Photochop request

[IwannaSportSedan]

Raised... Yeah. That is a bit higher off the ground than mine.

 

Sebberry, I tend to agree with you. When I see cars with black rims, I tend to think of either LEO squad cars, or Fast and Furious crowd.

 

And I tend to think that blacking out the wheels entirely tends to look like a "hole" in the body work where the wheel wells are. It tends to look like something is missing.

 

I like the design of the Excel 10-spoke wheels I have, but I am thinking that something a bit lighter might bring them out a little bit more.

 

I have always been a fan of the Y-spoke mesh wheels, like I posted. (the Sebring wheels on Ray's site, converted from yen to dollars are over $600, before shipping. Pretty steep, although gorgeous wheels. My other favorites, BBS RGRs are cheaper, though, forged, and possibly lighter weight. And for the difference in price, I could get genuine STI center caps for STI-branded BBS wheels.)

 

The thing is, that I understand the red/black aesthetic that Subastyle did, and that is one thing I like. Part of my mind thought about putting chrome lined rocker panels and things on, with chrome wheels... but that is to much the other direction.

 

Something subtle would be nice. something not as bling as chrome, preferably darker than bright silver to keep some of that toned down look. BBS RGRs in diamond black finish, with a polished rim would be perfect, (more perfect would be an 18x8" width fitment...) but those are expensive, as well.

 

I have no idea who I would trust enough to polish the rim lippage on the Diamond black RGRs. I wish they came that way, like the gold RGRs do, but I am not in love with gold wheels on my car. It just isn't my particular taste.

[IwannaSportSedan]

OK...

 

After a few weeks of thinking... First off, I am still considering keeping the TZ-10s dark... but a couple other ideas have crept into my mind... and are much more affordable than those sweet ITC wheels.

 

A couple new ideas:

 

Idea 1: keep Exel TZ-10s. Paint spokes and center silver, keep rim and recessed areas charcoal, as they are. similar to Dymag CF-rimmed wheels, but of course, not CF.

Basically paint the wheels from the first pic in the thread like these:

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/coupes/0603_mitsubishi_eclipse_ralliart_2_900.jpg

 

This is what the TZ-10 looks like in silver, mine above, have been repainted from white to charcoal, very dark gray. Imagine the spokes like this, and the rim, and background dark, like the CF wheels.

http://www.wheelmax.com/_images/products/tz-10_z.gif

 

Option 2: repair and repaint the wheels, and sell them. Buy others.

I keep coming back to mesh wheels, and at any sort of a price less than BBS wheels, I keep coming back to Exel Radius / Ewheelz Formula Mesh / R-1 Racing GTR-9. They are all the same casting, and they seem to be somewhat popular for the subaru WRX and Legacy. I am thinking hyperblack or gunmetal. (depending on availability)

 

Wheelmax.com Exel Radius: (Anthracite/gunmetal, followed by hyperblack, listed as 17x7 fitment only, but a better picture...)

http://www.wheelmax.com/_images/products/radiusgm_z.gif

http://www.wheelmax.com/_images/products/radiushb_z.gif

 

Ewheelz.com New Formula Mesh: (18x7.5 hyperblack, overexposed)

http://e-wheelz.com/en-us/mesh_hyper_lg.jpg

 

WheelsNext.com R-1 Racing GTR-9: (18x7.5 hyperblack, odd looking exposure)

http://www.wheelsnext.com/images/wheels/large/R1_GTR9_HB_2_W.jpg

 

As you can see... all the same wheel. Probably all the hyperblacks are the same finish from the same factory, and yet they look different due to the photography.

 

What do you guys think... and pm me if you might be interested in the TZ-10s, and what color preferred, if you want me to repair the curbage on the one wheel. I'll likely include the Kumho Supra tires, which have a few miles left, and are good tires, but aren't exactly fresh.

 

I am diggin' those hyperblack mesh wheels with the machined lip (with my chrome-edge grille, and potentially chrome-lined side sills...) I wonder if any of the brands leave their 5x100, 18x7.5, high offset fitment drilled with only one pattern, and the other pattern left as pilot holes, as shown on the Ezwheels photo... Most that I have seen that are installed on Legacys, though, have the dual-pattern drilled out.

 

I do like the exel center cap, nice for applying a vinyl STI logo circle, with a short valve stem, my STI valve caps, and black McGard spline-drive lugs.

[IwannaSportSedan]

Bumpers...

 

Nobody has opinions on whether I should paint the wheel centers of my wheels silver, and leave the rims dark?

 

No opinions on the mesh style ones on a GRP lowered sedan?

 

I figure everyone is tired of this... if so, that is fine.

[laz]

My opinion, if you want to make it classy get new wheels.

