New Shoes for Lucy

[Frosty]

I want your guys thoughts on this. I want to put new wheels and tires on Lucy, my Lemans convertible, this spring. She is running the original 14" Rally II rims she was born with. They are tired, pited, and need to be sandblasted and re-painted. The stainless trim rings are scratched up and need some repair work. The tires are nearly 10 years old and are due for replacing too.  In the end, Lucy needs a new set of shoes.

To that end I bought a set of 15" Rally IIs from Indymanjoe a couple of years ago. I've had them powder coated silver and then I've painted the areas the proper charcoal gray. All I have left to do is to touch up the gray a bit and buy and mount some tires.

However, I've been thinking lately. Do I want to put total stock looking set of rims back on Lucy or should I upgrade her look a bit? I have three other options. Any option I pick, I don't need any trim rings anymore either and I could see about selling the 15" Rally II back to indymanjoe since I know he is still looking for a set.

1. I still have my old Cragar SS mags from my 1973 Lemans Sport Coupe, that I bought when I was 18 years old. They are rusting and need to be re-chromed. However, I still have them and I would not have to buy them, but re-chroming them could cost as much or more than buying new ones.

2. Do I purchase a set of 15" wheels - the  chrome version of the Rally II from Wheel Vintiques? 

3. Most expensive of the bunch. Do I purchase a set of 15" Foose Nitrous SEC wheels? I love the bead lock look of the SEC version of the Nitrous the most.

So what do you think, stay the course with the stock 15 Rally II or go with one of the other choices?

Indymanjoe - I am curious to see which one you pick....and yes, you have first dibs on the old 15" set.

Edited November 26, 2018 by Frosty

[Ringo64]

I like option #1 overall. Always like some Cragers when done up correctly.

The particular Foose wheels for #3 are not my taste but hey, if that floats you boat (and you want to spend the cash ) go for it!

[TWO LANE BLACK TOP]

Personally I like the pontiac Rally wheels the best...

 I've  always liked the Cragar wheels too.....That being said..Also always thought that the ET mags...Don't remember what they were called...(diamond spoke maybe..??or possibly Torque Thrust..??) The 5 spoke ones with the semi polished rim part and the darker rough cast looking spokes in the center...Looked sort of the same style as the cragars but different...

 One of my friends back in the late 70s had a turquoise colored  68 Tempest with them on it...With Uniroyal Tiger Paw White letter tires....Looked like it meant business even though it had a six cylinder engine....He Also had a Kraco 8 track tape player with Mind Blower speakers..(Anyone remember those)??....Still have my Ted Nugent Double Live Gonzo..8 track tape we played all the time....

Bottom line is...Whatever wheels you like go for it...

Edited November 26, 2018 by TWO LANE BLACK TOP

[360Rocket]

I would change the look by going 17” Cragar or Rally 2's. Fill up that wheel well gap!

Edited November 27, 2018 by 360Rocket

[Frosty]

15 hours ago, TWO LANE BLACK TOP said:

Personally I like the pontiac Rally wheels the best...

 I've  always liked the Cragar wheels too.....That being said..Also always thought that the ET mags...Don't remember what they were called...(diamond spoke maybe..??or possibly Torque Thrust..??) The 5 spoke ones with the semi polished rim part and the darker rough cast looking spokes in the center...Looked sort of the same style as the cragars but different...

 One of my friends back in the late 70s had a turquoise colored  68 Tempest with them on it...With Uniroyal Tiger Paw White letter tires....Looked like it meant business even though it had a six cylinder engine....He Also had a Kraco 8 track tape player with Mind Blower speakers..(Anyone remember those)??....Still have my Ted Nugent Double Live Gonzo..8 track tape we played all the time....

Bottom line is...Whatever wheels you like go for it...

I understand the look your are talking about Two Lane....the ET's I remember were a variant of the Torq Thrusts design. I like the Torq Thrust design but I seem them everywhere these days. It is a little over done for my taste. However, they are classic, good looking, traditional muscle car wheel. 

Gawd.....I do remember the Kraco 8-track players and Mind Blower speakers. I put a set of those speakers in my Vega. It was connected to a Pioneer AM/FM/Cassette radio! Kraco's and Craig's were some of the first really affordable aftermarket radios back in the day!!!!

 

360 - The goal has always been to fill up the wheel wells with tire and rims. The stock 14" tires and rims just don't cut it. I made the mistake back in 1978 with the '73 Lemans and I put too much tire on the Cragars and the back tires rubbed the rear fender lip, so I had to add air shocks to jack it up and prevent it. It's what we did in those days.

