Need an opinion on wheels....

You guys think these would look good on my impala? And does anyone know this guy????
http://nh.craigslist.org/pts/2997755025.html

I am also thinking about these 18s cuz I'm not a huge fan of 20s with such a low pro tire-
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/findWheelDetail.do?v=001296%7C1995&pc=52901&wd=18&rw=9

Which one do you guys like better?

Absolutely and no. But, if you buy them, invite him to the show.

Thanks Brian. I added another wheel choice. Which one do you like better?

Absolutely not!

and

HELL YES!!!!

No prob. Tough choice Bill. I'd say, you'd be in about a grand either way. I would at least go and get a good look at 20" MBS first. If they are in good shape, good tires then jump on them. If not, consider the BIG rod gasser 18"ers. Both would look perfect, its now about which ones the best deal. Buying new is no problem. But, used, on craigslist, everything looks good on the computer screen, except for an ugly woman. That's noticeable immediately Hahaha.

toomanytoyz wrote:

Absolutely not!

and

HELL YES!!!!

^^^^I am with this guy.^^^^ But DTD sells the top ones too. I looked at them before, but someone on the big forum has them and they look like ass on an SS.

Bill,

I love the style of those 20s, but as someone who has run a set of 20s before and is more concerned with function than looks, I would advise you to stick to 18s.

My problems with the 20s is that I live in a rural area and the roads are never perfect, the less rubber, the less suspension.

They do look good though.

I'm not wild about the second set, but thats just me.

These type of questions about wheel advise often perplex & confound me.
Its almost like your best buddy asking you if you think his new girlfriend is more or less gorgeous than his last girlfriend.
This is a "lose-lose" scenario for me, especially if I'm the one asked.
And then more so, when my personal tastes have nothing to do with his, AND especially if I think that one of them is more hideous/gruesome than the other!

Do guys really pick a girlfriend (car/wheel/etc.) based upon what his buddies think of how she (or it) looks?
Now I can understand if you've made a G/F or wheel choice that is perfect for you in every aspect that is important to YOU,
and subsequently several of your buddies make strong comments of approval, and you wind up feeling quite good!

I'm with Pooge: Practical considerations make the smartest choice "look better" as time passes!

Advice about "which brake upgrades require what wheel backspace cavity?" is a more sensible line of inquiry in my world.

The big national board has a VERY large wheel thread, but I was put off by the fact that there are too many sub-categories mixed in.
I would love to have a permanent thread HERE (broken up into sub-groupings) that covers wheels for A) Performance, B) Largest fitment, C) Aesthetics only, D) Brake clearance, E) Low cost, , , Etc.

Machine-De-Zine wrote:

These type of questions about wheel advise often perplex & confound me.
Its almost like your best buddy asking you if you think his new girlfriend is more or less gorgeous than his last girlfriend.
This is a "lose-lose" scenario for me, especially if I'm the one asked.
And then more so, when my personal tastes have nothing to do with his, AND especially if I think that one of them is more hideous/gruesome than the other!

Do guys really pick a girlfriend (car/wheel/etc.) based upon what his buddies think of how she (or it) looks?
Now I can understand if you've made a G/F or wheel choice that is perfect for you in every aspect that is important to YOU,
and subsequently several of your buddies make strong comments of approval, and you wind up feeling quite good!

I'm with Pooge: Practical considerations make the smartest choice "look better" as time passes!

Advice about "which brake upgrades require what wheel backspace cavity?" is a more sensible line of inquiry in my world.

The big national board has a VERY large wheel thread, but I was put off by the fact that there are too many sub-categories mixed in.
I would love to have a permanent thread HERE (broken up into sub-groupings) that covers wheels for A) Performance, B) Largest fitment, C) Aesthetics only, D) Brake clearance, E) Low cost, , , Etc.

I suppose you're right, cuz even if everyone on here said the ones I wanted were butt-ugly, I'd probably still buy them. I think I'm gonna go with the 18s. I like the look and I don't wanna lose the ride quality. Anyone ever run the Riken raptors?

I used those tires. Stock size on SS wheels. For the price, I say they were a good buy for driveability. I have no complaints further than they were horrible in the snow on a 17" wheel to begin with.

8bud wrote:

Machine-De-Zine wrote:

I'm with Pooge: Practical considerations make the smartest choice "look better" as time passes!

I suppose you're right, cuz even if everyone on here said the ones I wanted were butt-ugly, I'd probably still buy them. I think I'm gonna go with the 18s. I like the look and I don't wanna lose the ride quality. Anyone ever run the Riken raptors?

The Raptors were already on the wheels that came on my SS.
I've been on them for over a year now, and they are holding up to my abuse better than expected.
They don't grip very well, even in the dry, and they reach their threshold less predictably than the Nitto NT-555s.
When driven conservatively, they deliver a good $$$ savings.
In the rain, I've learned to drive on the Raptors slower than the other imbeciles out there, me being just another one, after all.
After having had Nitto NT-555s as an upgrade to the original Comps, I can tell you that for my purposes, the Raptors get two thumbs down.
But, , , they ARE very affordable as compared to the NT-555s.
If you can find 18" wheels that you like, you WILL find that there are many more good choices of excellent tires for varied purposes.
Imho, 20s (or larger) are too impractical - or for someone who lives around & drives on glass smooth roads.
The 17" choices for the OEM WX3 wheel are slim pickins, and getting worse as time passes.
The wheels I have on my BBB are (18x10.5)-R & (18x9.5)-F.
295/45ZR18 Rear & 275/40ZR18 Front, so; 26.5 tall fronts with 28.5 rears- - zero ABS errors, so far!

I too am a big fan of the Nitto 555s. I will be buying a set next spring, if not sooner.

Riken's are produced by Michelin. So, I would have to say they should perform well. I have read online they are terrible in the wet. Not a concern of mine, I rarely ever drive my Caprice. I have a set of 285/40 17's (now discontinued in this size) for the rear of my Caprice mounted on SS wheels. They've yet to make it on the car so I cannot report how they perform.

I would definitely like to go with the Nittos, but it is a $260 price jump. And for the amount of time I drive the car, which would be almost never in wet weather I think I'll probably cheap out and go with the rikens.

Diggin the 18's