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20 MUSCLE
CAR WHEELS
G5
BOOSTER
Schott Wheels
Rocket Racing
Wheels
The G5 wheel by Schott was
born from a spoked style
established early in the
history of road racing. Many
companies have adopted the
style and made it their own.
Schott’s version has updated
the look with a flat lip and
seamless polishing. All of
Schott’s wheels use their
special Cover-Loc system to
hide the lug nuts. This wheel
comes fully polished, brushed,
anodized, or any combination. Sizes include all of the
popular combinations from
18 to 20 inches.
Finishes:
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Pricing:
Source:
Schott Wheels
562-598-4411
www.schottwheels.com
Pricing: www.newstalgiawheel.com
polished, brushed, or anodized
18-20 inch
7-15 inch
custom
custom
24-33 pounds
$690-$1,320
VINTAGE
60
Vintage Wheel
Works
Pro Touring, drag, or
street machine, these
hoops have what it takes
to make your car a star
at any price.
By Liz Miles • Photography by manufacturers
O
ne of the quickest and least expensive ways to drastically alter the way your car looks is to change the
wheels. When you need to get your ride looking good
in a hurry, a wheel swap and lowered suspension can take it
from cute to killer. The most important factors to consider
when buying wheels are style, size, weight, and cost. If you are
a hard-core racer, size and weight may be the most important
things to consider. On the other hand, if you’re building a
show car, style and size may be the priorities, leaving cost low
on the list. Either way, we’ve put together a selection of wheels
that cover all these categories.
We obtained our pricing from reputable online mail-order
sites, including Summit Racing and Newstalgia Wheel. In some
cases, we sourced the manufacturer’s website for the price.
These are the prices you will actually pay, not suggested retail.
We know cost depends greatly on the size, so please note that
the wheel prices are a range that encompasses the smallest
wheel available to the largest. The same idea applies to the
weights of the wheels.
66
www.popularhotrodding.com
VENOM
Schott Wheels
Not all of us desire a traditional look in the standard
sense. People who admire
the cars of the ’60s but who
want the modernized styling of the 21st century got
what they wanted when the
Big Three started bringing
back muscle cars. In perfect
harmony with that idea,
Schott Wheels has updated
Source:
the Cobra-style wheel with
Schott Wheels
elegant lines and sizes to
562-598-4411
meet today’s needs. Each
www.schottwheels.com
wheel is built to order so your
Pricing: www.newstalgiawheel.com
exact specifications are met.
Their wheels are fitted with
their Cover-Loc center section that encloses the lug nuts behind an
aluminum housing to give it an ultra-clean look.
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brushed, polished, cleared, and anodized
17-20 inch
7-15 inch
custom
custom
26-32 pounds
$800-$1,500 each
This style should look familiar
to you. PHR’s own projects
Street Fighter Mustang and
Fastlane Fairlane wear it. This
is a wheel worn traditionally
by Ford-powered race cars,
including the vaunted AC
Cobras. Don’t worry, though,
these wheels aren’t just for
Source:
the Ford products—they
Vintage Wheel Works
look good on just about
714-690-4700
www.vintagewheelworks.com
anything. The mock knockPricing: www.vintagewheelworks.com
off centers give the car an
aggressive performance
look without needing to switch to spindle-mount wheels. They come with
a polished lip and a cast or gray painted center.
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polished lip with cast or painted center
17 inch
7-9.5, 11 inch
3.75, 4.5, 5, 5.5 inch
5x4.5, 5x4.75
21-25 pounds
$280-$350 each
Rocket Racing’s Booster
wheel is a one-piece wheel
that’s precision crafted
from A356 aluminum and
treated with a one-of-akind two-part silver finish.
This matte silver coating
gives the wheel a modern,
high-tech look that just can’t
compare to ordinary chrome
Source:
or polishing. Rocket keeps all
Rocket Racing Wheels
their backspacing and bolt
pattern combinations in stock, 888-307-7525
www.rocketracingwheels.com
and can assist you in choosing Pricing: www.newstalgiawheel.com
the right wheel. The Booster
wheel mates a quality product
with a reasonable price to make your ride really stand out. While you’re
at it, check out their website to see some of Rocket’s other great
designs, such as the Rocket Fuel style.
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matte silver, chrome, gray painted
17-18 inch
7-9 inch
4.25, 4.5, 4.75, 5.25 inch
5x4.5, 5x4.75, 5x5
19-23 pounds
$240-$285 each
VINTAGE
48
Vintage Wheel
Works
If you like the look of vintage
Trans-Am racers, you will
connect with these wheels.
Since the early ’60s, this
wheel has been a racing
staple, and has found its
way onto nearly every make
and model since then. This
wheel is made from virgin
Source:
356 aluminum, treated to T6
Vintage Wheel Works
factor. The backside of this
714-690-4700
www.vintagewheelworks.com
wheel is fairly flat, so make
sure you measure your brakes Pricing: www.vintagewheelworks.com
carefully before ordering.
