Opinion on Wheels

I'm finally feeling better and plan on getting back on the resurrection of the Monte very soon. I haven't bought the wheels yet and while I won't need them for a few months, it seems the last few wheels I was seriously considering for the car have been discontinued. So, I think I'm going to decide on a set and go ahead and get them. The latest that's caught my attention are the Pro Wheels "Honey Combs". While the real "Honey Combs" are considered Pontiac wheels, these look a lot more like the N90s painted black than they do the old Pontiac wheels, or at least they do to me. What do you guys think?







I really want to get these. However, I'm having a hard enough time coming off 2-grand for wheels and these are over $3K shipped.

I'm with you on the price... too much for wheels.

I like best the one at the top actually, but it depends on what you are doing to the rest of the car and your colors. What sizes are you considering?
Agreed that at $3K its not a good investment unless its a show car and/or has a real compelling design.
I just bought American Racing Torqu-Thrust M's in 18" for under $900. Black with Machined lips.
Can you buy the 17x8 N90s and have the centers painted? Would be under $1000.

I think the top pic looks plenty like the N90, and even if it did look more Pontiac, I don't see that as a bad thing unless you are really set on brand loyalty...
Have you considered the Year One N90's in 17"? Less than $1000 for the full kit. When I get to that point, I'll be looking at the Magnum billet wheels from them. About the same price, and they would be a homage to the 14" SS396 wheels I've had on mine since I got the car.

Opinions on wheels is like navels, we all have one.
That said, I am partial to the Boss 338 style, your opinion may differ.

I agree, Boss 338 !!! That would look very nice!!

Thanks for the feedback. It’s black and will be getting a nice paint job – maybe not show quality but close. It used to be a daily driver that was heavily grudge raced. Now it’ll be mainly driven to cruise-ins and local car shows and maybe an occasional race if I can’t control myself.

The frame is notched and while it doesn’t have mini-tubs, the fender lip is cut flush and a BFH was used to mold and stretch the metal to be flush with the frame notch. There’s room enough to fit 12” of section width for clearance – it’ll be lowered about 3” and I want the car to be even or have very little rake to it. I want to run 26- 26.5” tall on the rear and there’s not a 17” tire that fits that criteria – they’re either not wide enough or too wide. So, I’m planning on 18x10s on the rear with more than likely a 295/35/18 Pilot Super Sport (26.1 x 11.9). Now, there’s a 18x10 Torq Thrust that has the backspacing I need, but there are so many cars with them and there’s not a front that fits my criteria.



So, I can’t find a reasonably priced off-the-shelf set that will let me take full advantage of the rear wheel-well opening. There are some good looking 9” and 9.5” wheels that would “fit” and could run a 275/40/17 or 285/35/18 but you can run those without a frame notch. Plus I don’t like the look of an 8” rim with a 0 offset (4.5” backspacing) – they look recessed in comparison to the rear, especially if you max out the rear opening.

That said, I may just concede the full rear fill and go with a set of the Torq Thrust II or one of the following:

Kevin, I found my self in the same space. Notched with mini-tub (didn't roll the lip) and working on a number of spreadsheets to match tires and wheel.
The better tires don't have selections in the 17" or below as you noted, thus the 18" is my target too.
But then the widths and bolt patterns don't always match.

As regards tires - the Michelin Pilot Super Sports are THE superior tire in so many ways (lots of data there) esp if you will occasionally "need" to let off some steam- hahaha.It will however be a harsher/noisier ride, but it does come in 295. Up north we are reminded to not only not drive below say 40 deg but to removed them during cold temperature storage. Moving to a more civilized and forgiving ride, there is the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ (and similar) their ultra performance all season. As a Goodyear retiree I get great discounts so will put on the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric all season. These come only up to 285. No final decision yet.

As regards wheels - I also picked the old school look. I went black with machined lips to contrast my silver car, whereas you are looking for aluminum, chrome or even PVD (black chrome?). Choices again limited (esp in black) and when I found the wheels with the right BS it was the wrong bolt pattern. Typically I can get our patterns in 8" but often not in the larger sizes. I finally bought the Torque-Thrust Ms in 18x8 with 4.5 BS in the front and and 18x10 with 7.25 BS ,BUT they were only available with a 5x4.5 inch bolt pattern. I will be using a 1.25" wheel adapter to make the match, this gives me 6" BS equivalent which I can easily handle. I am planning on running 245/40-18 in the front and 285 or 295/35-18 in the rear. Good news is that the larger diameter tires have less bulge so will free up more room. Just received the wheels and will mock up (dry mount) the wheels next week to confirm tire size. Sorry I can't give you any confirmation of fit as yet.

