Trim rings on white wagons??...

[Bassdude404]

Getting this truck ('71 GMC) from my mom next spring, and never really have dug the white wagon wheels she got for it when she had the lift kit and bigger tires installed...So I work (truck driver) at a company that refurbishes semi truck wheels...We blast all the old coating off, down to bare metal, then powdercoat them...Always liked the Chevy Rallye wheels with trim rings, but don't remember ever seeing them in a 8 lug bolt pattern...So thinking trim rings on these wheels, done in silver powder...

[Your41Plague12]

I've never seen it done either, that would be kind of cool. However, I will say that's a beautiful truck! Specs on lift/tire size?

[Bassdude404]

Mom had the truck built/finished (full story in my intro thread), so had to text her today...She thinks 4" lift and 38" tires...But that's not confirmed...When I tear into it next spring and fix the brakes/get it running again I'll check for sure...But then again, I'll probably be out there waaaaay before that snooping around..lol..

[special-K]

You could do the wheels argent (silver rallye color), beauty rings, and 8-lug center caps with SAE conversion lugs. But,I am one who can see the wagon wheels "now" and "then" and not through the years between when everyone had them on everything and we all got sick of them. Fact is,they are era-correct and your truck looks awesome. I also like taking what the general public considers undesirable and turn their head around. I'm not impressed by follow the leader trends.
I intentionally bought wagon wheels for my '72 Highlander because the truck was unrestored and I wanted it to appear as a truck that was done back in the day. I had sets of 9.75 x 16.5 steelies, aluminum slots, and Turbo-Vecs to use, but 4WPW had a buy 3 get one free deal and they weren't offering 16.5s anymore. so I got the cheapest wheels, yet gave it the look I wanted.

[RANDY COX]

Nice truck As Special-K stated the wagon wheels look period correct back in the day, you didn't have much to choose from other than aluminum slots.

[Ironhorse]

My vote is for the white wagon wheels as they are, no trim rings. Looks very much as a "day 2" survivor that way. Back in the day as stated there just wasn't much to choose from. The rallies were not available in the 8 lug pattern and other than stock steelies not many options out there at the time. When I first got my '71 4x4 it had the white wagon wheels on it, this was in '85. By then 6 lug rallies were out there so I switched to them. Am parting a 8 lug 3/4 ton that has white wagon wheels on the front. Will be building a trailer with the rear frame and bed, plan on using the wagons for that. Now I like'm, back then I didn't. Times and attitudes change over the years, huh? Keep the wagons as they are, Great looking truck.

[Bassdude404]

Well with this being my "office", I wish the company would've sprung for aluminum wheels on the tractor...I never have liked white wheels...Hell, even back when the GMC was being used as a truck, it had the stock split-rim wheels painted white...Dad worked at GM car dealerships, and I kept bugging him to shoot the wheels body-color at least...Which of course fell on deaf ears...lol..



I can see you guy's point of view about being "period correct", but even back then I hated these wheels..And 20+ years later my opinion hasn't changed...And I noticed a couple weeks ago when I was there that some of the red/blue pinstriping around the edge is wearing off in spots....My memory isn't perfect by any stretch, but I think I remember these style wheels being available in black, and also chrome plated...I was REALLY hoping mom would get chrome, but she went with the painted white ones instead...

[special-K]

If you don't like white, why not paint them a color you like? I hated white spokes in the early-80s and spent $75@ to buy 9.75-16.5 steelies, $30@ to have powder coated (white), then $30@ for N.O.S. hubcaps. Back then, $540 for a set of wheels was a lot, especially compared to under $200 for wagon wheels, chrome ones for about $10@ more, or aluminum slots for about $400 a set, just to end up with stock wheels that are bigger. I still used the old set with wagon wheels on other trucks. at different times they were black, body color, and agent (rallye wheel silver). I never went with chrome because they rusted up and that was it. I did own one '72 K/10 that came with white wagon wheels. It was Medium Blue with a white top and lower trim (Custom Deluxe). I put beauty rings and rallye centers and that went pretty well. The white complimented the top and the beauty rings added more trim. White wheels look way off on any 88-up truck. On my '92 I put 7" ford steelies (Accurades) on and painted them argent, just like the original wheels. I used 76-91 hubcaps and no beauty rings for a more throw-back trucky look. white would have looked awful