<VV> wheels for em's

[MarK Durham]

Randy, the journey was progressive over a couple of years, mainly because I
wanted certain things and they cost $ I didn't have.
But, I persisted and saved and have something that should look good and be
available for a long time.

My goal was to have a great looking car. At first I wanted what I saw
everyone else doing, getting new style looking wheels like the XXR series,
or find some Ansen Sprints. I looked for a long time for some hurricane
style, found some too, but they would need restoration and would have been
over $2000 just for the wheels.

Also, I studied this site recommended to me
http://autoxer.skiblack.com/tires.html about corvair wheels and tires. It
was especially helpful. The terms of positive or negative offset and
backspace were a bit confusing, but that and other documents on wheel web
pages helped a lot.

There are more than one sites that make wheels, some are better than others
at explaining what they do, but I found www.thewheelsmith.net the most
helpful. It has a chart where you measure your wheel wells to see what will
fit, and they can make a smoothie in the 4 x 4.5 in 14 or 15. Cost for bare
wheels, trim rings and center caps was $807 plus shipping from the wheel
smith for some 15 x 6. Its another $65 per wheel to have them powder coated
to my color at a local shop that has powder coated all my suspension parts.

Then I thought about tires, thinking I wanted some B.F. Goodrich Radial
T/A's with the raised white lettering. The problem here was that while I
found close sizes, that really was not the "LOOK" I wanted on the car.

So, I looked at all the sites like Coker Tire that does white walls and saw
the high cost, usually close to $200 per tire, or more. Ouch.
But I found this place called Calli tire, who buys radials and vulcanizes
wide whitewalls on them. My tires ran $115 ea for the fronts, and $117 ea
for the slightly wider backs. Much cheaper. While the tires are an imported
off brand they have a 460 treadwear rating and have a good modern tread
pattern. I've added a pic.

So, I found two sites that did old style wheels in a 4 x 4.5 bolt pattern,
wheel vintiques, and thewheelsmith.com. There was a third but I didn't like
their site so didn't look. I already quoted thewheelsmith, they can make
the 15 x6 that would fit perfectly, however I found a super good deal on
wheels with free shipping from Summit Racing, wheel vintiques 14 x 6's
smoothies for $59.95 each. I bought the trim rings there, and found the
best deal on the center caps I wanted thru wheel vintiques directly. The
whole package for wheels, tires, trim rings and caps is about $1068. I have
the wheels in for powder coating my car's red right now.

I chose a 14 x 6 because I know it will fit. A 15 x 6 would as well, but
that route would have cost more for the wheels and tires. While a 15 x 7
may have fit, some guys say its close in the rear and closer in the front,
I'm not into tricking out the car. My wheels, wide white walls and retro
center caps take the car back to a nostalgia time, not try to bring it
forward, and that is what I want. I've looked at many corvair pics on the
net, from meets, etc., and only found one other with a look similar to what
I am doing, so that fits my style. If you didn't see the email with "the
look", go to www.thewheelsmith.net, look to the left of the yellow hot rod
at the tan wheel with that cap and trim rings and visualize the wheel as
red, and that's what I am putting on my car.

While, I have customized the suspension with slightly lowered springs in
the front from Clark's, and used some stiffer bushings, I also just got an
ADDCO sway bar to add, the car is pretty much stock accept for the engine,
which I have spent quite a bit of time improving performance on. Hope this
helps. [?]

Mark Durham
Hauser, Idaho
62 Monza coupe Red/Red 4 speed

On Sun, Sep 14, 2014 at 6:04 PM, <judynrandy at comcast.net> wrote:

> Hi Mark,
> Just saw your post about the wheels you want to put on your em.  Would
> they, by chance, be of the 4 bolt hole variety?  Since 13" tires are drying
> up,  stock looking custom 15" wheels would be an answer to prayer for those
> of us who drive our 'vairs daily!!!!
> Anyway, I'd sure be interested in the journey.  I'm sure they are not
> cheap.  If they can supply them, I can use up the 2 sets of 13" tires I
> have while I save up the loot.
> If possible, please let me know.  Thanx a million.
>
> Randy (Cap'n) Hook
>
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