is completely happy with.
If I could get a Z51 style wheel in polished aluminum, this wouldn't be such a hard choice.
I am torn between painted nickel and painted black.
GM chrome can peel and they are not all chrome (painted barrels), GM black painted certainly chip (look at the forum vendors who take the GM painted ones and powder coat to restore a nice finish). And with 100,000 C7's out there, no matter which GM wheel you choose, you will see your wheels many times on the road. So, get the GM no cost wheels and put the wheel money to aftermarket wheels that speak to you.
The only impact age may have on one's desire for chrome wheels is that older car owners have lived long enough to realize that chrome wheels have always been "in" to some degree, while
black and some other designs are here today and gone tomorrow.
And I agree on what other's have said, wheel design depends on what vehicle they are going on.
I’m 61. The car came with chrome but I liked the look of the painted black on my car color so now I have both. Should put chrome on one side and black on the other. 😎
Wheel Choices
