Old school hot rod / sreet racer style = Cragar SS Old school custom / lowrider style = Supremes "Ol' Skool" is a term reseved for cheesy magazine titles.
x2 I used to see Cragars on clapped out '75 Camaros and Dusters all day long. They were white trash muscle car wheel. That said, Dusters are no longer considered a 3rd rate muscle car, and you don't see Cragars like you used to. They're actually kinda starting to grow on me.
Someone said "whatever you do dont mix WWW with Cragers or Astros"...... Does that mean mine looks like shit? LOL! You dont want this look I guess? Do what you want...I did! And I love it!
Doesn't look like shit but it would look a lot more traditional with some skirts and hubcaps. Maybe it's a east coast west coast thing? I don't remember any car with Astros on them except lowriders. Not even Kustoms. Can anyone show me a picture of a traditional 50's Kustom (from the 50's) with astros' on it? So far, the best use of astros is that chopped, channeled, model A sedan. That is a good use for Astros, n www. My 2cents. Craig
I ran it with skirts and caps for 2 years.....and it looked like every other car it sat next to at shows. Yeah! we all look alike! Great! Oh hey wait...maybe my keys will fit and work on your car too? Ill stick to different, I dont want a millitary car show all lined up and looking the same.
LOL! sorry ,,that sounded funny,, i was always under the impresion it was the other way around,,,that the SUPREMES where the cheaper priced wheel than the CRAGAR SS,,,i thought that had even been discused at one time here on the HAMB? for a early 60's low low/custom look id go with supremes,,later 60's look id go with cragars...both are baddass with small pinner whites..it all really depends on the body stlye of the car too i guess,,,some cars need supremes and some can rock the cragars later, sam
I personally like Astros better but as far as which one of them is more old school I believe that Cragars came out late 64 from what I could find and Astros came out some time in 65, but I could be wrong on the Astros . This is from looking in old hot rod magazines.
I like my Supremes on www's...whether it's "correct" or not. I did a photoshop of it with skinny whites, and hated it. My opinion only.
Gypsy Rose wore cragars if i rember correctly. that is until it was restored in the90's w/a sponsor then it was Daytons all the way(can't get much more old skool than somthing that dates to the late1800's) If my opinion counts I vote for the astros
As stated by others, it depends on the car. If I were putting wheels on a Caddy, I'd go with spokes. I think the reason Supremes are so popular (at least here in so. cal) is that they are an inexpensive GOOD looking wheel. I do agree that Cragars have a muscle car/mullet stigma attached to them and maybe that's why supremes are more popular. I like both, but it depends on the car. As far as price goes, the last time I checked Summit the Cragars were only a few dollars more per wheel. If you want to see how Cragars look on a relatively big car look for pics of roadapple's (a.k.a. Coby) bonneville.
Cragars are more 'sporty type' wheels in my book. I've got a set of Tru-Spoke's under my '65 Chrysler convertible. I even bought those wheels a year before I got the car to put them under. And at the moment I have a set of Supremes with dual white-line tires on the way for my '62 Chrysler NY wagon.
I always liked the supremes.. Then Diana Ross got top billing cause she was sleeping with Barry Gordy. Their music kinda went to hell for me then. I never heard of the Cragars- Musta been country western...
The design of the Cragar S/S began in 1962, with marketing starting in 1964. Its styling was influenced to some extent by American Racing Equipment's highly-successful five-spoked Torq-Thrust wheel. The S/S was one of the first production wheels to use a cast aluminum center with a rolled steel rim (both of which were chrome-plated), the way some 1957 Cadillac wheels were made. The S/S was also the first die-cast aluminum wheel. The wheel was designed with ribs and extra material added near the hub. The result was a wheel that offered a load-carrying capacity that was unmatched in the aftermarket wheel industry. Its classic styling made it a huge success with drag racers, hot rodders and custom car builders. The two paragraphs above are from an article I wrote years ago about the history of Cragar, on my site's page about the history of classic racing wheels, at http://www.roadsters.com/wheels/ If I had to choose between Astro Supremes and Cragars, the Cragar S/S would be my choice - on anything. But on a Cadillac, or any pre-1962-style custom, it's hard to beat candy-painted steelies with some detailing. Dave http://www.roadsters.com/
More like 70's rock, like Aerosmith or KISS. (you know, the mullet crowd) Just kidding, don't kill me for that one.