 

I see what you are saying with the ricer look, and unless you are powder coating them, I would not suggest the paint.

 

I saw a silver GT with painted black OEM wheels, and it looked gross.

 

You will know that they are painted, and IMHO that is very rice and a little ghetto.

 

My vote, new wheels and start over fresh.

 

X

[IwannaSportSedan]

Ok.... makes sense.

 

do you have a preference with the wheels shown here, or an alternate suggestion as to which new wheels I should go with?

 

I'll make my own decision when the time comes, but I do like to hear input on things. Besides that, my wife thinks all wheels look alike, and gets aggravated with me asking for even her gut instinct reaction to various wheels.

[ToddMcF2002]

Where did you get those Exels? I see the 4 bolt version around but not a 5?

[BLACKonBLACK Limited]

they are discontinued

[ToddMcF2002]

they are discontinued

 

Exel itself looks discontinued. Website unreachable. http://www.exelwheels.com/

[IwannaSportSedan]

Wheelmax still has them listed.

 

 

http://www.wheelmax.com/wheelmodels.asp?CtgId=1173

 

The radius wheel is also listed under several other brand names... as shown above, probably a foundry special, marketed through distributors.

[lookslikeanevo]

noooo dont do it....Red with black is a sick color combo...sure its no classy or VIP style...but its a subaru its meant to llok aggresive

 

were twins!!! its like killing a twin or seperating them...kinda

 

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/8180/dsc0031mediumux4.jpg

[SactoPete]

I went through the same pain with my BSM car... looked at all the same wheels, in fact YOUR car was on my desktop for a bit. Ultimately I just decided to save all my pennies and get the damn RG-Rs in Diamond black. It kiiiilllllled me to buy them, but every time I look at my car I soil myself now.

 

Pete

[IwannaSportSedan]

Inspiring. Really. and your car looks fan-freakin'-tastic.

 

I really do wish the RGRs had machined rim edges, like the others pictured above. the slight contrast is nice.

 

But the BBS's design is cleaner overall, and construction and weight are MUCH better. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.... though.

[lookslikeanevo]

haha if i had the cash i wouldbuy some RGR's ALso...weird

[IwannaSportSedan]

I would love BBS RG-Rs... and I am thinking of inexpensive mesh wheels for the time being, and saving over time for the BBS... and watching for used or clearance deals.

 

I got the Exel TZ10s when I bought the car from Subastyle. He purchased them from another member of the forum, I don't recall whom, who, IIRC, in turn got them from Keefe/XenonK. The wheels were formerly white in color, and Keefe has pictures of them in white on his white track car.

 

Someone has expressed interest in them... so if he is still interested, and we can agree on price... I may be selling them again to another forum member. I may have to look back at my PMs, as I think others have mentioned interest in them, as well.

 

These may become the Legacy GT forum designated swap wheels!

If someone is truly enamored with them, we can certainly make a deal. I like them, but there are other people out there that may like them more than I do, and I tend to prefer the mesh style, and somewhat lighter color, like hyperblack or gunmetal, with a polished rim.

 

Just so that everyone is aware, who might be interested... one of the exels is curbed, and will need to be smoothed out just a tiny bit, and the paint retouched. I can sell them "as is", or I can repair them before I sell them, of course, with a price break if I don't repair them first...

 

Right now they are painted a dark charcoal grey, as evident in the first picture in the thread. It is very close to black, but it does have metallic flake, and is more of a carbon color. I would likely just retouch the charcoal paint before selling them, unless someone commits to buying them and wants to make an alternate request for paint finishing. Or they can be custom finished by the seller, as I mentioned before, selling them as-is.

 

They have Kumho Exsta tires on them which will last a while longer but are not "fresh" tires. Those would probably go with the wheels, and whoever buys can do with them what you like. I will probably try to get new tires mounted with new wheels, If I can.

 

I haven't quite decided what to ask for them yet, I am still trying to find pricing for the new ones, as a reference point, although the new ones seem not to be available with a dual 5-bolt pattern anymore, only dual 4-bolt pattern, as mentioned.

 

I don't need to sell instantly, nor recoup full replacement value, as I would have earlier for snow wheels and tires... so pricing will hopefully be reasonable, although I'd rather not take a complete bath on the deal. Buyer will pay shipping, of course.

 

I have chrome "tuner" lugs that are spline-driven, and slim enough to fit the narrow holes on the whees, I can include the set that I have, but I will need to replace the lugs in kind, which I may do anyway, which may be a time/logistics consideration, since the only set of lugs that I have for that car are holding the winter wheels on. I would also include the solid plastic hub-centric rings with the wheels. The wheels already have "shorty" custom valve stems, and metal o-ringed caps.

 

Please PM me if you are interested, and if it generates some interest, I'll put up a thread in the classifieds.