Thanks for all your responses..Here's some general updated information that has been asked--repeatedly...and hopefully it'll clarify some issues...
Wheels will be painted a bright metallic silver clear coated paint. The rim itself is machine face cut, a brighter sheen on the lip of the wheel, and clearcoated.
The wheel is 17x9.5", et 10, wgt 25lbs.
Recommended tire size is 275/40/17 and we will offer complete wheel/tire packages mtd, and bal. with several tire choices...once the wheels arrive---RESERVE THE WHEELS NOW.
The cap will be included and have a removable disc, that has the RONAL logo on it...Some of you might want to go to a decal shop and have your own logo's made...if it's important.
We will offer custom paint finishes, an add. $80/wheel/per color. This can be on the entire wheel, or portion of the wheel, ie: the windows,etc. Each custom color adds $80/wheel.
Wheels will come w. all mounting hardware.
Expected arrival is Mid-April....
Reserve now w. non-refundable deposit, ASAP and receive price of $250/wheel until March 29. Wheel costs will go up, April 1.
Call 714-891-4853 to place deposit w. credit cards.

 

I'm a little confused here. Is the whole wheel painted the metallic silver, or is the machine face surface just clearcoated over the bare aluminum?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the originals have a clearcoated bare-aluminum face?

 

Go to our website,
www.ronalusa.com, Wheel styles section, click on the thumbnail of our TR-20 wheel, 20" for trucks and suv's and you'll see what I'm referring too... as to the finish....
Hope this helps...

 

Great wheels... I just ordered a set of the R15s the other day. About the removable disc in the cap... can you further describe the part of the center that is removable? Is it just a circular sheet of metal with a clear circular section covering it? How is it removed? Thanks, Doug

 

gotta put a space before the comma so it doesn't get put in the address when it does the auto link thing.
www.ronalusa.com

 

Maybe I should rephrase my question.

What type of finish do the original wheels that came with the Firehawk have?

What I'm trying to find out is, other than the red windows, what are the differences between the original Firehawk wheel and this new wheel? I don't want to plunk down a grand to find out that I've got to set up all the wheels in a lathe to make them look like the originals. I'd rather purchase a set that's completely nude before doing all that.

The impression I'm getting is that this wheel will be painted silver on all surfaces with a clearcoat on top of the silver. I'm also under the impression that the originals had painted windows with nude (unfinished-unpainted-whatever) faces with a clearcoat finish on the whole wheel.

Is this a correct assumption?

 

Alright guys! An immediate price increase to start the whole thing off with! What a great way to sell more!

 

Before I call the number, could you tell us how much the nonrefundable deposit is?

Could we get a picture of the finished wheel as well?

-Roshambo

 

$50

 

About time they re-released them. but it couldn't have been at a worse time for me.
Oh well, I guess I will just have to wait another 10 years or so...

 

snowdog! BEAUTIFUL CAR!!!! def needs rims,


very nice.... keep it up

 

Like I said, it couldn't be at a worse time. Now if I could only talk him into giving me a set I would and could guarantee he will get more orders than he could dream of!
I am not sure, but I think I would need 17 x 9 for my application anyway. The true original Ronals were 17 x 9 (not 9.5) and I think they would be too big for my application anyway. I am using 245/15/60 tires on my car, and if I go with the Ronals they would have to be 245/17/45 tires. I know I can't go wider.
The backspacing would need to be 4.5-4.75 and the pattern
is 5 x 4.75. I don't have $1000 to spend on the wheels now! I DO want them, but there is no way I can obtain them in the near future. Even with the $50 down payment.
I just think the rims are not exactly the same. Now if he shipped them to me, and I applied them to my car, and I would advertise RONAL to my club as well as other people with 3rd gens, I am sure I would drum up more business for him this way.
I'd be proud to be a Ronal salesperson.
Unfortunately, I feel cheated because this is for a limited time, and I simply can't afford them at this point in time!
I'm bummed.
Ship them to me and show me they will FIT on my vehicle! Tires and ALL. I will definitely be proud to show that product, but I have my doubts about the 9.5" width.
I especially DOUBT that you can put
That may apply to a Corvette, but definitely NOT to my Firebird!
I am wondering if he has these only for 4th Gens.

Please understand me Gary. I love your product. I would definitely sell your product. BUT I am very afraid they will not apply to my Vehicle. Yes, I am sure that your specs will apply to 93-02 Birds, but remember us!

BTW you do have my Email address. I talked to you before you posted your message here. I just hope we are comparing apples to apples!!!

My email is shawnbrown@inetfree.net

 

I thought I would include a picture too!

 

Now you know why I am afraid to order those wheels!
I am afraid the ones you illustrated to me are not the same at all.
I want THE wheels that are right there! The ones just like in that picture above!

