16s are more comfortable than 17s, right?

[Inter State Man]

I wonder how 17" interceptors would look?
Is the additional u/s weight of steel wheels sufficient to be a real issue do you think?
[IMG][/IMG]

[whitels1ss]

I wonder how 17" interceptors would look?
Is the additional u/s weight of steel wheels sufficient to be a real issue do you think?
[IMG][/IMG]

That looks horrible!

[Micks]

Agree it looks like

[Inter State Man]

are steel wheels typically 50 percent heavier?

I recall going from the original BMC steel wheels to minilites on a Cooper S in the late 70's and noticing a difference in performance/steering

I can't for the life of me remember wether it was a huge difference or not,

and I wonder whether the difference would be greater/less on a larger heavier car

Cooper Ss are pretty small …….

[Inter State Man]

I was about to pull the pin on a set of VT SS rims (they looked the nicest to me) and then I found these here in Perth

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/high...ent=61714_9299

I'll buy them if theyre good, the good wife won't notice the difference

[keith reed]

Have a look at a review of those tyres.

[Inter State Man]

I will be ditching the tyres ...

[Inter State Man]

I'm going out to (hopefully) pick up those 17" Caprice wheels

I'm glad I waited to I found the series/period correct units

does anyone have any recommendations or pet hates (Bob Jane Xenex noted) in the tyre department?

I want a compromise between durability/comfort and performance, it will be doing largely country miles

[keith reed]

I had bridgestone re050 tyres on the ve ss ute that I once owned. They are a good handling long wearing tyre. I got about 50,000 k's out of them. I have never had anything come close to this. Kumho make good tyres at a reasonable price. You could expect to get about 30,00 k's from them. I was disappointed in Continentals. Quite dear and didn't last that long. I am currently using Bridgestone re 003 tyres. Great handling but quite dear.

[Inter State Man]

I like the 16” Kumhos on the car at the moment. They seem durable and are reasonably priced. There are cheap Pirelli P7s around now too

[Inter State Man]

OK. SO what I've ended up with

is a set (4) of 17" WK Caprice wheels
These have 9 spokes, as distinct from the 8 spokes of the 16" WK Statesman wheels and the 6 fat spokes of the 17" WL Caprice's
the rims are in reasonable/good condition, with a bit of kerb rash, a couple of dents and the clear coat coming off in places
they are shod with slightly worn cheap Austire "performance" tires, in 235/45/17
I really don't think I can go to a 45 profile, and they are a smaller rolling diameter (643.3 mm) than the 225/50s (656.8)
(the 225/55/16 on there atm are 653.9)
I have been told that 235/45 were a popular choice for replacements on WK/WL Caprices as they were cheaper than 225/50s, which some tyre guys refer to as an "odd size". I have also been told that the oddness of the 225/50s has become less of an issue over time, and they are now only slightly more expensive as a rule
So, I will be fitting the 225/50s (Kumho ECSTAs or Pirelli P7s seem the good buy at the moment)
I have seen a few Caprices getting around with 235/50/17s on the standard wheels (which have rolling diameter of 666.8), which might also point to the rarity/oddness of the 225/50 size

But I would like to clean up these wheels a little bit
I have been quoted (estimated, really) up to 200 a wheel to strip and repair scrapes and re-clear coat, which is not an economical proposition for me (Id rather spend the money on better tyres!)

Question: can I get to the shiny parts of these wheels with a bit of wet and dry to get the remainder of the old clear coat off, and then spray on some new clear coat myself, just to make them look a bit cleaner ?(Im not too concerned about the kerb rash and other dings)? What grade of paper would you use on that aluminium and are there recommendations for a type of clear coat

On the other hand, if the wheel is not at risk of deteriorating without its clear coat, I might not even bother with that, give them a good blast with the k'archer and bung 'em on

[Inter State Man]

there are youtube vids. Paint stripper is the go, evidently.
I just need to identify a suitable brand of clear coat to spray on

[BLACK 346]

Hit them with a coat of plastidip, then you can change colour when you get bored with them. And $200 per wheel is cheap for repaint, my HSV rims cost $390 each.

[Inter State Man]

I'm going to have them refinished. I've been convinced that the alloy will deteriorate where the clear coat has peeled away, and that its not really an option to leave them as they are

I could do it myself, I guess, but - if its going to be done - I guess it should get done proper (and they will repair all the kerb rash and rattle gun dents)

have chosen Michelin Pilot Sports 4 (225/50/17) at $204 each

this has turned into a relatively expensive exercise (relative to what i've put into the car to date, which is not much)

[keith reed]

It's often the way when spending money on cars. Depending on the condition of your wheels perhaps when you get a quote you might reconsider and have a go at fixing them yourself. You have made a good choice with your tyres. Michelin have a good name. I have no idea as to their wear rate but they should handle well.