Have you considered going to the 9" wheels in the front? Your first choice wheel has I think an 18x9 with a 5" BS in 5x4/75? I think others have reported going as large as 9.5"?

Thanks for the feedback Double A, I appreciate it. I usually don't have a problem making a decision but I am on the wheels. I'm trying to stick with a "retro" theme in that I'm building more or less the car I wanted to build back in the late 80s/90s. I always wanted to run a 406 with the big TPI intake originally made by Air Sensors Research under their Fuel Injection Research Systems Technology (FIRST) EFI intake line - but they wouldn't sell without the electronics and wanted around $3K. They sold out to Aeromotive and sold the intake as the "IRS" and they wouldn't sell it without electronics either. Later First Fuel Injections bought out the foundry rights and started selling them as the FIRST without electronics and I finally bought one.

I'm keeping the interior stock with custom gauges in the shadow box and pro ratchet shifter in the stock console. I do have a cage in the car, but it fits tightly and I have swing-out bars on both doors and for the back seat that I remove for normal street duty and put in for track outings.

I have a 9" rear (3.5 gears, Detroit Locker, adjustable rotojoint lower and adjustable Art Morrison upper bars, and an anti-roll bar) with disk brakes and running stock front brakes with upgraded calipers for the front. I have double adjustable shocks on the front with drop spindles, and IROC springs and front swaybar for the front. I'm not doing autocross racing and never thought the stock suspension and braking was terrible, so I'm sure I'll be fine with the handling and braking without having gone too crazy on those.

I wouldn't say this is a budget build, but I'm having a REALLY hard time coming off the coin for custom wheels. However, I know that if I get the wheels and the front tires sit in too far it's going to drive me crazy. That's why I'm fairly certain I'm going to have to go with custom wheels. I was going to go with the Billet Specialities Anthems with rivets (a semblance to the old Simmons wheels) and could have bought them for under $1500 a couple years ago. However, I decided not to buy anything until I was ready to put the car on the road and now those have been discontinued, along with the 17" RT's that I was also considering. My next choice were Center Line Matrix (similar look to the old Gotti wheels of the 80s) if I could get the clowns to do a 4.25" backspacing, but they said they would have to charge extra and they never got back with me on the price - now they're out of business (go figure). I really didn’t want to run adapters but there are a lot more wheels available that’s for sure.

I also did a spread sheet and I need something with a -6 offset for the front: 8” with 4.25”, 8.5” with 4.5” (Vision makes one) or a 9” with 4.75” backspacing. It looks like a 9.5 with 5” backspacing has the potential to fit. I know some here have run a 17x9.5 with 275/40/17s with modified suspensions, but with the drop spindles I can’t run any more than 4.25” backspacing with a 17” rim (tie rod clearance) and would have to go 18s up front. I’m not totally opposed to 18s up front, but did want a little more sidewall than the 18s would give me.

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Percy-s-01201-Wheelrite,6761.html?sku=91065475&utm_medium=CSEGoogle&utm_source=CSE&utm_campaign=CSEGOOGLE&gclid=Cj0KCQjwodrXBRCzARIsAIU59TLUicUUAhNbHl2fPNBU5BRvQGwRCNVfGG48zTTxFPRKGc2Qk6ngkpcaAveDEALw_wcB

Im going to purchase one of these just for the peace of mind, you can get them used on ebay cheap

I went old school taping strings and weights to the inside of the fenders, straight edges on the hubs and a tape measure. That WheelRite looks appealing, especially with the profile simulator.

Kevin - Even with the dry fitting of the unmounted TorqThrust Ms I was still sweating it out mounting the tires knowing that I would be locked in. Good news is the sidewalls on the 17's and 18's have so much less flex (and overhang) than on the 15's. I have maybe an inch from the inside sidewall to the notched frame (and mini-tub). May not have needed the minitub but I like the extra space. Outside fit is OK without lip roll even with 1.25" and 1.5" lowering fore and aft. Really happy with look of the staggered wheels/tires. Pondered on your comment on the recessing but I think the relative sizes of the lips and tires give a consistent look. The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric All Seasons give a remarkably smooth ride with enough traction for now. I guess I could put on stickies with the old wheels if I needed to go to the track (and blow out my rear end and upgrade)??? Nice to pull out of the allotment and not worry about the back end walking out. With your early photos of black and machined surfaces, you might want to still consider the old school look of the M's or similar. Price shipped through Summit was a smidge over $800 IIRC. That's the price of one CCW Classic 3-piece which have stoked the fires from the beginning. I can fire you (or others) some photos if you PM me your email. Keep us posted on your choices and how it turns out. Loved your spreadsheets too......
Gordon

