gearhead141

I check out craigslist all the time looking for thirdgens. Recently I have found a couple of cars that have the original wheels, but they were painted black. Is this some new fad? It just doesn't look right on the original wheels in my opinion. I'm thinking this must be a great look to a twenty-two year old. What started this trend? If I bought a car with blacked out wheels, it would be one of my first projects to restore them. Don't get me wrong, I've seen some cars that look very nice with black rims, but they were shiny (the rims). These two cars that were for sale, it appeared as if the wheels were sprayed with a can of flat black paint. Can someone explain this to me?

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

people like different things.

all black wheels, with no other color looks pretty dumb to me, they need at least a polished lip or something.

but a can of black spray paint is cheaper than 2 cans and some mashing tape, so im sure that why they do it. lazy people

U.S.Marine09

haha...I'm 20 and I love black wheels....I have the cragar soft 8s so they are powder coated black and then i have chrome center caps.

but do not get me confused with the stupid people who spray paint theirs black because that I do not like

84 z28

Yeah black wheels totally look stupid.

gearhead141

Ummm... there's alot of other things going on there that I won't even get started on. But what is the reason behind the totally blacked out wheels? Does this have something to do with NASCAR or the "Fast and Furious" type cars? I would like to know where this mindset comes from.

Jassack

iTrader: (2)

In my opinion black with a chrome lip is just awesome. They give a car a very clean look. I think the cars with ALL black wheels look like they're riding on spares.

campin1983

iTrader: (4)

Rattle canning the wheels black is yet another one of the cheap "mods" that people do to customize their cars.

I saw a Grand Am at Autozone the other day with its drum brakes rattle canned blue, the bottom half of the car with black primer, and a piece of plexiglass stretched across the nose and primed black, so that they had "ground fx."

People think they can make their car awesome without spending money. I bet spraypainting your wheels black is worth at least 10-15 hp!!!!

As for those with GOOD black wheels, I love them. I'm speaking only about the two dollar "mods" people do to their car.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

dont like them, they need some contrast to make them pop a little. it looks cheap to me.

rich5

I painted my wheels gloss black (ppg paint). i would love to get cragars but i dont have the money. I looks very clean, yes. its better than having stained clear on the aluminum. i think it improved the cars look.

chevysquid

iTrader: (7)

not a fan of black wheels myself. Black wheels, black tires, black paint, just looks boring in my opinion. but, to each their own.

84 z28

Oh yeah lots of drag racers are doing black out cars cause of fast and the furious. Thats what most guys in drag racing try to live up to. And I have never seen a black out car in nascar. And I would love you to pick apart a 100k drag car. Please share your thoughts and whats wrong with the car.

JMR

pointless thread....but will feed it
what is wrong with this car???

or this one

...

bradley23150

iTrader: (10)

You guys are totally missing the O.P.'s point, here.

JMR

the point is clear
a cheap mod that is nothing but a fab as he stated

gearhead141

I'm glad JMR understands where I'm coming from with this thread. The pic I posted is of a currently for sale car in my local area. It has the original Pontiac wheels which have been rattle-canned black. I don't see it as a selling feature. I would clean them up to original condition as that is what pleases me. The cars that JMR posted pics of look great. They look, for lack of a better word, polished and professional.
Once again, I am curious as to why the cheap rattle-can paint to what I think are perfectly good looking wheels. Now if the finish was oxidized and pitted, then perhaps the seller feels it is a quick fix. But I have seen a couple of cars with this treatment and I'm wondering where the idea came from? I don't mean to pick apart anybody's ride. The Camaro with the blown motor is definitely above and beyond what I'm referring to. I don't want to start a flame war with this topic. I was just looking for the origination of the idea to rattle-can factory wheels. It's that simple.

JMR

this guy actually took his time and IMO these look great


and this is just stunning


and some cars look great with solid black wheels while others just look horrible regardless of the price tag
....but restored wheels always look gorgeous

CharcoalBird

iTrader: (4)

He actually had them powder-coated, not spray canned. They did come out looking great as you said.

Rich2279

iTrader: (7)

Are these Cragars?

Twin_Turbo

iTrader: (25)

Those are aero wheels or basset wheels or similar ones.