 

I DO NOT WANT THESE:

 

These are the rims I want so bad!!!!!!!!

 

Now I feel sick to my stomach.
I am sure the rims are not the same now.

I sure hope you correct me Gary and tell me they are the same!

I don't want those other ones that you showed me!

Please tell me you are offering the rims I really want!

I don't want the newer FWD design.

I don't want rivets.

I don't want adapters.

I want the rims to FIT.

I want them to look exactly like the ones on the 91 Firehawk!

 

I think the ones on the 92 Firehawk look a lot better myself

Kat

 

You must be seriously thinking about the 4th Generation Firehawk
rims Kat. The 91 and 92 both had the same rims.

My ignorance must be BLISS.

 

Originals were definately 17x9.5. 275/40/17 on all four corners. They will fit with no modification.

 

It's good to hear that, but I want to be 100% positive I would be getting those wheels!
(Even though I can't afford them right now, I will definitely get them some way some how if that is the case.)
I could almost cry. Those wheels are my dream.
Plus I want to see exactly what he is offering, a description is one thing, but a picture is worth 1000 words!
I want them sooooo bad. And knowing they won't be available again just really hurts.
Oh forget it. There isn't any way I could afford them in the near future at all! LOL I will cool off about it next year sometime.

 

quit whining, YES they will fit, YES they are JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL, Gary is going to get sick of all the same questions being asked. Oh they would look sweet on your car
snowdog, so start saving your coins

With that said, Gary 250 a wheel is right in the ball park for price
but it seems a little extreme to add 80 per wheel for any other color, but that's my opinion, I'm sure the cost to retool exceeds that. Thanks again for remaking one of the coolest wheels made for 3rd gen cars.

If you ever sell the red one for 250.00 a pop count me in I'll call
my deposit in a heartbeat and I'll promote your product big time, I would anyway

 

No doubt SLP-GTA!
I don't want to whine! I want to be 100% sure.
His descriptions, and what he has shown me, does not match those at all. That is the reason for the post.
Excuse me.
And sinking another $320 into it for the red color inside is a little outrageous. They should be charging maybe $80 for all 4 rather than having to shell out another $320 for such a small section of wheel.
I suppose there are people with money to burn. I'm not one of them.
That $320 could go into the TIRES and other important things.
Where's my Krylon?
YES I am doubtful, do you blame me? After seeing nothing that even remotely resembles them, I am not about to shell out that kind of money for rims I may not even WANT.
I know what I want. I think I made it pretty clear. Gary has NOT shown me or told me that they are like that at all.
PERIOD.
Now I am angry about it. I'll just be content with my salad shooters and be happy I have wheels.
Go ahead Gary, offer your rims at a higher price after April FOOLS day. I'm not a FOOL. I want you to tell me they are like the ones I showed the pictures of!
I want the wheels! Do you understand? I am concerned they won't fit, I am concerned they are an entirely different style.
I am kind of miffed about being pressured to buy something without seeing them first, I feel pressured by Gary.
Now do you understand SLP-GTA? Caviat Emptor. It means "buyer beware".
Let me be sure about this:
$250 a wheel + $80 for the little spaces in-between to be painted red.... ummm that is $330 a wheel!
What a bargain! And the price is going to go UP?
$1320 for a set of rims the way I want them.
Plus shipping.
That's without tires, mounted and balanced too!
I'm not sold, I am frustrated!
In all seriousness, I would only be able to get one wheel at a time, maybe 4 months down the road I would have 4 rims, and then I would have to buy tires. Sorry, my name isn't Rockefeller.
I guess I will need to look around some more for something else.
I'm so mad I am seeing RED.

 

I'm sure you know this but Ronal made the wheels for the 91-92 firehawks, so Im sure they are the same style, same tooling. I checked into tires, the best deal I found was 145.00 for a decent set of ZR tires. So is 2k high for the package, yep! but it seem to be the going rate. But for coolest factory 3rd Gen wheels made,
I guess you pay to look good. Also check ebay, Iv'e seen sets sell
recently.

But dont let this bug ya 91, if you can drum up the monies in 4 months, great! My suggestion spend 460.00 for a nitrous express kit put the 100hp jets in, and you'll stop seeing red, I guarantee it

 

Snowdog I know exactly how you feel. I really wanted to buy a new Trans Am but the dealership wants alot of money for them. I also wanted leather seats and they told me it would cost even more. Man this sucks. I know if maybe they gave me a new Trans Am that other people would buy them. Man this sucks so bad. I sometimes sit in my room at nite and cry thinking about the car.

Man I don't know why these companies exist if they're not going to just give their product away.

Damn you corporate america!!!