I'm still on the fence on how much coin to drop on the wheels. I'm seriously considering the torque thrust though. They have a 17x8 with a 4.07" back spacing that would probably work for me with the right width tire. Don't sweat my comment on the 8 with the 4.5" being recessed - I have tendencies to fixate on things that really don't mean much. I've seen plenty of them on our cars and they look fine.

What tire size did you end up going with out back - last post said you hadn't decided on 285 or 295/35/18.

Kevin - Yes, I went 18x8 in the front and 18x10 in the back as I mentioned. I am sitting maybe an inch off the frame and mini-tub right now. I went to a 255/40-ZR18 on the front as they were more available in the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric All Seasons than the 245s. Rears are 285/35-ZR18s as there is no 295 in this line, but it would have fit. I am at the Nationals (NMCOA) now and we have about 100 Montes. There is a dark grey pro-tour here set up with the 17 inch TorqueThrust M wheels. He is running only 225 in the front and 255 in the back. PM me an address and I'll be glad to email you pics of both cars/wheels. BTW - depending upon the width, lip and BS, you may find that some of the lug bolts sit on the face (my rears) while others are recessed into the wheel (the 17s and my fronts). I am not good at posting photos, but you can.
Best,
Gordon

OK, I’ve narrowed down the wheel tire selection down to three combinations. All three fronts would be 8” wide wheels with 4.5” backspacing and would be using a wheel or hub centric 1/4” spacer (depending on the wheel) to give a 4.25” backspacing. All the rears would be 9.5” with a 5.25” backspacing, moved a little inward (1/2”) toward the frame than the typical 9.5” wheel for a Monte due to the 1” frame notch. The rears could go a 1/4” more inward but I can’t find an off-the-shelf wheel with the “optimal” backspacing that I really like except for a torque thrust type wheel (not that I dislike them, I just don’t want to run them). The least expensive custom back spacing wheels would be $1,650 and the ones I’d really like are approximately $3,000 and I just can’t see spending that on wheels.

Race Star 92 Drag Stars – uses shank lugs - $970
Would go with Continental Extreme Contact Sports or Nitto NT555 G2s Street Tires
or just Michelin Super Sports for the fronts and ET Street SS drag radials for the rear
Front – 17x8 with 245/45/17s 25.7” tall / 9.6” section width / 8” tread width
Rear – 17x9.5 with 285/40/17s 26” / 11.4” / 9.9” street tires ET Streets 26.1” / 10.9” / 10.2”


US Mags U120 Roadsters – conical lugs - $787
Would go with Continental Extreme Contact Sports or Nitto NT555 G2s Street Tires
or just one or the other for the fronts and ET Street SS drag radials for the rear
Front – 17x8 with 255/45/17s 26” tall / 10.2” section width / 8.7” tread width
Rear – 18x9.5 with 285/40/18s 26.9” / 11.4” / 9.9” street tires ET Streets 26.9” / 11.3” / 10.5”


US Mags U117 Ramblers – conical lugs - $920
Would go with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, Continental Sports, or Nitto NT555 G2s Street Tires
Or just one or the other for the fronts and ET Street SS drag radials for the rear
Front – 18x8 with 255/40/18s 26” tall / 10.2” section width / 9” tread width
Rear – 18x9.5 with 285/40/18s 26.9” / 11.4” / 9.9” street tires ET Streets 26.9” / 11.3” / 10.5”



To get the most out of the frame notch, I really need to go with an 18” wheel/tire for the rear. The 285/40/18s are about perfect. With a custom backspacing, I could get a 295/35/18 out back, but I’d rather have a little taller tire like the 285/40/18 as I was used to running 28” tall tires on it before.

If they made an 18x9.5” in the Race Stars, I’d go with these. They are a little lighter in weight than the other two choices and I like the shank lugs. The only thing that really bothers me is that I’m not getting much if any benefit from the frame notch with this wheel/tire combo – I could go with a 28” tall ET Street, but don’t want to run that tall a tire this time out – plus I dropped the gear ratio down to 3.50s. I used to run Centerline Telestars before so these have a bit of a nostalgic look for the car for those that might remember it from back in the day.


