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Projects Steelies or mag wheels? Both are popular but what do you prefer?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by HOTRODPRIMER, Apr 23, 2017.

  1. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    Non billet aluminum wheels for the drag strip. Steelies for the street 0520131953a.jpg faded memories.jpg
     

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  2. i.rant
    Joined: Nov 23, 2009
    Posts: 4,301

    i.rant
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. 1940 Ford

    For the most part I've had my fun with Cragers and 5 spokes. On the right car I may reconsider,like if a tri 5 post car fell into my lap but I'm pretty much in love with steel and caps without rings. Getting the wheels striped is my attention to detail.
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  3. buck 32
    Joined: Oct 16, 2014
    Posts: 183

    buck 32
    Member
    from Maryland

    20160709_074631.jpg 20140727_145330.jpg I like em both. Although I'm partial to the steelies right now.
     
    putz, OL 55, Lorenzini and 4 others like this.
  4. I guess I'm a steelie kind of guy.:D 044-vi.jpg IMG_0287-vi.jpg
     
  5. push_rod
    Joined: Jul 22, 2013
    Posts: 110

    push_rod
    Member

    [​IMG][​IMG]

    My choice would be steelies; they're easy to maintain. When I was building my 1940 Tudor for dad to drive, he insisted he wanted custom chromed wheels, so I caved in. Dad's now gone, I'm glad he had a street rod to cruise around in, but now I'm stuck keeping the chromed wheels cleaned and waxed.


    Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  6. tim troutman
    Joined: Aug 6, 2012
    Posts: 844

    tim troutman
    Member

    100_0546.JPG 100_0896.JPG likem both ran steel wheels and caps 15 years recently switched doesn't even look like the same truck
     
    putz and Ron Funkhouser like this.
  7. Don't plan on it Gary, did have to put new shoes on it as it sat for over 10 years and the tires were as round as a brick, went with 135's and 235 85 x 16's Bugs and tires 002.jpg
     
    Gman0046 likes this.
  8. 50Fraud
    Joined: May 6, 2001
    Posts: 10,101

    50Fraud
    Member

    My preference for period style cars biases me, but I've used steelies with hubcaps (or Kelseys) on every pre-1960 car I've ever owned: 54 Merc side.jpg 57 Olds 730.jpg 55FordWagon.jpg 60PontiacF.jpg !TRW06crop.jpg !DRD57@JCP05-900Lo.jpg !!GGOC10-0800LoCLite.jpg !2017.3.28.1000.jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 29, 2017
  9. sunbeam
    Joined: Oct 22, 2010
    Posts: 6,213

    sunbeam
    Member

    I got to go with Torque thrust.
     
  10. Gman0046
    Joined: Jul 24, 2005
    Posts: 6,256

    Gman0046
    Member

    Anything looks better then directional wheels on a thirties car.

    Gary
     
    1956 F100 and lothiandon1940 like this.
  11. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 19,136

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    Not a steelie hater but.....if money wasn't an issue would you still choose them (steelies)?
     
  12. mike bowling
    Joined: Jan 1, 2013
    Posts: 3,560

    mike bowling
    Member

    All depends on the car, IMO.
    I saw a really nice '57 Chevy last year with ugly 18" rims and rubber band tires and was totally baffled as to how the owner thought that looked good- but his car, his choice.
     
  13. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,291

    jnaki

    Hello,
    Steelies or mags? From the very first time I saw Halibrand Magnesium wheels on a race car, those were the ones to have. But, for any young pre-teen or teenager, those real mags were so far out of our monetary range that other alternatives had to be chosen. A half year salary as a box boy still would not cover a complete set of original Halibrands. So, steelies were the chosen ones…painted was the least expensive, small hubcaps and trim rings, and the next step up was the chromed, reversed wheels.

    In my first 40 Ford Sedan Delivery (it came with no hubcaps and rusty rims, but for the original owner, it had chrome wheels), I painted the rims, a matching black and got some small, mini hubcaps and trim rings. On the 58 Impala, I painted the rims silver, got rid of the white walls and ran small Chevy hubcaps, no rings. On the 65 El Camino, it was again, painted silver rims and small Chevy hubcaps on Inglewood Red Line wide tires. Finally, on the next El Camino, it went from stock painted, “steelies” with small Chevy hubcaps, to steel Corvette slots and small center hubcaps, and finally real American Racing Co. Mag 5 spoke wheels and blackwalls.