Transmetal

I love black rims but only black rims with a polished or chrome lip like these beauties that hopefully will be mounted on the gta this year. Still gotta get tires and adapters though. Some cars like the older muscle cars look good with the all black wheels but to me they don't fit the style of the gta.

iroc stangs

i really dislike black wheels, atleast 90% of them anyhow. there is actually SOME wheels/car combos that the rims look good in black but they typically always need another color in the rim. plus i think they ONLY look good if there an high gloss black, not a cheap job. some cars go make the look and look awesome but most black wheels ruin the car. the 85-87 iroc wheels with the painted parts painted black actually do look really good though, not the whole wheel, that would look disgusting expecially if done badily.

IMissMy86TA

Thanks for the kind words. The rims are powder coated. Cost me 250 + the price of mint rims (200). The only issue was getting the tires on without marking the rim. they had to be careful. also I hate the flat black that people put on them. had to make it glossy. The rims are from a formula (16X8) and i love the look. next is tinted windows and dual chrome exhaust tips (4 pipes out back). and I am 42 yrs old.

87WS6

iTrader: (1)

A friend of mine bought a Trans Am with wheels from a Camaro on it which were spray painted black. To lower the car in front he used the smallest and thinnest tires possible. The exhaust was scraping the ground everywhere. Now he's got IROC rims on it because they were cheap with decent rubber on them.

After seeing the spray painted, flat black look up close I can say it looks terrible. I am not sure why anyone would do it outside of it potentially looking better than faded and scratched up rims do on their own.

camaromike222

Personally, I think the whole chrome wheel thing is overrated. Blacked out Camaros and Firbirds are rare and not all are done right. A blacked out car will stand out amongst all the colors of the rainbow you will see out on the street. Yes, the spare look is a good example of it not being done right, but this...







...I would call done right. This is my car, by the way. Now picture this car with red vette brakes all around, which I just recently installed. They don't call it "murdered out" because it's boring.

IMissMy86TA

Nice..now just tint the side windows

Zepher

iTrader: (1)

To me, a black wheel needs a painted, polished, or chrome lip to separate the rim from the tire,

above is photoshopped

87WS6

iTrader: (1)

I couldn't agree more.

camaromike222

Haha! Indeed I still have to lol. That first pic was when i had them tinted, but I got pulled over a few times so I the other pics show that.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

FAIL

first two cars dont have totally black wheels, and they looks fine to me.
last car looks sweet, but the wheels dont cut it.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

x2

GodSpeedGTA

iTrader: (1)

Agreed as above, it's a fad and that is why it is now seen everywhere. Most don't seem to even conceptualize whether they will look right on their cars or not, they just put them on because of course it will look good!

And for anyone who just rattle cans them, they always look like garbage and flake. How many more flat black cars are we gonna see?? It looks SOOO mean!!!!

rapid rods

(1 RAPID 1) silver calipers/rotors NUf SAID !!!

rapid rods

Wide tires always look good, rims are second,but the shape of the rim in relation to the car make all the diff.....Deep is sexy to me !!!!!

blackbmagic

Black cars with black wheels look like there is something missing when the only thing that separates the black wheel from the black body is the tire. The tire is a different color black. Its more gray. When the body of the car is not black, black wheels painted and finished right look great. When the body of the vehicle is black the tires need to be constantly cleaned and shined to keep the black look and to make it ''flow''.

I cant stand it when there is a nice car and the only thing standing out are the dull tires.

FYRCHKN

I like to think that I did just that. My car is about as "budget" as you can get. Most would call me a flat out liar if I told them how little I have in it out of pocket.


Actually, it's only good for 2-3 rwhp according to my butt dyno.


But, keeping on track here, I agree with the OP. Flat black rattle can wheels look like crap. It's a fad. A few years ago it was the APC stickers on everything, now it's flat black wheels if they can't afford 20's.

BTW...the rims in my sig pic are rattle can gloss black. It's been holding up great for over 2 years now. But I also left the lip polished... I hope that's OK.

