(first posted 3/2/2016) Walk around any parking lot today, and you soon realize all but the cheapest cars have alloy wheels. And while each model has a unique design, the designs themselves – like much of today’s cars – aren’t that distinctive. It’s a sad descent from a better past.
Fittingly, the road wheel is a child of the CC era. The first ones appeared in on the 1955 Eldorado, as the Cadillac Saber Spoke. This pioneer aluminum road wheel was the result of a collaboration between Alcoa and the Kelsey-Hayes Wheel Company, who made the wire wheels for the ’53 and ’54 Eldorado.
It took a while for the road wheel to catch on, until it was propelled by muscle-car magnesium, and finally returned to its luxury car roots in the Late Brougham era. Along the way, there were some real gems, including my personal favorite, the Buick Rallye Wheel.
Introduced in the early 60’s, it remained a staple through the 80s, and could even make an Estate Wagon look sporty.
The worst? I honestly can’t think of one, but I’m sure you’ll have many candidates, on both ends of the spectrum.
the buick rally wheel was also a hubcap.
GM had to be the absolute KING of factory wheels from the ’60s up until the early ’90s. Back in the day, people modded their GM vehicles but many just swapped on factories from some other vehicle for a completely different look. We had a ’79 Olds 98 2 door with factory wire wheelcovers and whitewalls. Dad scrapped those pretty quick for RWL tires and some of those same Kelsey-Hayes Buick wheels. I never liked that Olds myself, but the more aggressive wheels definitely stepped up its mojo.
Ma Mopar has had some nice ones too. The Mopar Rallyes need no intro. Im pretty partial to the roadwheels on the Aspen/Volare super coupes. Basically, theyre the 6 slot police wheels but in dull silver with bright centercaps and trim rings. Just looks ‘right’ on so many cars.
My high school best friend had Mopar wheels on his ’65 Mustang boxtop and I always thought it looked sharp.
“Road wheel” is an unfamiliar term for me. If it includes painted steel wheels, the Oldsmobile Super Stocks (especially the body-color Super Stock III) deserve a mention.
We were an Olds family, so I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for them.
This, this, this! Came here to post about these wheels. The look great on anything that they are on… from a 1972 442 to a 1987 Cutlass Supreme.
Yep, I seriously have no idea what a road wheel is. If I did, maybe I’d be thinking Pontiac, they probably have the most wheels I like.
Road wheels is a loose term. But ‘steelies with style’ would be a decent description. As opposed to the more basic designs that are nothing but carriers for a tire or maybe a plastic hubcap. Those Olds Super Stocks definitely qualify as ‘road wheels’ in my book. Sharp pieces for sure, and Ive seen them on all sorts of GM iron.
FWIW, the current Camaro RS has some nice road wheels that are a nod to these designs:
Funny, when I read the into I immediately thought of the Camaro wheels, only I was thinking about them as some of the worst. To me they have always looked very cheap and boring. Like something a spare tire would be mounted on. But after reading what you said about them kind of being a nod to GM wheels of the past, I get them a little more.
The Camaro steelies scream cheap to me, too, but a young acquaintance forced me to look at them another way.
I helped a friend’s son make his first car purchase a couple of years ago. He bought a Camaro, and he was disappointed that he couldn’t get the steel wheels on the trim level he chose. His car instead came with some (very attractive and certainly lighter) alloys. Having grown up in an era when even Corollas have alloy wheels, he saw the steel wheels as cool & retro.
+1 on the Super Stock IIIs!
+2
So good. I love these.
Olds has the honor of holding both the best- and worst-looking wheels ever:
I’m quite fond of the AMC rally steel wheel, which was used in the early 70’s:
For the worst I vote for any Poly-Cast wheels, but particularly the ones on the Tempo/Topaz.
Those got regurgitated onto early YJ Wranglers. What a difference nice centercaps and trim rings can make! On AMC’s they look like stylish roadwheels. On the Jeeps….El Cheapo.
oh god, I hated those things. sort of the look of alloy wheels with none of the lightness.
Minilites look great on British cars, but my all time favourite is the 3 stud Citroen 2CV wheels.
The 3-lug-nut wheels continued on through the Renault 5, into the the ’80’s.
… as seen on my ’82 “LeCar.” The 3-nuts were among my favorite “quirks & features” (as Doug DeMuro might say)
By 1993, the wheels developed some rust-like corrosion..
A can of Rustoleum (small can, as the wheels were 13-in.), and they were like new.
My absolute worst wheels are the 2000 Buick Lesabre wheels that many of these cars had. What was GM thinking?
I think they realized the problem and changed it pretty soon. But plastic feeling was in fashion at the time.
OMG I have to agree and say that those LeSabre wheels were horrible. They didn’t look like they were the right size for the car. They were so awful. Every time I see a LeSabre with those wheels, I shake my head. YUCK
Another shot of those “gems”…..
If you hadn’t said they were wheels, I’d have thought they were a cheap plastic wheel cover and dismissed them and the car as well. What were GM thinking?
I dunno, they look OK. Nothing great, but not horrible. In my mind, they look like the wheels off of this thing. https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-asian/curbside-classic-infiniti-q45-lm-good-enough-im-smart-enough-and-doggonit-people-like-me/
When you see them in person it makes them that much worse. HIDEOUS!!
Pooh that’s nasty.
One of my all-time favorites – another Buick – the Century T-Type alloys from the mid-80’s. They, along with the ‘T’ package, transformed those cars into a much beefier, euro-looking car IMO.
Yes, I agree…those were sharp on that car. A cousin had an ’85 which I remember liking quite a lot. The 3.8 stuffed into it really gave it some pep!
+1. These cars could look outright stodgy in the common color schemes and with the geriatric wire hubcaps and whitewalls. But blacked out, and on some decent looking wheels…not horrible for those days. The coupes could look pretty handsome like this.