These wheels won’t break the bank, and you’ll give your car that classic
mini-lite look. All of Vintage Wheel Works’ wheels come with center cap
and lug nuts standard.
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machined lip, media blasted center
16-17 inch
7-9.5, 11 inch
3.75, 4.5, 5, 5.5 inch
5x4.5, 5x4.75
19-25 pounds
$250-$350 each
APRIL 2009 POPULAR HOT RODDING
67
20 MUSCLE CAR WHEELS
HOT ROD
500
SALT FLAT
SPECIAL
American
Racing
When you’re going fast, air turbulence can be extremely dangerous, and it can slow you down.
That’s why wheels designed for
high-speed racing out at the Salt
Flats are generally smooth faced.
Source:
American Racing’s Salt Flat SpeAmerican Racing
800-959-1969
cial sports a timeless style remiwww.americanracing.com
niscent of the early days of hot
Pricing: www.summitracing.com
rodding, right down to the design
cues lifted from the aircraft of the ’40s. These are two-piece wheels made
of aluminum alloy to exacting specifications. Most of American Racing’s
wheels can be made to order with many combinations of diameter, width,
backspacing, and bolt pattern. All of the typical sizes are covered for 15to 17-inch diameter wheels.
Source:
American Racing
800-959-1969
www.americanracing.com
Pricing: www.summitracing.com
polished lip, painted deep center
15 and 17 inch
7-9.5, 12 inch
3.75-7 inch
5x4.5, 5x4.75, 5x5
21-30 pounds
$200-$300 each
AR 690
(IROC)
Sometimes the auto designers know best. There isn’t a
wheel out there that looks
better on a third-generation
Camaro than its original
five-spoke IROC wheel. This
wheel is not limited to just
the ’80s Camaros, but looks
good on many other models.
Source:
American Racing carries other
American Racing
OE-style wheels, including a
800-959-1969
www.americanracing.com
model made famous by the C5
Corvette Z06. They’ve got a wide Pricing: www.summitracing.com
selection of original Corvette and
Camaro wheels from various years. We can’t think of a better way to
show off your updated suspension on your muscle car than with some
updated wheels.
68
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polished lip with painted or polished center
15-17 inch
4-14 inch
3-6.75 inch
5x4.5, 5x4.75, 5x5
20-29 pounds
$185-$285 each
chrome
16 and 20 inch
8 inch
4.5 inch
5x4.75 and 5x5 inch
20-28 pounds
$150-$240 each
www.popularhotrodding.com
WC3
Forgeline
The WC3 is quite the crowd
pleaser. Anywhere PHR project
car Bad Penny goes, admirers follow, and the distinctive
WC3 makes this car easy to
recognize. Many web-spoke
wheels made today feature a
flat lip, which in the modern
design lexicon has emerged as
a favorite. The WC3, however, features
Source:
Forgeline
the traditional, stepped lip that loyalAlloy Wheels
ists of the earlier era seem to prefer.
800-886-0093
Having a stepped lip makes the wheel
www.forgeline.com
center smaller, reducing weight. Like
Pricing: www.forgeline.com
all of Forgeline’s wheels, each wheel is
custom carved from forged aluminum, and comes in a variety of finishes.
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TORQ-THRUST II
American
Racing
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Forgeline
American Racing
No need to search the
swap meets and Internet
auctions to find yourself a
set of old-school wheels.
These “Magnum 500” style
wheels give you the best of
both worlds. Back in the day,
these were found on just
about everything, including
Fords, Chryslers, and GMs. If
you want a truly classic look
with a touch of performance,
these wheels are available in
15-inch diameters. To sport
the new-style rubber more
commonly found on today’s
street cars, 17-inch-diameter
wheels are available as well.
Both are made from high-quality
aluminum alloy, and are pressed
and welded together.
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SP3P
American Racing
American Racing has been around for quite a while, and pretty much
made its name with the Torq-Thrust–style wheel, their best-selling wheel
by far. It’s been seen on everything from show cars, trucks, race cars, and
street cars. It’s a timeless design that has morphed into a modern style
with the introduction of the Torq-Thrust II. This model has been slightly
refined from its spine-spoked sibling. The Torq-Thrust D is closer to the
original, and that’s why Chris Borg, owner of our ’69 Chevelle cover car,
chose to run 15x7 and 15x8-inch “Ds” with a gunmetal painted center.
