The growth of the classic car and restoration market has boomed over the last decade and along with it the vintage custom wheel market. Today this market has grown into many segments including traditional restorations, customs, rat rods, street rods, pony cars, resto-mods, and muscle cars. In order to meet the demand for all of these markets the vintage custom wheel industry has gone from offering a few styles with limited fitments, to a wide variety of styles, constructions, and fitment options. Options for vintage cars are so widley varied today that many people are overwhelmed by the prospect of choosing the right wheel for their car. An experienced and knowledgeable custom wheel specialist can help you make the right choice. Here are a few tips that can help you as you sort through the options.
Before choosing a style that looks great for your car, it is best to understand the type of wheel construction that will fit your needs. Vintage custom wheels are made in the following construction types: One-Piece Cast Aluminum, Two-Piece Aluminum with rolled outer rims and cast centers, and Two-Piece billet aluminum wheels.
One-piece cast aluminum wheels offer the advantage of being inexpensive and almost perfectly round which means a better balance and ride. A chrome plated finish is another advantage of one-piece wheels. Because two-piece wheels are constructed by welding the center into the outer rim, chrome plating the complete wheel is not possible. A disadvantage of going with a one-piece wheel is the limited fitment options. Custom offsets are not possible and the options you have are limited to the descrestion of the manufacturer. Since many cars have modified
suspensions and rear-ends, the standard offset that one-piece wheels are built in may not fit at all. Another big trend is to stagger the front and rear wheels, but one-piece wheels may not offer that options. However, thanks to designers like Chip Foose, one-piece chrome plated wheels are being offered in more sizes and offsets to fit a wide variety of applications. The most popular of these wheels are the Foose Legend and Foose Nitrous 5.
Two-piece custom wheels offer the advantage of a wider variety of fitment options because the center can easily be welded in varied places along the rim for custom offsets. These custom offsets allow for a custom fit which is especially beneficial on cars that have been modified with different rear ends, front clips, and body modifications. The draw back is that run-out on two-piece wheels can be greater than one-piece wheels due to heating and cooling during the welding process, along with the difficulty in perfectly placing the center into the outer rim. This disadvantage can be over come by choosing a two-piece billet aluminum wheel.
Billet aluminum two-piece wheels are the best of both worlds. You get the great quality with no worries about runout and vibration issues. You get a great variety of styles and sizes for the perfect match to fit you and your car. Companies like Foose and Billet Specialties have great options for the vintage custom car market.
So before you start looking for wheels to fit your car take some time to ask yourself what are you wanting from your wheels. Are you looking for the perfect fit and style? Do you want a staggered offset? To get the look you want are you going to have to modify your car in some way? Have you modified your car in some way? Or are you just wanting an inexpensive wheel to get your car on the road? All these questions will help you decide the type of wheel you should choose.
Before choosing a style that looks great for your car, it is best to understand the type of wheel construction that will fit your needs. Vintage custom wheels are made in the following construction types: One-Piece Cast Aluminum, Two-Piece Aluminum with rolled outer rims and cast centers, and Two-Piece billet aluminum wheels.
One-piece cast aluminum wheels offer the advantage of being inexpensive and almost perfectly round which means a better balance and ride. A chrome plated finish is another advantage of one-piece wheels. Because two-piece wheels are constructed by welding the center into the outer rim, chrome plating the complete wheel is not possible. A disadvantage of going with a one-piece wheel is the limited fitment options. Custom offsets are not possible and the options you have are limited to the descrestion of the manufacturer. Since many cars have modified
suspensions and rear-ends, the standard offset that one-piece wheels are built in may not fit at all. Another big trend is to stagger the front and rear wheels, but one-piece wheels may not offer that options. However, thanks to designers like Chip Foose, one-piece chrome plated wheels are being offered in more sizes and offsets to fit a wide variety of applications. The most popular of these wheels are the Foose Legend and Foose Nitrous 5.Two-piece custom wheels offer the advantage of a wider variety of fitment options because the center can easily be welded in varied places along the rim for custom offsets. These custom offsets allow for a custom fit which is especially beneficial on cars that have been modified with different rear ends, front clips, and body modifications. The draw back is that run-out on two-piece wheels can be greater than one-piece wheels due to heating and cooling during the welding process, along with the difficulty in perfectly placing the center into the outer rim. This disadvantage can be over come by choosing a two-piece billet aluminum wheel.
Billet aluminum two-piece wheels are the best of both worlds. You get the great quality with no worries about runout and vibration issues. You get a great variety of styles and sizes for the perfect match to fit you and your car. Companies like Foose and Billet Specialties have great options for the vintage custom car market.
So before you start looking for wheels to fit your car take some time to ask yourself what are you wanting from your wheels. Are you looking for the perfect fit and style? Do you want a staggered offset? To get the look you want are you going to have to modify your car in some way? Have you modified your car in some way? Or are you just wanting an inexpensive wheel to get your car on the road? All these questions will help you decide the type of wheel you should choose.
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