So I was approached at a car show by someone who complimented my car on how well my custom painted 15" factory wheels turned out. Not wanting to start a debate I waited for him to finish telling me how my wheels originally had a different silver appearance, then I thanked him for the compliment and he moved on. I think he was thinking of the similar looking 16" WS6 wheels that came on Formulas and not my 15" T/A wheels, but I'm really not clear on what he was talking about. A friend says my wheels have a factory finish. So, from my pic can someone tell me if my wheels are factory finish, or customized?

Also, these 15" wheels came clear coated from the factory, right?

 

Looks Factory to me,the Gray looks correct, really good looking wheels.
They did come from the factory with Clear Coat.

 

Thanks! I thought they were original and correct. So the guy at the car show was confused.

 

Looks factory to me too. Some people at car shows think they have all the correct answers! LOL!

 

I think you were correct that he was confusing them with the 16" formula wheels. The formula wheels were painted silver all over, yours have bare aluminum with clear coat face.

 

The 15" wheels got the charcoal, as did the 16" wheels from 1985-1987 WS6 on Trans Am and the "Formula" Wheel. The only wheels that were aluminum/silver in the slots were the 16" Wheels on the Formula from 1988-1992.

(Does not include the Trans Am cross-laced wheels) Those were available in tons of colors from Black, Charcoal, Red, White, I think Silver, etc... I would have to look up all of the colors on those wheels, and that was from 88-89 and I think 1990...

John

 

I think Pontiac used to call the wheel color "Argent" as opposed to "grey" when they just clear coated over the bare Aluminium.

 

You are correct, they called the color "Argent"

Oddly enough Argent is another name for Silver. Thus why on the Periodic table element letters for silver is "AG". The country of Argentina was named because they found a little silver.

Today Argent seems to refer to a darker or mid-tone gray hue... I suspect the term is accepted because as Silver tarnishes it becomes darker, close to the dark silver color of the wheels.

Now I am going to another topic to over think...

John