Edited November 27, 2018 by Frosty

[360Rocket]

2 hours ago, Frosty said:

I understand the look your are talking about Two Lane....the ET's I remember were a variant of the Torq Thrusts design. I like the Torq Thrust design but I seem them everywhere these days. It is a little over done for my taste. However, they are classic, good looking, traditional muscle car wheel. 

Gawd.....I do remember the Kraco 8-track players and Mind Blower speakers. I put a set of those speakers in my Vega. It was connected to a Pioneer AM/FM/Cassette radio! Kraco's and Craig's were some of the first really affordable aftermarket radios back in the day!!!!

 

360 - The goal has always been to fill up the wheel wells with tire and rims. The stock 14" tires and rims just don't cut it. I made the mistake back in 1978 with the '73 Lemans and I put too much tire on the Cragars and the back tires rubbed the rear fender lip, so I had to add air shocks to jack it up and prevent it. It's what we did in those days.

Tou

probanly had a fender rub issue because you went too wide not too tall. I had the same issue in a 69 R/T Charger. Went with Kelly SuperCharger N 50 tires back in the day when I should have chosen the M 60’s instead. Kept chewing the sidewalks until I got my Skyjackers aired up. Lol. The good old days 

[Frosty]

I definitely went too wide. Like you, I went with L60-15s back in the day. It was a wide and tall tire in those days. I definitely chewed up some sidewall. I got the Skyjackers in a real hurry once I found out it was happening.

That's another reason why I bought the Percy WheelRite tool. I don't want to repeat that mistake ever again.

Edited November 27, 2018 by Frosty

[Last Indian]

On 11/26/2018 at 1:44 PM, Frosty said:

I want your guys thoughts on this. I want to put new wheels and tires on Lucy, my Lemans convertible, this spring. She is running the original 14" Rally II rims she was born with. They are tired, pited, and need to be sandblasted and re-painted. The stainless trim rings are scratched up and need some repair work. The tires are nearly 10 years old and are due for replacing too.  In the end, Lucy needs a new set of shoes.

To that end I bought a set of 15" Rally IIs from Indymanjoe a couple of years ago. I've had them powder coated silver and then I've painted the areas the proper charcoal gray. All I have left to do is to touch up the gray a bit and buy and mount some tires.

However, I've been thinking lately. Do I want to put total stock looking set of rims back on Lucy or should I upgrade her look a bit? I have three other options. Any option I pick, I don't need any trim rings anymore either and I could see about selling the 15" Rally II back to indymanjoe since I know he is still looking for a set.

1. I still have my old Cragar SS mags from my 1973 Lemans Sport Coupe, that I bought when I was 18 years old. They are rusting and need to be re-chromed. However, I still have them and I would not have to buy them, but re-chroming them could cost as much or more than buying new ones.

2. Do I purchase a set of 15" wheels - the  chrome version of the Rally II from Wheel Vintiques? 

3. Most expensive of the bunch. Do I purchase a set of 15" Foose Nitrous SEC wheels? I love the bead lock look of the SEC version of the Nitrous the most.

So what do you think, stay the course with the stock 15 Rally II or go with one of the other choices?

Indymanjoe - I am curious to see which one you pick....and yes, you have first dibs on the old 15" set.

Frosty, clearly your choice all the way! No one knows your taste or preferences like you, but since you asked for some input I’ll give my cent and a half! 

I love the old classic muscle car look as much as anyone! Still I feel there are always  things that can be borrowed from the past as well as the past borrowing from modern looks. 

To not drone on and keep this short, I like the Foose look! With the right offset and tire combo I think it would change Lucy in a good way, more aggressive! 

I would look at 17” or 18” honestly!

another wheel you might look at is the wheels I have on the Indian. There 18” , but can pass for 19” because of how the wheel is made. It’s actually made backwards, so the spokes on the larger inside diameter.

 

It looks like the Foose is done the same way! The Michelin pilot sport A/S 3 is some of the best rubber I’ve run in a long time!

Ok maybe it was a full two cents worth.

Edited November 27, 2018 by Last Indian
Update

[360Rocket]

Hey Dennis?

https://www.carid.com/us-mags-wheels/u429-trans-am-2pc-forged-welded-u17905b85stl48cp-87723927-1132384550.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr5f6pNn13gIVT__jBx07lwWzEAQYASABEgKWbfD_BwE

http://us-mags.com/bandit-u109-g-20509.htm

http://us-mags.com/bandit-u109-g-15399.htm

Edited November 27, 2018 by 360Rocket

[Last Indian]

7 hours ago, Frosty said:

I definitely went too wide. Like you, I went with L60-15s back in the day. It was a wide and tall tire in those days. I definitely chewed up some sidewall. I got the Skyjackers in a real hurry once I found out it was happening.