Torq-Thrust II
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polished lip, painted, or polished center
15-18, 20
6-10, 14
custom
5x4.5, 5x4.75, 5x5
17-32 pounds
$226-$500 each
Torq-Thrust D
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satin lip, painted, or polished center
14-16 inch
6, 7, 8, 8.5, 10 inch
3.5, 4.25, 5.75, 7.25
5x4.5, 5x4.75, 5x5
18-24 pounds
$154-$196 each
polished lip, gunmetal or polished center
18 inch
8-15 inch
custom
custom
19-25 pounds
$965-$1,140 each
TA3
Forgeline
Looking back to the mid-’70s,
the automotive industry was
taking a dive. The politicians
wrapped up in their affairs and
the oil crisis forced auto manufacturers to change their priorities from power to economy.
Luckily there were a couple of
cool cars to make it through this
era. The Trans Am Firebird was
Source:
a truly iconic car, and being featured in
Forgeline
Smokey And The Bandit gave it even
Alloy Wheels
more desirability. We all have the urge
800-886-0093
to modify our cars, and Firebird owners www.forgeline.com
Pricing: www.forgeline.com
are no exception. For these lucky few,
Forgeline has made a 19-inch wheel to meet the needs of the Pro Touring
crowd with their big sticky tires.
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diamond cut, polished, chrome,
and custom painted
19 inch
8-15 inch
custom
custom
22-28 pounds
$1,100-$1,500 each
The SP3P is Forgeline’s
golden child. It’s by far their
best seller, and it’s obvious
why: a simple design makes
it suited for a large group of
cars. Forgeline takes pride in
offering nearly unlimited
options for finishing. Once
Source:
you choose the wheel style you like,
Forgeline
the finish can be just about anything.
Alloy Wheels
Forgeline’s most popular finish is
800-886-0093
www.forgeline.com
something they call “diamond cut.”
Pricing: www.forgeline.com
They powdercoat the wheel center,
then CNC a bevel around the perimeter of the wheel to give it a layered look. They can paint or powdercoat
any color in existence for the look you desire. These wheels are made
to order, so you can specify all your dimensions.
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diamond cut, polished, chrome,
and custom painted
18-20, 22 inch
8-15 inch
custom
custom
21-26 pounds
$1,070-$1,530 each
INERTIA ADVANTAGE
Bassett Wheel
Bassett Racing is a leader in
steel racing wheels. These
aren’t just your regular
stamped wheels you can
buy at the tire shop down
the road, they’re made for
hardcore racing. Bassett
has the ability to make
any of their 15-inch rims in
just about any width and
backspacing, and best of all,
they fit any budget. Once
Source:
the size is chosen, you can
Bassett Wheel
have them powdercoated just
888-888-7199
about any color you like. PHR’s
www.bassettwheel.com
Pricing: www.bassettwheel.com
current project car, Project Talladega, has Bassett’s eight-spoke
D-Hole Lightweight wheels, but the five-spoke Inertia Advantage shown
here would’ve been just as good a choice. Even though this particular
wheel is not DOT-approved, they seem to have no problem surviving
200-mph door-to-door shoving matches for three hours straight. Since
these wheels are designed for racing, they are as light as allowed by
sanctioning bodies.
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Pricing:
silver, black, and chrome
15 inch
8-15 inch
1-7.5 inch
5x4.5, 5x4.75, 5x5
19-24 pounds
$69-$170
APRIL 2009 POPULAR HOT RODDING
69
20 MUSCLE CAR WHEELS
30 SERIES
RALLYE
Wheel
Vintiques
STAR
Summit Racing
At PHR, it’s our duty to test
the products we preach,
and that’s why the Street
Sweeper Chevelle wears a
set of Summit Star wheels at
the dragstrip. Why waste your
precious drag racing rubber
on the drive out to the track
when you can easily swap
them out in the pits? Summit
Racing makes the swap
affordable. Having a second set of wheels
will set you back around $400, but the end
result is worth it. Summit’s Star wheels
always come with center caps to give your
car a professional race car appearance.
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Summit Racing
800-230-3030
www.summitracing.com
Pricing: Summit Racing
polished
15 and 17 inch
4, 7, 8, 10 inch
1.75, 4-6.5 inch
4x4.25, 5x4.5, 5x4.75
14-24 pounds
$90-$150 each
SPORT
Summit Racing
If you’ve ever been to the
dragstrip or a car show,
you’ve seen these iconoclastic wheels before, only these
are not the higher-priced
name-brand wheels they
appear to be. The Summit
Sport is a one-piece cast
aluminum design, making it lighter than a steel
wheel, but not much more
Source:
expensive. These wheels come in extra
Summit Racing
narrow sizes for a skinny “pizza cutter”
800-230-3030
tire up front, and up to 10 inches wide
www.summitracing.com
for a slick out back. These wheels are so
Pricing: Summit Racing
affordable that you can keep your street
tires on your current wheels, and keep
these handy for swapping to sticky rubber at the track—just like we did
with Project Fastlane Fairlane!
