Hello all. Does anybody know who sells 15 x 6 chrome reverse wheels? I see several suppliers sell 15 x 5, & 15 x 7, but no 15 x 6. I know they used to sell them. Seems to me it would be a popular size. Thanks in advance. F F
Depends on how bad you want 'em. I needed a custom offset so I bought the wheels, cut the centers out, boxed 'em up and sent them to Wheelsmith, he installed them in chrome hoops to my required dimensions. Done.
Wheelsmith lists them, made to order as most of their wheels are. Real chrome reverse wheels and not the freaking smoothies too. I don't hate smoothies but at 79 I am a real chrome reverse guy who has had a number of cars with them over the years. Chrome Vintage Steel Wheels |
What flavor are you after? 'Chrome reverse' is pretty much a generic term these days, there are four distinct styles. First up are 'smoothies' (which most don't like), need hubcaps designed for them and lack the four vents and three nubs found on OEM wheels. These will be the cheapest option. Next up, Cragar makes a modified smoothie with an emulated '50s/60s center with three nubs that will accept same-era OEM 10.125" hubcaps, still no vents. Personally, I don't think these look right. Wheelsmith makes 'em too, but here the centers they use are '48-back style, does have the vents but not the three nubs so won't accept 10.125" caps (or any OEM cap I've heard). These won't look right on anything newer than '48 IMO. Last, the 'traditional' chrome reverse you're looking for, the Wheel Vintiques. Yeah, nobody is showing much stock. They're had issues for a while, I tried to order 2 15x7 and 2 15x8 a few years ago. The initial wait time was eight weeks, so I ordered them... The second time they bumped delivery out another six weeks, I cancelled and went another direction. Seems Coker Tire bought them out and they've gone FUBAR (ask Billy about his...). But there is another choice; US Wheel. Very similar wheel, same size offerings, backspace options but you will have to order them. OE Series 655. According to the website, they'll ship in five to seven days after ordering. https://www.uswheel.com/wheel/7652/us-wheel-oe-series-655/?finishID=1 Good luck!
I checked for you, Where I bought them years ago, JC Whitney does not have them, I was surprised to see there still business, I purchased stuff there 60+years ago, Seem to remember 4 chrome reverse wheels in the 60's, $50 including shipping. Thinking that ship has sailed and sunk. I am thinking on some Chromed aluminium wheels for my Magnum RT, $2500 + set of 4 plus 4 new tires, $1600 of the style I like. Thinking that ship might not sail. LOL
If you are willing to 'Dare to be different', there are these... https://www.pavementequipped.com/shop I bought a set of these after my Wheel Vintiques order blew up. More money than the Vintiques, and a wash vs the US wheels, these are a reengineered version, fixing the flaws of the original Astro Customs. A very popular wheel in the early '60s, the first all-steel chrome custom wheel available starting in '62. If you look at show coverage from the '62-65 era, these were everywhere. They fell out of favor once the flaws became known, particularly after the cheaper copies that appeared that had the same flaws, only worse. Serious rusting, cracking around the lug holes, and much heavier than other wheels, all of those issues are gone. I'll note that the builder doesn't carry the chrome towers/knockoffs, but those have recently become available again (after being nearly unobtainium for a while) through the Lug Nut King out of California ($100 for a set of 4). Special offsets are no charge, each wheel is built to order. I'm very pleased with mine... about a five-week delivery time once paid for. You'll have the only set at shows!
Wheelsmith (awesome service BTW) but you have to be cautious. Their "Vintage" wheel has vents around the outside but no nubs on the center so they look kinda goofy without center caps. Their "OEM" wheels have center nubs but no vents (smoothie style). I am picky, that is why I had to make mine from Wheels Vintique centers (correct center nubs and vents) and Wheelsmith hoops. As far as Wheels Vintique goes? I'll never waste another dollar there. There is no worse customer service that I have ever experienced.
Steve - I've always been fond of "chrome slots"! The site you recommended says they are sold out of the chrome versions. 25 yrs. ago I scored a mint set of (4) 14 x 6 by Superior brand for $100.00!! The guy took them off a 340 Duster that he was trading in for something new. They were on his car 2 yrs. I also have a set of 14 x 6 chrome reverse in nice shape. I am not sure how they would look on my '56 Fairlane Club Sedan, being 14's. Thanks! F F
Bandit Billy - US Wheels has a 15 x 6 listed, but I have read too many bad reviews about poor quality & horrible customer service. I don't need that kind of BS @ this stage of my life. Thanks! F F
Yeah, it said 'sold out' when I contacted him too. Pay no mind to that, he's still making them if you want a set, just send him an email with your info (including phone #) and he'll get back to you. I used to have a '56 Club too, one of my favorites. 292 4V/auto, it had been parked for years (indoors luckily) at 77K miles when the front crossmember rusted out. I fixed that, drove it for a couple of years when the Y-block dis***embled itself (crank broke into three pieces, trashed the whole shortblock) which I replaced with a 351W/FMX out of a '71 LTD. Even though the 351 was a bit tired, that livened it right up! Pretty easy swap too, the only things I had to farm out was a new speedo cable, exhaust tubing from the manifolds to the mufflers and shortening the driveshaft/changing the front u-joint. Everything else came off the donor or I built it. Just heads up, the rear wheelhouses on those are small, it's very tough to fit larger tires. I switched the stock 5" wheels for the 6" ones off the LTD and used 235/75R15 tires. Cleared in the front no problem but would rub lightly at the rear (both sides of each tire) on angled driveways. I used those because they were the same diameter as the OEM optional 7.10-15 but were considerably wider. Whatever wheel you get, get as much backspacing as you can and then carefully measure your tire choice to make sure it'll fit.
US Wheels…***embled in Huntington Beach, Ca. They are the “new” with safety beads and not the mid 50’s style with the 45* angle on the back side.
Steve- my car came w/a 351C 2V out of a '72 Mustang, along w/a C4 trans. Low compression engine, but w/an Edelbrock manifold, Holley carb, Comp cam, Pertronix distributor, dual exhaust, & 3:50 gears in a '57 9' rear, it has decent acceleration & cruises along nicely.
It isn’t the buying them new…it’s finding them….. it’s removing the rivets, chroming the 2 parts and putting the back together again.
@Crazy Steve , is there thread with pictures to use as reference / differences for Reverse ,, the differences over years to post #4 describes ?
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