I had an ’87 Century Limited sedan with the ‘T” package. It had the blackout trim and those beautiful alloys with the fat Eagle GT’s. Handled great and it rode amazingly well. Plus with the 3.8 SFI V-6 that car screwed! Absolutely loved that car!
Off the top of my head the WORST road wheel was the “styled steel” wheel used by cheaper Ford cars. This was a wheel that was basically stamped to appear as though it had spokes (4 spokes for 4 lug wheels, 5 spokes for 5 lug wheels) and it usually had a press-on center cap that on the cheapest cars was chromed plastic with a red “eye” in the center. Looks very much like the Rostyle wheel used on all British cars in the 70s.
BEST road wheel? My favorite is the lacey spoke (NON-wire wheel) also used by Ford. The best example appeared very infrequently on 1st generation Granadas(usually Ghias) and Thunderbirds, but there was also a similar wheel for Mustang IIs.
A good runner up is the “dartboard” wheel used for a short time on early 80s Monte Carlos.
My 76 Maverick Stallion had the base styled steel wheels on it. I like ’em. My center caps are metal. All they are are painted non chromed Magnum 500’s. I also have a set of the forged aluminum wheels also. Your are right about the lacy spoke rims Ford used. They are sharp. They were offered on the last year Mavericks also. I also like the lacy spoke rims used in the first gen. Tauruses too. Been looking for a set for my 88 MT-5.
Magnums
Best and worst? I’ll do both at the same time with the Chrysler Corp. Cast Center Road Wheel (sales code W23) of 1969. Manufactured by Kelsey-Hayes, these very attractive wheels were unfortunately defective in design, as the lugs were able to work themselves loose. Torquing then down would crack the aluminum-alloy center. An emergency bulletin was sent to dealers on September 13th, 1968, a mere six days before the official introduction of the 1969 model year vehicles.
“Early production 1969 model vehicles, built prior to August 28, 1968, may have been equipped with Sales Code W23 cast center road wheels.. Latest engineering tests indicate that the lug nuts on these wheels may loosen during operation. Therefore, the option is no longer offered and all vehicles built with the Sales Code W23 wheels must have them replaced with other type wheels BEFORE DELIVERY TO THE CUSTOMER. Because of the nature of the campaign and the time element involved, it is imperative that all vehicles be completed before public announcement date of September 19, 1968.”
Apparently a small number of sets did escape, and they are highly prized within the Mopar community:
Many of those wheels wound up in Mexico, where there was nothing such as an auto-safety regulation or any real kind of corporate liability.
I have never heard that before. No bueno..
A buddy bought a ’69 Formula S Barracuda from the original owners in West Van about the mid to later ’80’s, and its still had these wheels. At the time, I was a nut for these cars, and refinished them for him, as they were a little worn looking, but serviceable. The car had well over 100K miles when he bought it, and she drove the thing hard. Funny, all the 340 A bodies I saw (I personally had a ’68 Formula S 340 4 speed) seemed to have the drive axle studs bent back at a slight angle. (go figure!) As for the car, he sold it several years later, and I was slightly miffed at not having the chance to buy it, no idea where it went, somewhere in the Vancouver area. It was a real looker, in a Metallic Champagne with a red interior and auto. Cool car, Cool wheels (literally!)
such a shame. Those are REALLY sweet looking.
+1, heard of them but seen for the 1st time here.
Another favorite – the “real” Cadillac wire wheels for the RWD full-sized Cadillacs. Stunning.
Yep, probably one of my favorites!
Was never very fond of the Pontiac ‘honeycomb’ wheels, nor the Ford aluminum slots of the seventies.
Those are among my favorites!
I couldn’t get used to the honeycombs. It’s a great shape from nature, but in nature it doesn’t spin.
Love the Pontiac snowflakes too……..
+1 on the Pontiac snowflakes. Chrysler had a nice snowflake wheel on the early 80’s Fifth Avenue and Imperial. Ford turbine wheels on the Panthers and the Lincoln snowflake wheels were nice too.
Yeah those made even the broughamiest of Pontiacs look lithe and muscular
Here’s a set on my friend’s 1978 Grand Am – it’s new in this pic:
Wow, now that’s a rare beast – a 4-door ’78 Grand Am! With snowflakes!!
Always like the 8 lug road wheels that were on my Grandfather’s ’65 Bonneville convertible.
+1 on those eight-lug Pontiac wheels by Kelsey-Hayes.
The best ever! Wonder why there has been no other wheels on passenger cars with over 5 lugs since.
A bit of a quibble, but my Kia Sedona uses 6 lug wheels. An interesting question whether it is a truck or a car, but it is certainly uncommon. And makes finding cool aftermarket wheels a bit of a challenge.
Those Pontiac 8 lug wheels were also integral as the brake drums.
Sure, they may have been heavy, but oh the looks.
Wow. I could post a lot of answers to this one. For me, the further away a design gets from radial spokes, the tougher it is to make it look viable for absorbing the weight of the car and the centrifugal forces at play. Asymmetry is bad. Even numbered spokes are bad. Rectangles are bad.
Some of the strongest looking wheels are those with round holes around their perimeters, like Alfa spyders of a certain time period. I like the Mopar version better, actually, as on the late ’80s LeBaron GTS.
The. Worst.
Were those a Chevy-only thing? I could swear I saw some late ’80s Pontiacs with them on.
Holden used a version on their J-body Camira, although the plainer centre caps make it less obnoxious.
They also had a ‘5-spoke’ version for the Commodore.
Isn’t that a slightly different design? I think the wheels on that Camira are also found on 80s Cavalier/Ascona/Manta but I’m sure the Chevy centre caps are bigger, for one thing.
See…I like the “waffle iron” Cavalier Z24 wheels. This is “good-80’s” to me.
