Styling i blame chas...........

[Jai]

see, a long time ago, i pointed out that the 13" uno turbo alloy was all very well, but a 15 would be nice. chas pointed out that the mk1 croma occasionally came with an identically styled 14" rim, a good halfway house, and so began many years, i fruitlessly searched....till my old mate ebay came along......

a big booted alfa helps:

the difference is clear:

and for good measure, as the mrs was coming back from hong kong via mumbai, i gave her a spare wheel to be refurbed:

£21 for the alloys, £30 for the steering wheel, a good week i feel!

only downer, i did ask for the spokes to be done in white for tippex, apparantly the man said words to the effect "that's a **** idea, no! i have a reputation"...........


so anyway, i now have another set of rims.......cheers chas

 

[Chas Uno]

Don't shoot the messenger - I was only passing on information!

Should get people thinking when they see the 14's - it will look standard but something is different at the same time :devil:

Steering wheel looks good! You should show what it looked like before it was refurbed as the difference is quite dramatic.

And you used the Alfa to drive that distance to collect the wheels? Must've cost you about £500 in petrol!

 

[Chas Uno]

By the way, the phase two mk2 Strada Abarth 130 also has those 14" wheels

 

[Jai]

By the way, the phase two mk2 Strada Abarth 130 also has those 14" wheels

geek

 

[alexGS]

Nice find Jai

Now get to work with the paint stripper and the aluminium polish!

We need to see some low-profile tyres on there. I wonder what the correct size is... <five minutes later> http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible_pg2.html - 185/50 14 is very close in outside diamter to 175/60 13 (the original size)...

As a temporary measure, try some white insulation tape lengthwise on the steering wheel spokes, just so you can see how "gash" it looks

-Alex

 

[Jai]

We need to see some low-profile tyres on there. I wonder what the correct size is... <five minutes later> http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible_pg2.html - 185/50 14 is very close in outside diamter to 175/60 13 (the original size)...

problem is for that size tyres are about £55 a corner

two of the wheels have 195/60/14 on......if i go 195/45/14 comes down to £40odd a corner...

or 195/60/14 can get to £100 all in.....but thats for a budget, which lets face it, is the same as the nexen 13s that served so well on the trackday...

main thing is to keep overall gearing as close to orginal as possible, with a heavy nod to cost

hmmmm.....185/55/14.....£31 each.....puts me 3.5% out.....

 

[Captain Mike]

where abouts do you get your wheels refurbed?

EDIt: I'm on about the ones on the corners

 

[Hellcat]

185/60R14 are a cheap size, as are 175/65R14. Bravo/Brava size tyres.

Where was the wheel refurbished?





edit: Forgot the "You total wheel whore!"

 

[Jai]

where abouts do you get your wheels refurbed?

bjv engineering in herts: http://www.wheelrefurbishing.co.uk/index.htm

hd 2 sets done there, very happy with them

185/60R14 are a cheap size, as are 175/65R14. Bravo/Brava size tyres.

Where was the wheel refurbished?

the steering wheel? bandra
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=ban...ent=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl


hmmm, nexens for£101 on that size, cheers fella

edit: Forgot the "You total wheel whore!"

i will be getting rd of the big lancia alloys and tyres at some stage soon, mainly coz i want some room....and also to fund my addiction:slayer:

 

[Jai]

so, i tried on the new additions, just a front corner, but you get the idea:

the lancia wheel has: 175/65/13 on a 13x5
the fiat one: 185/65/14 on a 14 x 6

i think the lancia rim would look good in a painted silver

and the 14" uno/croma/strada rim with black inserts, polished face
i'm very much leaning to that one, looks standard, but subtly diff....

as for the steering wheel, slightly thicker rim to grip on to, oooh errr mr clary, yes the patina has gone, but it's just so much nicer now

 

[Chas Uno]

Those Lancia alloys have been bugging me. I know I've seen them before, so a quick search for Lancia alloy wheels on the 'net and...



...they're from an early lower spec Delta! Or according to the advert, a Saab 600 (WTF?!!!!) Saab did have a joint development with Lancia, Alfa and Fiat with the Saab 9000 being part of the same family as the Lancia Thema, Alfa 164 and Fiat Croma, but I had no idea there was a Saab 600 based on the Delta!

Anyhow, now we know where those wheels came from

 

[thepottleflump]

Nice rims, got a set of Cromas on my Strada. They a better offset than the sandard Strada wheels and sit further out in the wheels without the need for spacers.

 

[alexGS]

Agreed - the Croma wheels get my vote - get 'em polished or machine-turned... consider not having them lacquered - I find that the lacquer takes off some of the polished-aluminium shine, plus it seems to attract/hold brake dust more.

I know you have corrosive elements around but honestly I think that polished alloy washed fairly often will stand up better than lacquered alloy, especially when the salt water etc. seeps through the lacquer and is held against the alloy.

-Alex