    The whole process was with little to no money, painted rims looked like it came from the factory with small hubcaps, the basic ordering package. The 58 Impala came with larger full size hubcaps, but no stock street/race car would run those large stock hubcaps. You could not run them at the dragstrip, so why run them on the street?

    Jnaki
    a side trip: I have to admit, in 1964, I bought a set of Buick Skylark wire wheels for a tremendous deal. No, they were not stolen or "hot." This guy took them off of his show car and bought a set of mag wheels, so he wanted some money. ($125 for 5 pristine wire wheels and caps) I had the 58 Chevy hubs/axles re-drilled to fit those Skylark wheels. Now, I had the only 58 Chevy Impala in Long Beach with a Buick bolt pattern all around.

    Finally, many years later with a little more money, the American Racing Company mag 5 spoke rims were accessible. It wasn’t a street/race car, but it sure looked like one.

    Here is a transformation from steelies to a Corvette alternative and finally to real American Racing Mag wheels.
    upload_2017-4-29_17-11-46.png upload_2017-4-29_17-12-3.png upload_2017-4-29_17-12-13.png
     
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2020
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  14. raymay
    Joined: Mar 2, 2008
    Posts: 2,532

    raymay
    Member

    When I bought my old Chopped 37 Chevy back several years ago, I was not fond of this wheel the previous owner had installed. It seemed like I was always cleaning them. I did find a Mothers product that worked great and keeps them cleaner longer. Still thinking of a possible wheel change but have not found anything yet that I like with the style of the car.

    0827161916.jpg
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  15. tried both on mine: Maybe mags suited better
     

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  16. butchcoat1969
    Joined: Apr 1, 2017
    Posts: 165

    butchcoat1969

    I'm partial to mags but with ur car they look very cool with either one I do like the look of the deep dish steel wheels so it really is just a look that u like best, if u have access to both I would mock it up and then choose lol good luck, hotrod harry


    Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app HotRod Harry
     
  17. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 24,523

    Roothawg
    Member

    I love this truck. That color is amazing.
     
  18. Rodders
    Joined: Jun 5, 2012
    Posts: 263

    Rodders
    Member

  19. Donuts & Peelouts
    Joined: Dec 12, 2016
    Posts: 1,193

    Donuts & Peelouts
    Member
    from , CA

  20. [​IMG] [​IMG]
    Smokey's '57 Sport Coupe. Just tough looking, no alloy required!
     
    Elcohaulic and Donuts & Peelouts like this.
  21. ratrod0
    Joined: Apr 15, 2005
    Posts: 1,150

    ratrod0
    Member

    I've had both, there's good ones and bad ones 20170314_105517.jpg Screenshot_2015-12-30-17-27-03-1.png 20141129_152914_resized_1.jpg 20150823_190307_resized-2.jpg
     
    putz, Lorenzini and mcsfabrication like this.
  22. The tires are spot on.
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  23. To my eye some cars warrant steelies, some chrome, or, depending on where you are heading to, either or.

    I have changed steelies on my avatar once all ready from blue 40 Ford wheels to black 39 wide fives. For my wife's 40 Ford pickup, it will also have two sets of steelies - one radial bw in deep red/wine color with a center chrome bullet for everyday, the other bias wwws with full hubcaps for a more classy look at shows or cruise nights.

    But I also like chromed steelies and they may be a second option for my 32 5-window project with the chrome bullet center option - it presently will have black mid 30s Plymouth artillery wheels with baby moon dog dish caps ...
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  24. Steelies on my current and past rides.

    51275357802__0EB48D01-F7B8-4D55-AAC0-55CB78D5F97A (2).JPG 100_1366.jpg 4253260198_large.jpg
     
    Elcohaulic and putz like this.
  25. 50Fraud
    Joined: May 6, 2001
    Posts: 10,101

    50Fraud
    Member

    Tacky back then, tacky now.
     
  26. I knew when I built my '40, I was going to go the with steelies and full hub caps..with the red reveal.
    IMG_0988_1.JPG
     
    putz likes this.
  27. Steelies with slicks and mags up front on a street/strip car means business. Run all week on 4 mags, slicks in the trunk for serious contenders and trips to the track.
     
  28. 50Fraud
    Joined: May 6, 2001
    Posts: 10,101

    50Fraud
    Member

    If it's really racing, it's excusable. If it's being driven on the street, it looks shitty.
     
    chevy57dude likes this.

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