Usually I agree with 99% of what you write on this site, but not here. 🙂
I got your back, J.D. These were PURE 80’s! Interesting design, and machined finish. For the car and times: win.
Did you know, the waffle grid hubcaps of the Z24 were made in Belgium?
Yes, the ’88 & ’89 Z24 boasts authentic BELGIUM WAFFLES!
Square peg in a round hole?
I certainly didn’t like these.
Although things can get worse.
Might be one of the reasons Fiat was chased from these shores in the early ’80s. Are their cars any better now I wonder?
I like these road wheels on the Matador.
Fiat doesn’t offer much these days anymore…the Panda and an endless variation of the 500-theme.
What they do offer is a extensive line of light commercial vehicles + camper chassis with first rate (diesel) engines.
BTW, those bear-covers were on the Mazda 121.
The infamous Ronal Bear! I always thought they were kinda cute – for somebody else’s car.
Wonder what they were like to balance?
Oh yes, I forgot those ones were the real thing ! On the Mazda 121 you saw the plastic bear covers.
I’ve always wanted to see Ronal Bears in real life! The perfect car for them would probably be a VW Cabriolet.
Those wheels made me think of another goofy looking wheel, those aftermarket wheels most often seen on VWs: they looked like daisies, with a yellow center and wide white petals/ spokes.
+2 First that came to my mind. You beat me to it.
I’ve always been a fan of the Buick turbine wheels from the Eighties:
+1 Love the look of that car even if wheel was from the pre 91 model. Makes me want to get some for my RSW. Looks much better than what was offered in 96.
Favorite
Holden used these on the Monaro GTS in Australia.
They are pretty similar to the Rostyle wheels used on lots of British cars in the era too, which were apparently based on this Pontiac wheel. Also used on things like the Range Rover without the black paint-outs.
Many Cortina & Hillman Hunter owners would find their car resting on bricks missing it’s Rostyles in the 70s & 80s. Irish Billy in the flat downstairs from me had them taken from his Capri when I lived in a Blackpool warzone in the 80s, I learned some new swear words that morning!
Opel A body’s… Manta, 1900(Ascona), GT’s had a very similar wheel.
Re: “Rostyle wheels used on lots of British cars.”
On Ford Capri’s too. A coincidence? I think not. The Ford Capri was built in Belgium, Germany, Australia & 2 plants in the UK.
Pontiac Rallyes are some of the nicest for sure!
Agree
I like those ‘Ralleye II’ wheels best without the trim rings, like ‘The Judge’ had.
Least favorite
They’re okay, on the cars they were designed for. In Australia an aftermarket version was available with plain caps, and turned up in some very inappropriate places. A friend had a set on an R31 Nissan Skyline.
I had painted 12 slots on my XB GS wagon, original equipment but those horrible aftermarket jobs came in any stud pattern requested,
Personally you cant beat a set of real WIRES as fitted to Jaguars etc not those turd like hubcaps fitted by American car makers they make nice cars look shitty and cheap.
Ironically they were used on Falcon GT, but without the GT letters on the hubcap. Looks better without IMO, even if it is a bit plainer.
? +1
The ubiquitous 12 slotters these and jelly beans where on everything with pretences of speed in Australia through the 1980s, and they looked good on nothing,, GMH used the Pontiac Rallye II for the HQ through HZ Monaros and a similar style rim on LJ XU-1 Toranas called a Sprintmaster. The next generation Toranas wore Rallye IIs when in SLR5000 and A9X specifications. However, it seemed the factory wheels were the first thing to be changed out with Holdens, I struggle to recall seeing a high performance Torana or Monaro with factory rims in the 1980s. Not so for Ford, locals embraced the 12 slot design and this became the default wheel in Australia when modifying a vehicle.
Yes siree.
+1
Always liked these, for Late Brougham era luxe. Also, the Chrysler road wheel that popped up on a lot of New Yorker Broughams:
Amazingly, I recently read an article that stated how these are the same wheels used on GM trucks, and other vehicles as well. All made by the same company, just with variations on backspacing and lug circle. 🙂
Those are the wheels used on my 79 Lincoln. I also have a set of the deep dish forged aluminum wheels used on Lincoln’s and Grand Marquis. They are good looking.
My favourite too!
I’m biased but I’ve always been fond of these. Even found a set of 15×8 rallys for my ’96er.
The finned dish-type wheels found on high-spec Ford Granadas and Taunuses of the eighties are a favorite.
+1.
Here they used a similar wheel for the F-Series pickups, E-Series vans, and Mustang, and probably some others that escape me right now.
Unfortunately, some of those were actually hubcaps; for this reason, I find this design unappealing. I don’t want an alloy that looks like a hubcap.
Yup, had those hubcaps on an ’87 F-250 in 16″- 8 lug & still on my ’89 Bronco II in 15″- 5 lug.
I bought a 78 4dr LTD in 2002 that had those truck hubcaps on it. I thought they looked good on it. I still have ’em. No longer have the car though.
OK, so the Bronco II (and the Ranger, it’s safe to assume?) also had similar-looking wheels.
Yuk
I’ve always loved the Pontiac 8-lug nut wheels from the 1960s, which were fairly rare when new. Judging by what you see at car shows, you’d think that 90 percent of all full-size Pontiacs built between 1960 and 1968 were fitted with those wheels. Oldsmobile’s “Super Stock” wheels with the body-color portion are a close second.
The styled road wheels that AMC began offering in 1975 – Pacers featured them in most advertisements – were also quite handsome.
I was always a big fan of the wheels that the 67 Cadillac Eldorado came with.
this is the offset to the Eldorado.
It appears it took Oldsmobile some time to dress up the wheels on the original Toronado.
They were styled after the steel wheels on the Cord 812, a nice nod to the original
Those are Eldo wheelcovers, which I’ve hated for 50 years. They needed the big ugly holes to cool the overworked front brakes. Unfortunately, the ’69-70 replacements were a little too bland.
