MadaboutKitcars

I'm not sure if they are still available new, but chrome steels with wire baskets were available in Chevy/jag stud pattern for the American car and hot rod market. They were also available in other stud patterns. They still turn up secondhand on Ebay and at auto jumbles but often the chrome isn't great now.

Bob.

There are lots of wire spoke wheel trims available from the USA. Most look pretty rubbish but there are several designs for 1980's Chevy's which look quite convincing . Take a look on Google .

And at very cheap prices- it's the shipping that kills them.

I bought this set at 700 pounds delivered to the Netherlands, had the wire mesh powdercoated new, the chromes are still like new.
I know its pricy, but i only build cars the way I would want to have them.
The unlockmechanism works the same as your doorhandle, if the central locking is active, i.e. The chrome pin is down, you can pull the handle but it won't open the door...
We just passed our 2000km mark on our trip and after visiting Monaco and parking it up in between numerous Rolls Royces in front of the Casino, we are now at lake Garda...
Tomorrow we'll do the Stelvio both ways from the Italy and Swiss side up and down.....

Green, green, green here- what a trip.
All the best.

I hope you have taken pictures
The car must look at home in such scenery

O yes, I have��

On top of Stelvio pass...

http://s1358.photobucket.com/user/mobielerobbie/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsa0bgapdl.jpg.html?o=1

http://s1358.photobucket.com/user/mobielerobbie/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsepkqcno3.jpg.html?o=0

I need to take a trip - maybe we can get a group of Mad forum cars to make the pilgrimage.

Have you a copy of your route

From Rotterdam to Paris (surprise for my wife), then scenic route to Millau, the largest bridge ( see discovery doc.), then the mediterranian coustal route (reverse order from TopGears best roads) via St Tropez to Monaco, then via Sospel and Bra to Tortona. Day after to lake Garda for some rest.
Then 4x over the Stelvio pass and Gavia pass. To end up in Liechtenstein
From there to Luxemburg via Germany and Austria back to home,
9 countries in 10 days, 3700 km drive in a 1.9 auto.......
Only missed my Z3M on the passes, for the rest this 1.9 is a nice cruiser, suits the convertible very well.

Wow, I'm just so jealous. One day. One day...

Robbie - is the car lowered at all?

Yep, on all our cars we replace the standard springs and shocks for adjustable versions...

Cheers - I'm trying to work out whether it is possible to lower enough to clip 19" wheels having finally found some really nice 19's with big enough offset and skinny enough to get under the arches! I don't think the usual 30mm drop will get close as the arches are huge on the 250.

Was looking at 225/40 19's but think the lowering required will be too much - nearly 10cm I guestimate...might have to go with 225/50 R19

Can I ask what size tyres they are? thanks for all your help

I have had 255-70-15 on the rears on a small bodied Z-3, looks perfect
I must say I would not go for huge wheelsizes and low profile tyres, cause of the looks of the car, but thats personal.
I do have a tribute Kobra with 235-40-19 and that looks good, but is offcourse a totally different car....

Well I've now confirmed it's not actually possible to do the big rim rubber band thing without still having around 30mm arch gap which would look crap so I guess it's wires or nothing!

Thanks for reply

This was sat on 19's (8.5j and 9.5j) with zero weight left in it (no interior, spare wheel etc etc) and the adjustable spring seats on rear still in place. Remove those and it would have been another 10mm lower:








I have been thinking about proper all-in-one coil over units at the rear to replace the separate coil spring and shock set up to give a little more drop (obviously with a narrower rim at the rear than above). Something like this, as an example:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Golf-Mk2-Mk3-Corrado-53i-Rear-ADJUSTABLE-Height-Shocks-COILOVER-Lowering-KIT-/361380076692?fits=Model%3AGolf%7CPlat_Gen%3AMK+III&hash=item5423ee5c94

Or cut n shut the arches downwards by the required amount, as we did on the original buck:









Or a combo of the above.

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
Winston Churchill

A timely reminder to put the cat amongst the pigeons! And after I managed to track down the wires that Robbie's used on the convertible as well!!

Well that certainly does not look crap - it's actually nearly there and looks bloody good.

Looking at I think that it's still confirming my suspicions - I guessed about 30mm left and that looks about right above the rear.

Another 30mm down and that won't go over any of the sleeping policemen round my neck of the woods but seeing it in reality I don't think it needs that - probably just the extra 1cm you mention.

Although......(mental note to self - stop over thinking things).....if I went with the 7.5J 19's, because they'd be sat inside I guess it's look lower? Sort of fooling the eye?

7.5J would bring the front in an extra 15mm and the rear 21mm

And then of course 1.9 trailing arm/driveshaft conversion would solve the rear offset completely and possibly allow 8j still tucked in

Are those Schnitzers?

God I am so confused right now - I think I want the coupe now

you'll have the same issues with the coupe....

Add on some flares - how good would it look?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSfmRsliy5o

:-)

Yes they are - I fell for them as well - I saw the coupe before it was collected by its new owner.
I Haven't got 19's as I don't want to sacrifice the ride too much

My 18's are painted black to suit the more modern styling of my Tribute

Ooo - so you've gone metallic red on the coupe then?

That sounds cool - intrigued to see

You mean getting the height down or the offsets?

Oxigin style 18 come in 19" 7.5J with ET45 so offset isn't a problem - that's half an inch less width than rear stock 17" BMW alloys and an extra 4mm less poke - these are Oxigin style 18:



Above is an extreme version (looks like it's on air ride) of what I wanted to achieve - up inside the arch

EDIT - bloody hell the price of 2.8 Z3's are a bit strong at the mo!