padgett Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Have always thought the Reatta was underwheeled by the factory but then GM has a habit of that (my 1970 GTO came with 14x6s and weighs about 500 lbs more than he Reatta).Hitting the yards now are the mid-90s Bonnevilles and Grand Prixs which had both 16x7 and 16x8 diamond lace wheels (I think of them as "snowflakes" ). These were available in both gold and natural centers and the nice thing is that the center cap just says "ABS" "Antilock Braking System). Unlike the earlier Bonneville 16x7 which had a center cover held in place by a large plastic nut. (Jim: the ones on the red Bonne were about the last new ones in GM stock), these have exposed lug nuts and are supposed to have the black plastic screw-on covers (available from the Fiero store).Being factory wheels, the 16x7s have a 46mm offset (most aftermarkets are 38mm and I have heard that Mustang wheels are 25mm. You also know that with a factory wheel the center hub will register properly on the rotor.Recently I bought a full set (with two OK tires) for $80, and just bought two more at the U-Pull-it for $40 so $20/wheel seems the going price for a good (non-curbed) wheel with a good center. I doubt that they will stay this cheap for long.With a set of 225x60x16s there is little change in the diameter (my GPS indicates 50 when the speedo says 49) and it is a close fit on the spring perch but seems to be enough.So unless you have a fixation on wagon wheels or have a need for chrome (have always felt the wheels should flow with the car design and not stand out), a set of 16x7s from a mid-90s Pontiac is a viable alternative.I have not yet decided whether the gold or the natural finish goes better with the white car (below), maybe with a gold pinstripe and gold top...ps the excess clearance in front may be from the 225x55x16s. I plan to replace them with 225x60x16 Michelins like the ones in the rear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handmedownreatta Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 i prefer wheels with covers for the lug nuts.ive had lots of problems with chrome lugnuts rusting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 The general thought of that and used anodized lug nuts with external threads for the plastic cover (see below). Could just use regular lug nuts and shoot with black rustolium after tightening/masking - if you use antiseize it will not stick to any exposed threads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JalopyBob Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I like the gold wheels with white body paint combo. Sort of reminds me of the Tran Am era. Have you ever seen the early 90's Riviera finned aluminum wheels, or the early to mid 90's Le Sabre gran touring wheels on a Reatta? I think that they are both 16", but not sure on the width. You are right about filling that front wheel well space. If you can find a 16" 65 series tire I think that it would look just right. When I switched to a Michelin 60 series tire on my 90 Riviera, it never looked right to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handmedownreatta Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 i had those lugnuts on a 84 camaro.i had a flat tire so i got the camaro lug wrench.it just rounded the nut.i just sat on the side of the road til someone came along with a four way wrench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 Think there were two series of the covers. I recall one that used a smaller lug wrench (might have been after the metal cover fell off a Vega GT lug nut, memory is the second...) but since it is stamped "metric" use 19mm for both (3/4" will work just as well - difference is like .020").I would be concerned about a 215x65x16 (26.8" dia)clearing the front spring perch though being slightly narrower might help. Just have 225x60x16 (26.4" dia) Michelins on the Blue car (and are close) and like to keep things interchangable (also like the way the fat tread looks from the back.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bobby Valines Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Padgett I like the rims, but I'm thinking it would look better with black than gold, thinking that it would match the rest of the car better. Same with the top black. Don't get me wrong the car looks great just the way it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 Fiero has black 15x7s and am not sure I care for it, the snowflake pattern disappears.Incidently, the rear tires are 215x65x15s. Those are too tall for the front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lisa Courtney Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I agree with the black rims it would take away from the car. You wouldn't be able to see pattern. It would blend very well but the actual rims wouldn't be seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bobby Valines Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Personally I love those wheelz on that car. I think they would look just as good on the wight reatta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 Be a little difficult, they are 15x7 and 5x100. The snowflake/diamond lace wheels are really some of the longest lived in GM history, were around for over twenty years mainly on Pontiacs in sizes from 13x6 (had some on my 78 Sunbird) to 16x8 - have 15x8s on my GTO - even had some on the Corvair I just sold, 14x6 in the front and 15x7 in the back - gold inside but polished bars. Have just always liked the design.Rears are 215x65x15s and you can see how the extra inch of rim changes the whole way the tire looks.ps now you know where the 215x65x15s that come on Reattas belong - on something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted February 16, 2009 Author Share Posted February 16, 2009 And just to confuse things more, the local UPullit had a 241 sale this weekend (buy 1 get 1 free) and I acquired a number of wheelz. GM snowflakes 16s in natural but was surprised that the two from a Bonneville were 7" wide and the two from a GP were 8"s. Had heard rumours before about an 8" wheel on mid '90s GPs only but was surprised to find two. Now while I believe 7" is enough for the Reatta, 8s could be interesting if they fit (will test but not tonight). Know they are 5x115 and have the right hub but the offset is considerably different - 25 mm for the 8s as opposed to 46 mm for the 7's (see below). This means that of the inch more width, .825" is outward, not .500 and adds about 5/8" to the track. I have not checked it out but that may be enough for a slightly larger tire.I know, to be with it I need wheels the diameter of an english bicycle. Personally I think they look wrong and I like to use factory wheels, particularly ones that could have been used on a Reatta if production had continued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handmedownreatta Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 i have a chance to buy 1995 bonneville wheels.anyone tried these for fit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handmedownreatta Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 i have a chance to buy 1995 bonneville wheels.anyone tried these for fit? i got them.they are 16x7 .they are like pagents except for being aluminum colored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kennyw Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Back when I was building the Astro/gmc mini-van we had a year change. All of the left over brand new wheels had a different color paint then the next year. The wheels were the same. Every brand new wheel was hit with a sledge hammer and thrown into a train car for scrap. ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handmedownreatta Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 it would have been smarter to return them to the parts department to replace wheels that got damaged on customers vans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted October 20, 2009 Author Share Posted October 20, 2009 Different color of money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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