I’ve always liked these Mopars.
Yessir! Clearly, they seem readapted from the rallys that came on GM 2wd halftons. The similar looking 4×4 variants used on those seem to have snuck onto a lot of fullsize 70s Jeeps also. But ditch the whitewalls for RWL’s and theres hardly a Mopar that wouldn’t benefit from those…
Also I was also a fan of the standard circular wheelcovers on the Lincoln Mark IV and V, some of my favorite wheels on the big Lincolns next to the Turbine wheels.
I was very happy to find these hubcaps (cheap!) for my Linc:
Love those caps – were they called the luxury wheel covers?
+1.
This is the lug wrench for that.
http://www.allpar.com/photos/chrysler/1997/LHS.jpg
I thought the first generation LH Chrysler New Yorker/LHS had the nicest looking wheels, certainly in that time period.
As for my least favorite wheels. The first one is the 5 spoke M wheels that BMW was fond of in the 90s.
I like those wheels. I actually went to great lengths to find a look-a-like for my Mark VIII – a Fondmetal F1, which wasn’t cheap.
Definitely the Lincoln deep dish aluminum wheel. Had flair and class all at the same time.
My favorite hubcap is the 66′ – 68′ Ford Styled – 7 Litre version.
FYI,, If you have an old Ford and you want these hubcaps, STOP.
If you have radial tires these hubcaps WILL NOT STAY ON unless you put put around corners……..
The More You Know………………..
Given the way these Galaxies handle you pretty much have to putt putt around corners anyway.
The real issue is that the hubcap goes OVER the edge of the rim and covers maybe 5/16″ of the tire and a radial tire will actually help to push the cap off.
My 67′ Galaxie, ( Big Red ) corners really well with the Addco 1 1/8″ anti sway bar on it.
Plus I suspect that the radial’s stickier nature makes those wheels flex more. The wheels never had to withstand those kinds of forces with the old bias ply tires that would lose their grip at fairly low Gs.
That’s interesting, never thought of that..
Your car is beautiful. That you have modernized the mechanicals makes you smart enough to appreciate the better materials and engineering of today.
Thanks.
The next step is fuel injection and the aftermarket fuel injection systems get better every year.
The ONLY reason that’s necessary is the ethanol in fuel these days makes hot starting a real problem in carbureted vehicles in hot climates like Houston, and it methodically attacks and ruins certain parts in the carb and fuel system.
Thanks Federal Government.!!
If not for the ethanol it’d be fine.
2packs4sure: Your picture is a mighty familiar view from long ago.
Are you going to be able to get the EFI setup to fit under the stock air cleaner? That would be cool if you could.
As far as i know there is plenty of room.
Those mid 60’s Ford air cleaners are huge but if it has to go then it’ll go.
Sometimes the original stuff just sucks like the old Tecumseh A/C compressors.
I went through 3 rebuilds in short order and the front seal leak freon on every one.
Had to retrofit with a modern Sanden compressor even though i hate the way it looks.
They even look great on this promo I’ve had since new…
My other least favorite wheels were these AMG ones Mercedes had in the 90s. They remind me of some of the worst aftermarket chrome rims I’ve seen attached to some vehicles.
I always called those drug dealer wheels
Joseph, you and I have diametrically opposite taste. I may just like the AMG wheel for the beast V8’s that lurked under the hood.
I’m surprised that no-one has mentioned the Saab Turbo “aztec” wheels. Best or worst?
Worst
Those are actually called the “Inca” but it’s a common error. One of my favorites.
They looked nice on ’80’s Saab 900 Turbo’s with the external rear windshield louvers…. when shiny, they reflected the sunlight all over the place.
This guy painted ’em black, though.
On their own worst, on the car BEST!
Yup. Saabs are a bit weird, those wheels are a bit weird…they compliment one another. I like them. Very interesting design. The 80s and even the late 70s had a lot of tech-inspired wheels. Remind me of ‘Tron’ in a sense.
One of my faves are these alloys used on Nissan 4wd pickups and Pathfinders. Very ‘cyborg’ looking:
2wd hardbodies got a smaller diameter, but still interesting design:
One of the best, without doubt
Rostyles: so nice!
Those are mentioned 50 posts up… by johnh875. And a post where they were stolen off a Capri.
I love the small bumper Capris… pre-’74?
I like most 1960s road wheels from the Olds full disc wheels to the Pontiac 8 lug wheels.I also like those on full size Chryslers, AMC, those on the 1974 Impala Spirit of America.
My favorites are the Buick wheels.
I can just make out the c-pillar on that 76. Estate Wagon?
The problem with Rostyles though is that EVERY foreign car in the 70s seem to be equipped with them.
Here’s a best and worst wheel, all in one neat package. I present to you loyal readers my ’97 Grand Prix GTP, which, along with its wheels, “dropped my jaw”, which ironically, I posted about the other day with this CC… https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/qotd/qotd-what-were-the-most-jaw-dropping-cars-of-the-nineties/
A Best, because it was a beautiful wheel, and looked striking on the car, especially in gold.
A Worst, because it was all fun and games until you actually had to clean the wheel to keep it looking this nice.
Let’s do the math… 4 rows of 15 holes on each wheel times 4 wheels = 240 holes to poke out with your finger to remove the brake dust. I delt with this for 8 years befor trading this car in on my 2007 ‘stang.
I have to agree that a good wheel should be easy to clean.
Nice, the green and gold is a great combination!
Thanks, yeah, I fell in love with car and had to have it… Here’s another shot of it below which shows off those beautiful, but pain in the a$$ to clean wheels. Another annoying thing about this wheel, was it had these plastic caps that covered the lug nuts which were threaded to accept them. The threads on the plastic caps would get weak, and the caps would unsuspectingly fly off while you were going down the road….