 

Yeah that's it. Just frigging give them away! I'd like to see that myself. My point was that Gary has not confirmed that they are the wheels that we all know we are talking about!
Simple!
Yes yes yes yes yes! I would definitely buy them if they are the ones that I want on this thread.
I would have to buy them nude, because I can't see anyone paying $80 a rim for a little bit of paint per wheel.
That way, yes I could afford them. I do want to be absolutely sure they will fit. More than anything at all. Secondly, he has never confirmed it is the same style wheel!
I just want to be 100% sure about that before I shell out that kind of money. If I buy them one rim at a time, how am I guaranteed there will be one available when I finally get enough for the 4th one? I'd rather save up and get all 4! Get what I mean?

 

Snowdog 91 has made an exceptionally valid point. I too did not have the "warm fuzzies" from the posts. I still don't. I've personally spoken with Gary. That didn't help either. The guy I called and ordered them from didn't leave me feeling any better at all. The rims are ordered, and I am writing this barely clothed as I am scrimping for these rims. However, I looked at it this way. If the rims come, and they are not EXACTLY what I ordered, they are going back. I would ony be out $50.00.

This may help you though:

I was assured that with 275/40/17 tires on the rims there will be no clearance or rubbing issues, front or back, and that the speedometer will not have to be recalibrated for my 91 T/A WS6.
The rims will look exactly like the pictures shown here
The rims are coming with the lug nuts, centercaps (plain or with the Ronol logo as a removable insert) and the key for the centercaps.

Look around, there aren't very many nice (IMHO) 17x9 rims available, let alone with the "correct" (or alledged correct) backspacing available for our cars. Most have to have $300-$500 spacers added. Regardless of all that, there will be 200 sets of these rims made, add that to what, 27 original sets, and that's the fan club people. No more. That's worth my $50 enterance fee.

Snowdog, I am in the same boat. I have a nice T/A, and these rims just look right on the car, and though they are slightly high priced, I still had a hard time justifying the purchase. So, I elected to get them w/o the tires. Tires can come later. just think of the value these rims will hold. If they never make it onto the car, they are still worth the initial investment. I am in no way making light of your concerns, as they are mine as well. I elected to merely shush and wait.

BTW, Tirerack.com has regular specials on tires, including Firehawk SZ50's. The last price I saw was $209 a tire for 275/40/17ZR. I'll get tires 1 at a time until I have all 4, then the digital camera will be warm!

Until then, this will have to do...

 

Why in the world would I give them $50 for the wrong rims? BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDD!
I'll wait.
I'm not paying $50 for NOTHING.

In the meantime I'm saving my pennies.
I'll wait for an actual response. Yeah I would love for him to send me a set I would pay for eventually.
I think it is great news! I also think it stinks to have them available like that. I'd pay for them gladly! Ya gonna buy me a set and wait for me to pay you back? I don't think so. I have to try and do the best I can! I know I will miss out and that is what is so disheartening about the whole thing. I'm sorry I even talked to him now.

 

Did we ever get an answer to Jims' question??

 

:hail:

 

Maybe they'd look like this?

 

I'd like to hope so, but I've still never gotten an answer. From his description, it sounds like the whole wheel is painted gray, and I don't think that's how the ones in all the pics look. AFAIK, the original firehawk wheels had a machined face with painted windows. Unless that's how these new ones are, I have zero interest in them.

But my lack of an answer is causing me to lean heavily toward the ROH instead.

 

Hmmmmmm......

My order with black painted inserts was $XXXX shipped to my door in IL.

$XXX per rim
$XX for paint per rim
$20 shipping each rim.

The price went up that fast???

WOW, good thing I placed my order the first day.....

 

just the outer edges of the wheel is painted like cg91ta
example. But Gary did say he would paint them any way
you wanted them, here is an example. formul8 I dont think
you were suppose to give your price out but Im glad you
did

PS I dont think Gary checks this tread often, so I wouldnt get
bent he'll respond.

 

I'm beginning to lean toward ROH myself. The whole business with Ronal has made me feel like something fishy is going on with the pricing, with the way I haven't had a straight answer, and the way I have been pressured to get them in the first place.
What is that saying? Good news reaches 3 people, bad news reaches 10.
I want to SEE what he is offering. I am tired of description. Too wishy-washy for me.
I know what rims I want, and I haven't even been told that they even RESEMBLE them!
Save your money!

 

Let's take a look, shall we?
Now do those look anything at all like the wheels?

 

your obsessed, do a forum search with gary@ronal. Check this out, read, read some more, this should answer all of your questions. I keep getting email thinking gary responding, only to get another objection response from you. Be patient, take a chill pill, let Gary respond.

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...threadid=84288