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70
polished
15 inch
4-10 inch
1.75, 4, 4.25, 4.5, 5.5 inch
4x4.25, 5x4.5, 5x4.75 inch
15-22 pounds
$90-$130
www.popularhotrodding.com
Many of our beloved muscle cars came with 14-inch
stamped steel wheels.
These were great back in
the day, and they were a
vast improvement over the
previous 13-inch wheels.
Unfortunately, decent tires
aren’t made that small
anymore. With performance as a Source:
Wheel Vintiques
priority, and 15-inch tires in pro559-251-6957
duction for drag racing, 15-inch
www.wheelvintiques.com
wheels make a world of differPricing: www.wheelvintiques.com
ence. Without losing the style of
the originals, Wheel Vintiques
sells this replacement that can be used with or without trim rings and
center caps. These wheels come standard powdercoated silver, but can
be powdercoated other colors for an additional $35 each wheel.
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bare or powdercoated silver
15 inch
4-8, 10 inch
2.5-4.5 inch
5x4.75
20-34 pounds
$70-$81 each
95 SERIES
CHRYSLER
BILLET
RALLYE
Wheel
Vintiques
Finally, something for the
Mopar guys! Here is a great
recreation of the classic
steelies from the factory.
With Wheel Vintiques, you
can get bigger sizes, lighter
weights, and better tires
Source:
without losing the original stylWheel Vintiques
ing of your early Mopar. Wheel
559-251-6957
Vintiques has been making these
www.wheelvintiques.com
Pricing: www.wheelvintiques.com
wheels since the GM billet rallye,
which is over six years now. These
wheels are made to order, and can be shipped unpolished
for custom finishing.
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polished
16-18 inch
7, 8, 9.5, 11 inch
custom
5x4, 5x4.5
22-28 pounds
$500-$530
S/S Super Sport
90 SERIES
GM BILLET
RALLYE
Wheel
Vintiques
Don’t care for the weight
of stamped steel wheels?
Want to go bigger than
15 inch? These billet
aluminum rallye wheels
are a great choice to retain
the factory styling, while
upgrading to a larger
Source:
size and lower weight—not to
mention allowing larger brakes. Wheel Vintiques
559-251-6957
Wheel Vintiques has been
www.wheelvintiques.com
producing this wheel for over
Pricing: www.wheelvintiques.com
six years, and is always the hot
topic at car shows. They make
special center caps that use the shape of the wheel to hold it in place.
All of these rallyes come polished, unless you specify a hazed finish for
home painting or powdercoating.
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Pricing:
polished
16-18, 20 inch
5.5, 7-9.5, 11 inch
3.5, 4.5, 5.5, 6 inch
5x4.5, 5x4.75, 6x5.5
22-30 pounds
$400-$690 each
CONVO
PRO
Center Line
Wheel
Meet Center Line’s biggest
contribution to drag racing
history: the Convo Pro.
These wheels aren’t built
for show, but they look like
they could’ve been. Each
wheel is built to withstand
the abuse from the highhorsepower cars that wear
them. They are approved
Source:
by many sanctioning bodies, so
Center Line Wheels
you know you’ve got a wheel
800-345-8671
that is light, yet hasn’t given up
www.centerlinewheels.com
any strength. These wheels come Pricing: www.summitracing.com
in every bolt pattern imaginable,
and even a spindle mount center is available if requested. The 16-inch
version is a beadlock style, if you’re having trouble keeping your tires
from slipping on hard launches.
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polished lip, machined center
15, 16 inch
4, 6, 7, 8, 8.5, 9, 10, 12, 15
custom
all 4- and 5-lug variations
9-18 pounds
$175-$278 (15-inch wheels),
$300-$980 (16-inch wheels) each
Cragar
This was one of the first
Source:
aftermarket wheels to
Cragar
877-827-2427
make it big. The 61-series
www.cragar.com
S/S wheel only comes in
Pricing: www.summitracing.com
14-inch diameters, reserving it for old-school street
machines. This is a timeless wheel that can be plugged into any
muscle car in any size, and look right. Cragar’s larger version of
the same wheel, the 612 series, comes in 17- and 18-inch diameters to fit the newer style of bigger wheels. The 61 series are
two-piece wheels with a chrome-plated steel outer barrel and
a polished aluminum center pressed in. The 612s are also twopiece, but use a spun aluminum barrel to cut down on weight.
S/S 61 Series
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polished and chrome
14 inch
6-8 inch
2, 3.375, 4.125, 4.25 inch
5x4.5, 5x4.75, 5x5
21-26 pounds
$140-$231
S/S 612 Series
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Pricing:
polished and chrome
17 and 18 inch
7, 8, 9.5, 10, 11 inch
custom
5x4.5, 5x4.75
20-24 pounds
$340-$420
APRIL 2009 POPULAR HOT RODDING
71