If the spokes weren’t quite so wide (fat looking), I think I’d be all over the Roadsters. I really wanted to run a 17” on the front and 18” on the rear and these would allow me to get as close to the tire combination as I would run with custom wheels. A little bit of a retro look since they look close to the old late 70’s Z/28 wheels that you might would have seen GM use in place of the 83-85 wheels they used for the SS. I have gray interior, so windows down there would be a little bit of a color transition, but under the hood is going to be all polished aluminum and black components and fittings. Inside will be rather stock looking (cage with swing out bars removed for cruising), but with a slick looking custom gauge panel. So, I don’t think the wheels fit the overall theme for the car as much as the Drag Stars or even the Ramblers – I’m still considering them though from a functional standpoint.


OK, I’m really digging the look of these wheels. Under hood is going to be all polished aluminum and black components and fittings, so with the hood popped, these wheels would “fit the look”. However, with the hood closed, I’m thinking these might be a little too flashy. They don’t make them in a 17” so I’d have to go 18” in front, which might be a good thing to force me to do that. I think I like these the most in a standalone picture but the least in the photoshop. I do think they would look better in person but I’m a bit of a 5-spoke guy and I think these “on the car” would have to grow on me.


What do you all think good or bad about any of these three?

Kevin - the Race Stars have not only the serious look you are wanting, but are the nicest compliment to the black body. Seems to be your preference too? Go for it.
Gordon

I personally went with the Ramblers and really like the look

Id say the last ones.

I also like the look of steelies and poverty caps, has anyone ever done a G-body with dog dishes?
Sort of like this Malibu..
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/2/3487/1501/21215750175_large.jpg

OK, I decided to take a different approach to picking wheels and finally made up my mind. I asked myself if money was no object, what would I go with. That would be either the hard to get and expensive Australian Simmons FR or the just plain expensive Forgeline FF3 or Fikse FM 5 wheels.

Simmons


Forgeline


Fikse


So, with money being an object, I started looking for the closest wheel I could find and still be within some semblance of sanity regarding the price. I had seen the Intro Endless Series 5 Star but was having a hard time finding any other image than the one below which is a poor quality over exposed image from Intro. I had just about crossed it off the short list since I couldn't really tell the shape or contour of the spokes or the area around the lug nuts.


Then tonight I stumbled across the image below and there you go - its a done deal. I just have to look around for the best pricing on them now. I've already emailed Intro for a quote as the forums say the pricing is better from them direct than through a reseller. They're not quite as good looking as the other brands above but for 1/2 to 1/3 the cost, I have NO problem running these at all. However, I plan on leaving the lips polished and just brush the centers (or just spray on some Eagle One Etching Mag Wheel Cleaner to dull out the centers like I did with my last set of wheels).

Kevin - my heart always starts racing when someone starts the post with " ... if money was no object..."
Should have a warning preceding it - hahaha.
A nice compromise on all levels. What model Intro is this? Made in CA?
Keep us posted and shoot a photo when they come in and then when you pick a final treatment.
Been thinking that with cars, "money" may not be an object, but a verb. An active verb!
Gordon

Gordon, That's Intro's "5 Star" from their "budget" Endless series. Made in CA, USA. According to what an Intro rep said on another website, they're a little less than their other wheel series due to the stepped lip and somewhat simple design that keeps machine cost/time down. Interestingly enough I actually prefer the stepped lip and simple design - so I guess that's a win - win for me.

From what I can tell, they discontinued the Endless series around 2006 and have brought it back. I'm glad because there have been a number of wheels that I liked that have been discontinued. That's why I said the next time I found a set of wheels I wanted for the car, I was going to buy them before they quit making them or went out of business.

Going with 17x8s in the front and 18x10s out back. The picture of the brushed ones are 17s, so at least I know what I'll be getting. Most companies show pictures of the 20" wheel and if you buy a 17" you could be disappointed in them. That happened to me in the early 2000s when I bought a set of 17" Centerlines for the Tahoe. Thankfully they took them back (I did have to pay for the shipping back to them) because they didn't look anything like the 20s pictured.

It will be a while before I finish the car, but I've started piddling around in the garage again. I just hope they don't quit making the 285/40/18 Mickey Thompson ET Street for the rear before I need them. They discontinued the 295/45/17s ET Street S/S I really wanted a couple years ago, hence why I'm going with the 18s to get the right height and section/tread width. At least they're a few other manufactures making a 285/40/18 drag radial.