That's another reason why I bought the Percy WheelRite tool. I don't want to repeat that mistake ever again.

See I feel like the wheel black out between the spokes makes the wheel appear weak. And gives the appearance of the car sitting flimsy shoes, but a solid polished aluminum or chrome wheel gives a stout/strong appearance, IMO.

 

[JUSTA6]

Hey buddy

1)  Can't go wrong with a classic Cragar. 

2)  Modern update to the Ralley's  keeps up the classic Pontiac look, with the upgrade JURY package your famous for.👍

3) These would look too much like your copying the OTHER Blue Lemans Vert......You know who I mean.  But does look really good.

Tough choices, but it comes down to you.

[Frosty]

14 hours ago, 360Rocket said:

Hey Dennis?

https://www.carid.com/us-mags-wheels/u429-trans-am-2pc-forged-welded-u17905b85stl48cp-87723927-1132384550.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr5f6pNn13gIVT__jBx07lwWzEAQYASABEgKWbfD_BwE

http://us-mags.com/bandit-u109-g-20509.htm

http://us-mags.com/bandit-u109-g-15399.htm

Interesting alternatives 360 - I had not seen these before. I will have to study them some more.

One thing I want to avoid is going into a plus size wheel (16" or higher) and the rim does not look proportionally correct. There is one rim on the market that I've seen (don't know the maker) that was a 17" or 18" rim and the proportions were bad and it looked awful to me.

I found one more wheel that really like - watcha' guys think?

Barry White's Super GTO wheels - from the old Wrecks to RIches show.

[Ringo64]

Reminds me of the OEM wheels on my Camaro a bit. I like it apart from the rivets/beads on the edge.

[360Rocket]

I'm diggin' that wheel Frosty, but polished or chrome. Billet is officially dead.

Edited November 29, 2018 by 360Rocket

[Frosty]

LOL! I know a lot of Billetproof and Sins of Steel (a local Michigan version of Billetproof) followers who would agree with you 360 ! 

I was never pro or anti billet. I just want a sharp looking wheel.

Oh and by the way, Elvis is also dead man.....let it go!

[TWO LANE BLACK TOP]

Elvis isn't  really dead..He's hanging out on a secret island in the middle of the ocean...With...Bruce Lee..DB Cooper... Jimmy Hoffa...and their pet Sasquatch....Waiting for the economy to get better......

That is a good looking wheel.....

Edited November 29, 2018 by TWO LANE BLACK TOP

[Frosty]

43 minutes ago, TWO LANE BLACK TOP said:

Elvis isn't  really dead..He's hanging out on a secret island in the middle of the ocean...With...Bruce Lee..DB Cooper and Jimmy Hoffa...Waiting for the economy to get better......

That is a good looking wheel.....

There use to be claims of Elvis sightings in Kalamazoo Michigan for years after his death.

Funny how a company called King Construction started up with a guy named L-Vice on the payroll! 

At least Hoffa was a Pontiac man!

Edited November 29, 2018 by Frosty

[stratman]

My 

You are probably regretting asking our opinions on what wheels to get, but I'm just sure you have been anxiously waiting to hear what I think, lol!  

I took this picture probably 4 or 5 years ago at a Pontiac show. I wish I had taken a picture that shows the wheels better, but they are 17" or 18" interpretation of the Honeycomb wheel. 

 

 

Being an old fart (Get off my lawn!), I'm afraid I like the old school rims. I'm a big fan of Rally II's (with no trim rings) and ARE 200s "Daisy" wheels. But seriously, don't listen to us, you know best what will look good on Lucy.

 

Edited December 2, 2018 by stratman

[indymanjoe]

Hmmmm

I Love the rally 2's

Second choice is always Crager's

But the new Honeycombs and rally 2's would be on my list.

 

 

 

[Frosty]

I just pulled the trigger and I ordered new shoes for Lucy from Summit Racing. They should be here mid-week ~ May 1st.

I followed Indyman Joe's advice - 15x7 in front and 15 x 8 in the rear. 4 inch backspacing.

The winner is:

 

Chromed Rally IIs from Wheel Vintques....no more trim rings to screw around with.

[Ringo64]

Nice, congrats! Look forward to seeing them on 

[indymanjoe]

I think they are the best looking rim. Great choice!

[Frosty]

I still love the Foose rim, just not the price.

[JUSTA6]

Winner is .....YOU.   Damn em R purdy.  

[indymanjoe]

The foose rims do look nice. But...  LOL