Is He Asking Too Much For Fuchs 16x7+9
 

I'm watching this auction on eBay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=8074915546&sspa gename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT

and am curious if the pricing is out of line? I'm looking to get a set, chrome/black with tires. The total package to SoCal from this guy would most likely run about 2300 (with tires); is that a fair amount or is it on the high side? I know it's not a 'deal', but i'm curious if it's the 'market price' for these.

Jeff

Mine were / are in that price range but they were finished by one the best guys and brand new. I also traded my old 6-7's in so that cushioned the $$ SOMEWHAT.

Some people feel strongly that chroming weakens the Alloy.

MINE ARE BRAND NEW AND POLISHED OUTERS/BLACK CENTERS FROM JASON CULLEN! your right there about on price if they are new! NEW IS NICE! NEW ARE STRAIGHT! NEW DONT HAVE CURB RASH! NEW ARE CLEAN...............its a clean machine!

Dissaggree on chrome weakening any metal. There is no substantial heat or stress place on the metal part. Never had issue with any other chrome plated part. Just makes good sense on a street car if you want a shiny finish that lasts.

Polished finish last just fine with minor maintenance. Chroming fuchs is a good way to hide defects such as pits and cracks. I would NEVER buy chromed Fuchs and advise against it.

Again; I dissaggree. I have built and owned many street-rods and Harley's. I have also done my share of metal polishing. I can tell you that I do prefer the look of polished aluminum but it starts to oxidize almost as soon as you quit wiping.

Most of my vehicles that had polished wheels or other parts were weekend toys. I could notice a difference in a weeks time in the finish and would have to "bring the shine out" before riding/driving. Believe
me there is nothing minor about keeping that shine on the wheels. Lots' of work'

If I told you who chromed mine, you might have a different opinion.

Not if it's anodized.

Although I can't furnish you with specific proof, I too have often heard that chroming aluminum can weaken the alloy metallurgically. Not only that, it just looks like crap. Once you do this to a set of Fuchs, they are basically ruined. But that's just me...

ianc

I stripped and polished these wheels myself two years before this pic was taken. I never did anything past wash and dry during that time. It just wasn't required. Polishing, if done correctly will require very little aftercare. I've done 3 complete sets of Fuchs and have had the same experience with all.

Chromed Fuchs are nearly always suspect and I repeat, I would never buy a chromed set. I think most people on the board will agree. It kills their value.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1150484496.jpg

damn those look good! foaming at mouth for exactly what you did from jason cullen/al reed coming inbound via UPS. and my cab is red also! wow they hurt my eyes they look so good. what is your secret polishing compound?

Charles, you paid about 2300 delivered for all new wheels & tires?

NEW FUCHS WHEELS ONLY POLISHED W/BLACK CENTERS. 7 and 9's brand new jason cullen here on pelican. not used not refinished but NEW UNUSED WHEELS no tires for a little less. if you want COOL FACTOR OF '10" you must pay!

Chrome crack wheels?
hohohoho... hahahahahahahahahhaaaaaaa
It is like saying, I am an asian and my english writing isn't well; therefore all asian people don't speak english well. Rediculous.

Whoever own polished aluminum wheel will know the shiny polish won't last long AT ALL. You will have to work on it to maintain the polish.

Another thing about polish. If your wheels are too old and bad and oxidized, you will have to sand the surface down to polish it. Will sanding the surface down weaken the wheel a bit? The answer is yes.

I agree with Mark. Besides the maintenance being a non issue why would you want to put a hard chrome finish on top of a nice forged wheel and that chrome will add weight and possibly chip as well. A high quality wheel with chrome is one of my pet peeves - makes no sense to me. Not to get off track but I am Asian also, and my English is good but I can't make heads or tails of the analogy above in either language?!

Mark I got my (formerly yours) seats. Thanks

Do a search on hydrogen embrittlement. It is the mettalurgical reason for POSSIBLE weakening/cracking of parent metal as a result of chroming. It is particularly a concern for welded parts. I am not a metallurgist but I AM the construction quality manager for a major transportation agency.

Personally, I do not like and in general most in the hobby don't prefer chromed Fuchs. You may or may not agree with that summary but I think I am accurate in making it. If you like chromed Fuchs and are willing to take a chance - its your money.

I'd buy Fuchs and have Al Reed (or Harvey or Jason Cullen) polish and clear anodize them, period!

Yep.

ianc

Dan, ianc,
honestly, I don't like chrome wheels that much either but depend on the wheel and the car (style) the chrome wheels put on.
As for Chrome Fuch, I always like polish Fuch better IF the polish last (keep the shine as well as chrome). As far as chrome crack wheels.. ummm.. you are in CA, you can see million of chrome wheels out there. I personally had several chrome wheels in the past and those wheels last yearssss without problem.
If someone said their wheels were cracked after getting chrome because blah blah some reaction happend, then I buy it. Not chrome will crack wheels.

when you have black inserts and polished wheels, what is the best method of care for them. use vaseline as per porsche book? mothers? or just wash and dry ????? everything gets blown w/air compressor than throughly dried, due to water hardness here off the scale!