…that segues nicely into another GM wheel for which I am a sucker: the wheels on my wife’s S-10 pick-up. These wheels reminded me of those old Keystone Classics from back in the day. The S-10 wheels had the same stupid plastic caps on the lug nuts, so I used to buy them by the bag full and keep them in the glove box of each ride, so that I was prepared to install one right on the spot! I really don’t like something out of place appearance-wise with one of my cars. ;o)
Those are good looking wheels. A friend used to have one of those GTPs and it was pretty fast. In fact, he occasionally drag raced it. He made up a cold air kit for trips to the strip which included removing the passenger side headlight for an air intake.
I have never had a car with those wheels, but my wife used to have a Grand Am with similar if not identical ones. Those are a pain to clean. On the other hand the Bullitt wheels on my Mustang and the 5 spoke wheels on her current Toyota Solara are pretty easy to clean. I once had an ’81 Buick Regal company car with wire wheel hubcaps. I ended us using a paint brush to wash them.
Yep, Rick… Pretty fast. Top speed 126 governor limited, with a zero to 60 time of 6.5 seconds. Ironically, this zero to 60 time is the same as my normally aspirated 4.0 V6 in the Mustang; 6.5 seconds. (Of course the governor on the ‘stang is set to only 115, but I’m way too old for the triple digits anymore, so I don’t care. ;o). The GTP had a spiral roots blower. That made up for the weight difference between the two cars, thus why the 0-60 times are the same. I’m sure the governors are set based on the stock tires. I had the same 3800 Supercharged drive train in my Regal GS, but that car was limited to 110 or so. Again the difference being the stock tires from the factory. The Pontiac: Goodyear Eagle RSA’s… The Buick: Goodyear LS tires. Car stats are almost as fun as sports stats for guys like us!
Two words: Ceramic Pads
I had do to that on our old Grand Caravan and my F-150 as the stock pads dusted something terrible.
That’s exactly why I went with the 5-spokes (non-chrome) when I bought a GP GT new in ’97. Easy as pie to keep clean.
My GP was that same Dark Teal Metallic with but with tan leather…..damn that was a good looking car! Hard to believe that design was released 20 years ago this coming fall.
Rick,
Still a great looking car. Around that time I was shopping for my first new car and had considered basically that identical GP. Instead I bought an Accord Coupe in the same green with a tan interior. What a lemon- the Hondas of that time were known for eating ATs. Wish I would have gone with the GP- might still own it. Instead I sold the 99 Accord in 06 for a big loss.
Thanks for the kind words, everyone. Yeah, I tried the ceramic pads, a soft brush, Eagle One A to Z All Wheel Cleaner, the whole 9, and nothing beat just poking out each hole individually with my index finger inside the car wash rag. Thing is, to keep a wheel that clean, I usually clean each wheel 3 times for every time I wash the car. This is a total labor of love, as I am keeping it nice for me, not the next guy. Case in point… The car had like 163 to 165K on it at trade in. It still looked almost that good when I spotted my 2007 Mustang at CARMAX in early 2008. While I got a great deal on the extremely low mileage ‘stang (pictured below), 1127 miles to be exact, the dealer only gave me $75 for my GTP… So sad… But as I’ve said on this forum before, I like to drive a car that looks like a trailer queen, but must use it as my daily driver. That said, my cars really rack up the miles quickly. The Mustang pictured below has just about 163K on it now. It’s probably worth $58. I still love it and will treat it so….
Oh, and Mark P… +1 on simple 5 spokes… I REALLY wanted the GP five spokes… Nice wheel… Note my wife’s Lancer… Those wheels are super simple to clean. I wish I had the GT Mustang 5 spokes in chrome from my year… That’s a beautiful wheel paired with a simple black Ford like mine…. What did good old Henry say? “You can have your car in any color so long as it’s black”?… Yeah, I get that. Keeping black shiny is a labor of love too, but in reality, it appears as whatever color you park it next to due to the awesome reflective power of black. ;o)
I sympathize with you on the value versus mileage thing. For years I had a job where I drove 200+ miles a day. Luckily it wasn’t always to the same place and didn’t get boring since I love to drive. Most vehicles had close to or over 200K when I replaced them. After taking a bath on value a couple of times on trades I started just selling them outright. I made a little more on them that way. A couple went to relatives . I always was perfectly honest with the buyers about any issues with the vehicles. All of them were black, which is what I like. They also all looked real good even before I was able to garage them. The last one was an ’03 Mustang . I had some people look at it who I decided wouldn’t give it the treatment it deserved , so I made sure I couldn’t come to terms with them on price. At 228K it was still a great car. I ended up selling it to a nice family for their high school son who used it all through college and then handed it down to his brother. They still have it.
Black cars are worth, in my opinion, all the trouble to keep them shiny.
People look at me like I have 3 heads when I park FAR AWAY from the entrance to a store or something and I despise parking garages. I get the whole, “Why the hell do you have to park all the way out here?” thing from them… Even my wife complains… But while her car has door dings and scratches from inconsiderate bastards, my car has no such blemishes on its sides. As you know, black shows every imperfection. I only have rock chips on the hood, a pillars, and roof because well, it is my daily driver. Which brings me to dump trucks. ARGH&$@%#+=€£¥!!!!! They drop rocks on the road, damage you windshield and paint, but NEVER pay up… You call the number on the side of the truck, and no one EVER answers the phone. There’s either no voicemail, or the mailbox is full or something…. Thank God I carry full comprehensive on my insurance with $0 deductible. My Mustang is on its third of fourth windshield now. Fortunately, my insurance paid for OEM, so I could get the Pony Emblem. I’m one of those that likes to keep his cars all original. But while I can get a new wind screen (as our friends across the pond call it), who’s gonna take care of the rock chips? Yeah that would be me with either touch up paint or a Sharpie if I’m in a hurry. ;o) Oh, and my Dad is the same way I am and he’ll be 78 this April. His 2014 Mustang is perfect. He parks far away from everyone. He doesn’t let a thing like age stop him from keeping his car nice…
The ’66-’67 Toronado Deluxe wheels!