1986iroc350

iTrader: (1)

here is my black 16 inch Iroc wheels. Painted Black Silver Metallic. 3 coats of primer, wet sanded in between coats. 2 coats of paint with a HPLV gun. Cost. 30$ and some TLC. And Im 42 YO.

RED_DRAGON_85

i like black rims, but not black painted IROC rims.
put a polished lip on that sucker, and strip the paint off the parts where it is supposed to be aluminum and you have a winner

SoFlaCamaro

Where Can I find more pix of this 3rd gen in Green? I can't find any anywhere and it's actually the color I'm painting mine within a week or so.

last_

okay, so you must be totally joking, cause the car in your post looks evil, sick, cool as f**k... maybe its just my taste but wowza!!!

i will personally be goin with some forgeline s03's with black satin + body color on the lip of the rim.

so allz y'all with poor taste, i feel sorry for ya.

IMissMy86TA

Fast 383

iTrader: (2)

Eww, I think black wheels are the fastest way to kill a pretty cars appearence. Any stock wheel that is suppose to be alluminum and is painted, powdercoated or spray bombed black is a mistake IMO. It's an instant down grade to the car and how it's suppose to look. I'm not a fan of factory black wheels that much either. GTA wheels are nice, on GTA's.

There are some companies out there making black wheels that are bad as anything. The Weld RT's are sick. Those wicked race cars being posted would look good with Ford LTD hubcaps on them. Imagine them with some shiney alluminum wheels.

The late 60's Camaro at the top that was posted has Weld Pro Stars that are powdercoated black. That looks like butt IMO and the owner should save up and buy a real set of black wheels. Not the DIY versions.

GodSpeedGTA

iTrader: (1)

That camaro looks like garbage with that flat black and black wheels IMO. Just because there is an overly huge engine sticking out of it and racing slicks doesn't mean that chrome stick on fender grills will look good on it too!

Don't you worry, we'll allz continue to keep our great taste and not follow the fads.

InfernalVortex

iTrader: (4)

I hate black wheels. Even well done ones that look okay i think would look better in a diff color. I also hate chrome. There are good looking cars in this thread, but most ofthese cars with black wheels would look better with regular colored wheels, IMO. I got in an argument with a guy on this board a while back because he flat-blacked his 91-92 wheels... Ugh so ugly.

I love the Corvette competition gray color for wheels for the record.

The only car I've seen with black wheels that I thought, there's no way that car would look better with another color wheels, was compuwiz1937's car:



Gorgeous... I think it's the window tint and the black buckets... but it just looks perfect.

and here is iansane's 'bird vert with competition gray vette wheels:

oscarsrs

"Oh I hate this and I hate that" is funny seems like most forget times change...and black wheels are in style now just like bigger wheels. sure it will pass and something new will come along, just like Chrome and other things did, but to knock on other peoples cars is not right, especially when the majority of the cars of the people bashing look like ****, is like one of those threads " post you best pic of this or of that " and here they come with their Multicolor, Missmatch, Rusted, Missing body parts Cars and they have the 8alls to criticize other people cars.

Nice looking cars in here, keep up people! just my

sid rs91

yup stock rims painted black look silly .....here's mine yuck

yup rattle can
yup too cheap to spend money on new rims (better mods to spend cash on)
yup needed refinishing to lazy to do it my self and too cheap to pay some one to do it
yup they look sick!
LMAO!!

IMissMy86TA

you are so right.. hate them black stock rims!! LOL

IMissMy86TA

yeah...

BigBadGTA

I personally don't like totally black rims. I do like it when the dish is chromed or polished but not all black. But, if everyone liked the same thing the car hobby wouldn't be any fun!

zs&tas

I love the nascar rims in post 18, anyone fancy photoshoping them onto a blackbird ? the black formula rims are OK but i dont think anything was gained. the GTA's look good though and those grey vette wheels on the vert are awsome. i like and respect the fact that everybody is different - life would be sooo boring otherwise !

GodSpeedGTA

iTrader: (1)

Man, after seeing the cars above, I just went outside and rattle canned my aftermarket rims. Now, it's sick and murdered out. It has completely reversed all of my opinions and proven me wrong.

When they start flaking and sunfading after a week or two, I'll just respray them over and over again.