Vaseline works well for the original anodized finish. I never did more that wash and dry my polished wheels. Mother's mag polish was always the last step when I did a strip/polish. It works well and would be good for occasional maintenance.

Re: Is He Asking Too Much For Fuchs 16x7+9
 

No chrome for me but I was curious about the numbers on these wheels and asked the seller to send me clear pictures of the numbers inside the spokes etc.

He didn't want to do that.
His reply was very evasive and snippy, so, there may be other issues with this set.

jason cullen can rattle part numbers right off his head!

Well........... "crack" wheels or not, I like them. No, change that .......I LOVE the way it looks and how durable the shine is and how it will remain.

To all who don't like it........fine......................... opinions are like............................Naw........I won't go there. At LEAST I didn't have the paddles on a bearing set-up so that they would spin.

I'm a perfectionist. When chrome is done properly there is nothing like it as far as actual finish or durability in real street driven vehicles. That does not mean I chrome everything.........to the contrary, I polish or powdercoat parts as well.


I'd post some pics but appearantly most would not appreciate them.

polished for 11 years touched up once a year with blue-magic clean with speed shine after driven live by the beach so chrome is not ideal http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1150564937.jpghttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1150564985.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1150565023.jpg

asphaltgambler - If you like chrome on Fuchs, you like it. No disprespect intended. If you like it, do it. Enjoy it, its your car and other's opinions are just that, mine included. I have a buddy that has black centered, chrome outer rimmed Fuchs on his black SC and I gotta tell you, it looks pretty damned good. I'd not do it to mine, but I do appreciate it on his.

I know that for years in the street rod community chrome plating of things like dropped front beam axles etc, was of high concern depending if they had been properly baked after welding to reduce the liklihood of hydrogen embrittlement. I'm not sure how that applies to Fuchs because (as far as I know) they are NOT welded, they are drop forged.

I know from talking with Al Reed that CAST aluminum wheels like my old 944 Phonedials cannot always be made to polish nicely due to occasional minor porosity which may be revealed upon polishing. Fortunately it did NOT come out on my old Phonies - Al made them look awesome. I suppose this could(?) be the issue with Fuchs - not sure, guessing. Al used to chrom upon request, no idea if he does it anymore to Fuchs.

Al polished (I think chromed) my 16/6+7s; I've since put 7+9s on, but the quality of his work is simply unbelievable.

Chrome and aluminum alloy results in the same kind of galvanic interaction as any other mixing of 2 different metal(like zinc and iron or steel). This is essentially a battery setup where the more active metal protects the other in contact with it by sacrificing itself transferring electrons to the other metal and itself getting oxidized (chemically meaning by losing electrons to go to a higher oxidation state by "rusting"). That's how galvanized garbage cans last longer than bare steel cans, the zinc plating dissolves over time to prevent the iron from rusting. The chrome in these instance cause the aluminum alloy in the Fuchs to get dissolved away over time (years?) the rate of which is dependant on how wet the weather and exposure is or how much ozone is in the air (ozone is a super form of oxygen that eats up metals faster than air). So in dry and good air quality places like AZ or NV then the chromed Fuchs will last longer or weaken slower. But near the beaches with corrosive salty air those Fuchs are destined to weaken and lead to failure sooner or later. So that is the real explanation for everyone's opinions and hearsay info.

By the way, instead of vasoline, I protect my polished Fuchs by wiping them down with an Armour-All vinyl protectant wipe or paper towels sprayed with black magic vinyl treatment oil. The brake dust and road gums wipe right off and the oils prevent water from oxidizing the metal.

Of course spraying the wheels directly and wiping off is NOT RECOMMENDED as that will allow the possibility of getting an anti-friction oil onto the brake rotors which will make your brakes not work and create a stupid unsafe situation.

Food for Thought; If you like the chrome look! When refinishing your Fuchs wheels, take them to have annodized using chrome color anodize. It is different than chrome plateing.
If you really want @^$*^# you can have them anodized in red,blue,and other colors :>( I did mine in the factory anodized finish.

I Have previously chromed 7 and 9 and removed the chrome once I bought them . I crack checked each wheel with dye and all checked fine. I now have them polished . I can tell you they look great and just like new. Now will they crack??????? Probably not . But if they do I don't think I could blame it on chrome. It would be 100 times more likly that they cracked from over stressing from being driven hard for 20 years. I must put a disclaimer that my wheel only cost me 400 for the set so I would not be out a huge amount if one did crack.

This is more blown out of proportion much like head studs pulling/breaking in the 2.7. If you think about it why would head studs pull out of a case. More likly because of improper warm up and everything is expanding at different rates.

also look at the sc. well lots of sc's had the lower 12 studs break. why because the top 12 were steel and the bottom dilvar. different expansion rates.

Look at the 930s very few break head studs unless over boosted. Why because 24 dilivar heads studs= same expansion rates

Well My theory is that allot of noise is often made of nothing and just makes people over think things. I also would suggest however if I were to spend 2500 on a set of 7 and 9 fuchs I would just buy new. They have never been stressed ..

JMO