This garbage would look wimpy on a corolla…whatever taste-deprived cheapskate at Ford approved this chintzy waste of metal should be blacklisted from the automotive industry for life.
I had an ’86 Mustang with those. I ordered the car and used it in my job. I optioned it pretty nicely but decided ( wrongly) not to pop for the upgraded wheels.
The little fins on those wheels are some kind of plastic or something as they are flexible. They also collect insane amounts of brake dust. I tried to keep them clean in the 2 years I owned that car but they still ended up being stained between the fins. I also opted for the 4 banger for gas mileage. While it was a good car and really gave me no trouble in 92K quick miles, I should have stepped up to the V6. That car seemed a little tired when I traded it for a new Ranger. Yep, I went for the 6 and upgraded wheels on that one.
Those are poly-cast wheels, which I nominated above.
All the worst characteristics of both steel and aluminum wheels rolled into one. (Get it – rolled?)
never knew they were anything other than a lazy aluminum wheel. The GTs at this time had those deep turbine style wheels…those are a slam dunk on fox bodies.
Good one! I couldn’t remember what they were called. Maybe it is selective memory due to the difficult in maintaining them and looking back at what they looked like.
I agree those are poo.
On my ’92 I painted the center caps graphite gray to match the body, and wide RWL tires helped “man(n)” them up.
They were heavy because they were steel beneath the rubbery stuff, but they also were tough and never got leaky as sometimes happened with alloys as they got old. (So I am told)
I don’t see where anyone mentioned the 14 inch Mopar Road Wheels as found on the A body cars. Also, those Ford lacy alloy wheels looked good on my father’s 76 Merc Monarch. But some of my faves are those Jaguar Kent alloys.
And a nomination for least attractive is those from the Grand Caravan in the late 1990s. There is something about the way the spokes are set wide apart near the hub and move closer together at the rim that offends my sense of order.
These are fantastic!
Favorite OEs: Magnum 500s, Oldsmobile Super Stocks and Pontiac Rallye IIs.
Least favorites: Pontiac Snowflakes and those swiss cheese-looking things that came on FWD Mopars in the 80s
I always kind of liked the “pizza wheels”.
+1 on the pizza wheels. On those Shelbys, they looked decent enough.
The chromed 5 spokes that came on my PT Cruiser GT were such a disappointment. The attempt at evoking old school coke bottle mags was just a weak, flaccid attempt. Theyre too….’melted’ looking, too skinny, and have no depth or lip at all. FAIL.
More pepperoni.
those are actually the wheels I was thinking of. Ick.
came here to post the “swiss cheese” wheels. so nasty.
Nice!
Yuck!
I remember thinking about those OH WE ARE BEING SO CLEVER YOU SEE ITS AN ION SO WE HAVE BIG PLUS SIGNS ON THE WHEELS. So horrible.
One more: Studebaker offered Halibrand magnesium wheels as a dealer option in 1963-64 on Larks, Avantis and Hawks. Sweet.
I am surprised no one has mentioned Chevy Rally Wheels. They used them in different sizes over many years and are still popular with Chevy guys and street rodders. I liked the ones I had on my ’75 El Camino. They sure were easy to take care of.
Oh, you mean the ones that are on *every* single V8 Chevy made before 1985 and that has a “USA-1” front license plate and on 95% of *every* vehicle ever repowered with a SBC in the history of the world? Those Chevy Rally Wheels? 🙂
Its hard to beat a Cragar SS on any muscle-era car
Good point! It is amazing how the difference the right set of wheels can really set a car off.
My favorite aftermarket wheel is the American Racing Torque Thrust. Of course, back when I started driving most guys were buying chrome reversed wheels. That is the first set I had. I had them on my ’67 Mustang and finally replaced them with a set of the original Styled Steel Wheels that I found. Either one looked better than the stock hubcaps and white walls.
YES. Hell, Cragars will butch up even pseudo and non muscle cars. Tradesman van? Check. Cop spec Diplomat? Check.
Well now I have to be contrary…I don’t like torq thrusts or cragers. Never have.
While I totally agree, keeping within the limitations of factory production they don’t really count.
Otherwise I’d include another period muscle car wheel I love(which seems to be unfashionable with the current “day 2” restoration set, sadly) – Slots!
Agreed. Classic, simple, “dressy” without looking overdone, and they look great on pretty damn near anything I’ve ever seen ’em on. So infrequently seen nowadays, and it’s a shame.
I’ve been a fan of these since grade school when my friend’s sister had a set put on her ’72 Toyota Corona. The difference they made to the whole look of that car was amazing, despite the fact that it was about as far as you could get to a muscle or sports car. It just somehow looked “right”, and I can’t remember ever seeing them anything that they’ve looked wrong on.
LOVE slots! One of my alltime favorites. Many a classic Mopar looks perfect on them…that Charger is a perfect example.
FWIW, US Mags is making a full range of slots. 17″ sizes and you can even get them in black.
+2 for slotted mags and I agree, there is not enough of them out there today! I do run a set of vintage Appliance slots on my Charger though.
Look at pictures of hot rods, musclecars, and even vans and pickups from the 60s through the 70s and the vast majority of them ran Cragars or Slots, followed by Torque Thrusts and Keystone Klassics. Such great looking wheels on just about any classic American car.
Dodge did come out with a 20″ Cragar knockoff on Chargers and Challengers a couple of years ago, I think they did a pretty good job pulling off a modern spin on a classic wheel
Don’t forget the “bullitt” wheel Ford offered on Mustangs in the 00s. The Challenger wheel is basically that in chrome.