Didn't mean to piss you off dude. the question on this thread was what was old school, not what is popular today. By definition, being traditional, or old school, means following somone elses ideas from the past.
ALL....lowriders should run Cragers.......that is if you cant find some TRU-SPOKES!!!!! Supremes are gay......... Lets see if I can find a picture of the Gypsy wearing Cragers.
I already posted a link to one on the last page. There are a couple more in the Los Boulevardos Gallery.
When my older brother bought his '53 Chevy for $300 in '62 he tried to buy some WWW's for it but couldn't because NONE of the local tire stores stocked them any more! All the tire dealers had was the current rage skinny white walls and my Bro. was told if he wanted those "old fashioned" Wide Whites they could order them but they would take a while to get and they would be full retail plus special shipping charges instead of their everyday discount prices... Only a few very determined "nuts" were buying WWW's by the time Crager SS or Astro Supremes came along. "Nut's" being Packard Restorer's or old car restorers in general. The "that's not correct for that year Model T" Pickle People. Those were the only people who gave a damn about "correct parts" in '62. Nostalgia, and "correct parts" didn't start until "Where were You in '62?" American Grafitti aired at driveins in '72. Seems like that was the start of every fucking thing in anyone's garage or attic being either "recycleable" or "collectible"... Around here the only cars getting WWW's back then were restored cars and ghetto pimp's pussy packer Caddy's, (or wannabe ghetto pimps). Yes, there was a ghetto in LB, with it's own cultural styles way before Snoop Dog moved here. Not knocking it at all, In fact in the early 60's I usta ride my bike (without my parents knowledge) from the "suburbs" on the East side of L B through the ghetto in the rearly '60's on my way to the Pike to ride the "Cyclone Racer" roller coaster (for 25¢ a ride,) and relish in the fun of the "local color". I remember a guy on Anahiem Street around Walnut or Orange had a Black '59 Caddy with WWW's on it with the FINS SHAVED OFF IT! Wow, that was different from anything I knew in my "hood" (Association controlled Lilly White suburban tract homes) To begin with, no one on my street drove a Caddy because the parents were all working stiffs and "mortgage poor" and besides, it was still a time when socially only rich retired (white) Doctors were supposed to be respected enough to have the honor of driving "The Cadillac". To make some reason for that ramble, I guess what I'm saying, again, is every possible combination of car embellishment was happening, but any one style could be very regional, or only done in a couple of square miles small neighborhood but we "remember" it because it was preserved in photographs. Like that '54 Chevy (with '56 or later California plates) on page 55 in Andy Southards "Custom Cars of the '60's" parked in front of the "Silver Dollar" Bar on American Avenue/Long Beach Blvd. I usta pedal right past that bar every Saturday morning on the way to the Pike. Those were probably Sailor, or more likely, Longshoreman, or Merchant Marine guys cars. The comparison in the post above shows me WWW's went with the full hubcaps.? They also work with Torque-Thrust five spokes on a 'fifties" style car but, To me, gotta say that I guess, a stereotypical '60's car with Supremes or Cragers wouldn't have even had easy access to buy WWW's so it wouldn't have happened. Yea, the WWW's look fine on that HAMBer's '50 Chevy. So would a set of Red lines, or raised White letters on Centerlines. But it's not representing any one traditional era, if that matters to the owner or anyone else. Personally, I'm getting a bit bored with "only the right parts for the era" followed by 'Where can I hide my 36 disc CD changer, and my electronic ignition is on the fritz" "rolleyes" The attitude reeks of "Restorer" It's just a HOBBY and should only be a game.... Don't take any of it too seriously or it could become an unhealthy obsession, or like a religion. And we don't do religion here. Are you one of the Pickle People? Usta say: "Here's a dime, go call someone who gives a shit!" Now it costs two quarters.
i'm gettin burnt out on my Supremes. I'm thinkin of going with some chrome smoothies with Baby Moons or Bullets. Those would look klean on your Caddi?
Hey 8-ball....im not pissed! I just like to sound that way I guess? Its all in good fun! I am not totaly a traditionalist as you can see! I also have a CD player in my car too so who am I to talk shit right? You still got that truck?
Yep! She's getting a fresh coat of paint next week. We took her down to bare metal and fixed every thing. Bobbed the front fenders to match the lights. I'll post pics as soon as I can. Craig
Sorry bout the highjack...but I just gotta FREE 49 Chevy truck that has a rebuilt 6 in her...not sure what the plans are so maybe you can give me some pointers? Thanks!
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