Hit me with a PM if you do not mind. I would be interested in knowing the numbers. I am planning new wheels before the PT.

You have mail, KG

Congrats on getting to the point of pulling the trigger.
Now you will be in a brief period known as 'wheel-jail' until your new wheels arrive.
I hope they arrive soon, and post pics when they finally get on the car.

Those FF3s from Forgeline were my first choice as well but Dave Schardt said they wouldn't work with the offset I needed and the Metric spindle for some reason. I had to settle for the DE3s...

Your choice does look nice and will look great on the MCSS. I had mine clear powder coated which makes maintenance much easier...

Lance I think you should treat yourself to the Forgelines. Ill send you some boxes for the DE3s.

Thanks Lance. Yep, those Forgeline FF3s are killer, but I just can’t make myself drop the $4550 they want for them. I still have serious heartburn spending $2300 on the Icons. However, the way I look at it, the least expensive custom offset wheels that I halfway like are $1800. So, I know myself well enough that if I got them and wasn’t happy, I’d probably end up with the Icons anyway - costing me more in the long run.

Well, ICON was a little higher than the best price that I could find so far from a reseller, but I'm not so sure about that reseller. Work has been a bear here lately but I plan on calling ICON the first of next week to see if they'll price match. It'll be a while before the car is actually ready for wheels but the last two set of wheels I was going to get have been discontinued so I'm not going to wait this time.

Here's a crude photoshop rendition with the 5 Star wheels using paint and snip-it that'll be close to what it'll look like when it's finished.

Kevin - It took me more almost two years of researching, calculating and pondering before the universe aligned and I discovered (or rediscovered) the TorqThrust M wheels - then it was a blinding flash of the obvious (BFO). Go for the Forgelines. Ask Lance to help you negotiate a favorable price. Then open a Go Fund Me campaign, I will contribute. You will not be happy with anything less...... Follow your heart! You are closing in!
Gordon

I know what you mean, I've never had this much trouble deciding on anything before. I also had that same stars aligning experience when I found that picture of the brushed 5 Stars so I could get an idea of the contour.

I appreciate the sound advise, suggestion, and offer to contribute, but I scaled a couple of the best comparison photos I could find. It's possible I would feel different seeing them in person,, but I really don't have a strong preference one way or the other. However, I do plan on brushing the centers and polishing the rim of the 5 Stars like the FF3s in this photo.


Based on the best simulation I could do, I think I prefer the 5 Stars.



Plus, before buying something, I apply a question my dad asked me (30 years ago) when I was having trouble deciding between one of two cars I was going to purchase. One was right at $20,000 and the other was right at $30,000. I liked the 30K car better and was trying to decide if it was worth the difference in monthly payments. He asked, "If both cars were sitting side by side on the lot and that $20,000 car had 10 grand laying on the hood, which one would you drive off in?" Pretty simple decision for me at that point. Applying that here, it's another pretty simple decision.

Kevin - your dad is very practical, as is my wife. I would never let her see the $10K on the hood...
.

LOL - I still haven't bought wheels, but was making one last look through the web to see if there were any new, less expensive wheels with the correct offset that I could live with before dropping $2600 on a set of the Intro 5 Star wheels.

Ran across the Ridler 607s. I've always liked this "BMW" mesh style and I know a lot of GN guys run much more expensive but similar looking wheels. These are VERY tempting at $877 for a set of 4 and I could get that second pair of rear wheels (quick swap between race and street tires) for $1316 shipped.

Anyone running Ridler wheels and have an opinion on their quality and how well they're holding up?

Thats a good looking wheel Kevin. I had a set of ridler wheels on a 93 silverado, probably 4-5 years and never had any problem with them and the finish stayed nice. I cant remember the model number right off hand but the reason I bought them is that they looked close to another wheel I wanted and the price was right.

Thanks for the reply Brent. I ended up doing a photoshop of the 5 stars vs the best picture of the 607 wheels I could find. It's not as clear a picture quality wise, but good enough that I can tell, while they don't look bad, they just don't do it for me like the Intro 5 Stars. Still they're a heck of a deal for someone with a notched frame looking for a +6mm offset for the rear.

Does anybody here have American Racing wheels on his Monte Carlo? I plan on buying the VN109 model since the wheels of my father's car look so old.

Jannhall - I have the American Racing Torq Thrust M in black with polished rims as does The Merv. See his black '84 at the header of this thread. Goes well with my silver '87 Aero too. Hope that helps.

Thanks for the candid reply, I really appreciate it.