I LOVE the Cragar S/S… They’d even look good on some of today’s cars! The Challeger comes to mind, seeing the beautiful Charger you have pictured here.
I really liked the Ronal R8’s on my Audi 4000 quattro. I’ve seen them on some Volvos also. I’ve seen some 4000’s with aftermarket rims, and IMO the R8’s look better.
The image, which I pulled off a website, shows a generic Ronal hubcap. Naturally, the ones on Audis had Audi hubcaps.
I’m going in a different direction with my vote: the Fiberide wheel (← that’s a link) on the 1989 Shelby CSX. More info here (search the page for fiberide).
Michelin made an optional glass fiber and resin wheel for the Citroen SM but it was not offered in USA.
Bellissimo!
Oh, and as for best: my old neighbors had a brown ’84 (I think?) Delta 88 coupe with American Racing wheels that looked amazing. No pic of the car as it was stolen 25 years ago but the wheels were similar to this.
The OEM 18″ steel wheels on my recently-acquired RAM 2500 (which I keep wanting to call Dodge Ram) were about as uninspired as you can get. They’re already gone, replaced by aluminum wheels. I thought briefly about finding a shop to make me up a set on old-school Dodge pickup wheel centers, but they only went to 16″.
Nice rig! That’s definitely an old school, back to basics truck. Wheel- wise, it could’ve been worse….those at least look rugged and truck-like, if basic. The 20″ full chrome abominations that came stock on my ’05 Rumble Bee made me physically ill everytime I looked at them. You’ve seen my 17″ Torq Thrusts…worked wonders.
Surprised we’ve gone 100+ comments without a mention of the ’67 Corvette “bolt-on” aluminum wheels…..
….or the ’82 Collector Edition wheels they inspired….
The Momo Vega wheels used on Alfa Romeos around 1970-74
The Ford XF Fairmont Ghia “Snowflake” wheel was a pretty smart-looking one for the top of the range sedan, in 15×7″. There were a couple of variations of the wheel used, firstly for the earlier special model ESP which had a gold face and machined lip, then the subsequent Falcon S without the machined face, just painted silver.
Edit: Not sure why the images aren’t loading.
A nomination for worst – has there ever been a good-looking 3 spoke wheel? This is from the 1995-6 HSV GTS.
Ok should work now
XF Fairmont Ghia wheel
Success!
Anyone remember those ‘polycast’ wheels of the late 70’s?
http://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hmn/2009/02/Polycast-Wheels/1767452.html
They often featured nice designs, but I remember seeing a few of them disintegrate. Not necessarily dangerous, but looked awful.
Some of the ones I like:
3rd Gen Trans Am turbo cast – like those in KITT
5 spoke slotted mags, deep dish
Saab 3 spoke super aero
Kelsey Hayes 50’s Cadillac
VT SS Commodore
E34 M5 Turbine wheels
Chevrolet Rally Wheels (5 slot)
Chrysler rally wheels, like those in the Dart GT)
Jeep with the little triangular holes
Range Rover Classic steelies.
This is the 1997 Commodore SS
One of my favorites was this sort of deep dish lacy wheel on Crown Vics and Grand Marquis.
One of my least favorites is these cheap looking wheels on some C class Mercedes
The entire CLK looks cheap (and in many ways, is)…but those wheels are a nice upgrade for older Benzes, especially the W123.
Another iconic design that hasn’t been mentioned is the Porsche “phone dial” wheel. Not my favorite, but memorable.
Least favorite: the alloy wheels on the Mazda MX-3 GS. Really brought down an otherwise decent-looking car.
I’m late to the party on this post, but scads of great wheels mentioned – the “phone dial” is a love-it or hate-it, but I happen to like it, especially on the 928.
The Buick Rallye and Olds Super Stock are probably my favorites, along with the 8-lug Pontiac wheels – can’t see anyone doing something that unique again. Honorable mention? The Chevy “Rally” wheel. Tons of old Chevys have them and they look good on almost anything.
How exactly did the Pontiac 8 lug wheel work – what were the lugs bolted to? They’re right out at the rim, and that seems like you’d have a huge face plate…
It was a finned drum, and the wheels (with no center section) bolted to the outer rim of the drum.
Thanks for the answer – I had envisioned something like that but didn’t have a good photo to go by. So I guess disc brakes were out of the question if you had these.
@cfclark: I don’t recall the last year the integral drum wheels were offered (’66?), but they didn’t overlap much, if at all, with the availability of front discs — except the Corvette, GM didn’t offer discs at all until MY1967. Obviously, to convert to discs, you’d have to get four new wheels and possibly new spindles as well as the brakes and other conversion stuff. Why you’d want to is not obvious unless you were building some kind of street rod and really didn’t care about originality (in which case you probably wouldn’t start with a car with these anyway, unless you were going to pull them and sell them).
Torq thrust wheels are my favourite American wheels. My ex’s 68 Cougar looked bad ass with these, like a CEO with brass knuckles.
Rostyles are my favourite English wheels, my favourite music teacher Mr Watkins had them on his red Holbay Hunter & my brother & 1st boyfriend with a car on 1600E Cortinas.
Never cared much for the plain Centerline wheels despite being a muscle car fan.
The “crosshatch” wheels on the MG Maestro, horrible wheels for a horrible car
Nice line. “CEO with brass knuckles” really gets the point across .
You gotta love how some people go off topic, and throw in “aftermarket ” wheels, when the QOTD is “factory” road wheels. Unreal. 🙁
Anyway, these rims, like Saturn itself, are lame as hell… I HATE alloy or performance wheels with NO lip or dish… They might as well be hubcaps.
These thing look worse than Pep Boys ricer wheel covers.
Great car… LAME factory alloys.
BADASS… Pontiac Trans Am GTA meshies
VERY COOL… Buick GNX mesh alloys.
Always loved these, they are so old school JDM, with a nice lip and aggressive design…
The factory 6-spoke alloys on the 1981-82 Datsun 280zx.
Ford Escort XR3, 1980, European version
Capri II Ghia versión. Good elegant look.
These aluminium wheels are still very atractive.
Only in 13 x 5’5″,
Everyone born 46-56 will remember the fast cheap modification – chrome reverse. I really learned about wheel geometry and the right “touch” when replacing spindles and wheel bearings. Looked great, though, despite the drawbacks.
I think the best looking rims to ever exist are the Mopar Rallye rims produced from the mid ’60s to late ’70s, especially with the chromed outer lip ring.
Second place goes to the ’92-95 F-150 special rims.
Worst goes to the Renault 2CV rims. They had an odd bolt pattern that made them impossible to replace, were oddly heavy despite their size, and were/are impossible to get tires for in America (again) because of their size. Not to mention they’re just… Bland.
Isn’t that Snoopy’s dog food bowl?
I was going to agree with this comment, and then I noticed it was my own.
I’m my biggest fan!
Although small Renaults had 3 stud wheels these look like Citroen 2CV wheels. As they don’t have a large center hole they don’t fit on some tire mounting machines or balancing machines. The balancing is not really an issue as a 2CV does not go fast enough for the balance to matter. I speak from experience. The small square center hole is used to hold a captive nut that accepts a bolt to hold the hubcap on “fancy” models. if the captive nut come loose there is no easy way to remove the hub cap.
Were they late 60s? I think 1970 was the first year for them.
I agree, supurb wheel design.
I thought they originally showed up on the Imperials and 300s in the 1960s, though I might be wrong. They were most popular on the Dart/Duster, Challenger, ‘Cuda, and some versions of the Aspen/Volare twins, so that might be where you got the ’70s association from.
I think these were 14 inch only, so they were restricted to A B and E body Mopars. The big C body cars had 15 inch wheels and used the 15 inch Road Wheels with the trim ring and the chromed center cap that were pictured above.
Hmm. Good to know. Before this all I really knew was that they all had the same bolt pattern, but that some had a high center cap and some were recessed.
I think the Hemi and 440+6 and possibly the T/A and AAR E and B bodies used 15″ versions of the rallye.
I like these.
These monstrosities found on every other pontiac product from the mid-80s – early 90s.
WORST. EVER.
Those were prolific in the 90s, I hated them then I hate them now
Love those on Firebirds, Fieros and Sunbirds.
Always have, always will.
2nd goes to Cavalier Z24 wheels. NONONONONONONONONO.
I remember being a young child, and seeing one in the neighborhood while my mom drove us somewhere (in an 87 Nova hatchback), and having to ride my bike over there later just to see them up close.
Whoa. You mean you went NEAR it? Braver than me
Can’t forget the asymmetrical center cap!
And a distant 3rd for worst…
I just want to cut off those little three pointed pieces of trash between the three main spokes, every time i see them.
Bad: any wheel with direction designed into it. Are we going forward or backward? It wants to tear a car in half along its centerline.
Re: “Walk around any parking lot today, and you soon realize all but the cheapest cars have alloy wheels. ”
It’s all about MPG’s,(fuel economy) that auto makers are competitively trying to raise… to sell cars.
“Unsprung weight is the weight under the springs which moves up and down as the vehicle rides over uneven roads and leans in the corners. Reducing unsprung weight allows the springs and shock absorbers to be more effective in controlling the suspension’s movement. Additionally, a vehicle’s rotational weight includes all parts that spin including everything in the vehicle’s driveline from the engine’s crankshaft to its wheels and tires. This affects the energy required to change speed as the vehicle accelerates and brakes. As you would guess, reducing the weight of any of these rotating components will enhance the vehicle’s performance because less energy will be required to increase or decrease their speed.”**
**http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=108
Those Honda wheels are pretty close to the ones on my 94 Taurus.
My favorite: the Super Stock IV, optional on 1971 and 1972 Delta 88s only.
These were garbage. Cheap and they looked horrible on every single Rio, because the wheel behind the cover would RUST. Turned me off of plastic wheel covers forever. I hope to get wheels for my Mazda at some point. Plastic covers just scream cheap to me
I like the “Wankel” wheels from my old ’88 Bonneville SE. Mine was black.
I like Lamborghini Miura wheels!
I’ll take steelies with dog dishes. Thank you.
Speaking of steelies, one of the best recent wheels were the aluminum wheels that looked like steelies and hubcaps on the last generation New Beetle. It might have been worth getting the car just for those wheels; they were that cool.
terrific stock wheels on my Corolla iM
I did like the ones that came on my 2WD S10 Blazer….but they were a PITA to keep clean.
Handsome “modern” design that I like.
I would imagine just cleaning one wheel would take longer than washing the car!
A lot of my favorites listed here! The biggest problem that I have with OEM wheels today, is that the MAJORITY of them are flat faced, with no lip and only variations on the number of spokes that they have! I know that this is a function of FWD and aero, but all the previously posted deep dished, classic lipped examples from the past just “roll” me away, LOL!! 🙂
I like the 1988 to 1992 BMW M5 “M-System” wheels with brake-cooling turbine that made it look like the tires have white side walls. Iconic.
Ettore Bugatti’s horse hoof and it’s many permutations. The horse hoof being Bugatti’s design signature from childhood to today.
The Ford Turbines we saw on the ’77 to ’79 Thunderbirds, as well as their Lincoln cousins:
I loved them!
1957-58 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham wheels (yes, they are wheels).
I too like Buick’s “Roulette” wheel (Rallye Wheel). Simple with an elegant cool factor. Suitable for whatever Buick they were on.
Ford’s Turbine Wheel a close second.