Opinion time. 69 Charger, road wheels with trim ring, or not?

[1969chargerrtse]

I learned on this site a few weeks ago that the all chrome road wheel look was in 68.  69 had the trim rings.  I've been thinking about putting new trim rings on my car to get a little closer to correct ( and look like Chris's Charger ) What your thoughts?  and post some pics please.

[69bronzeT5]

I vote no ring.

[1969chargerrtse]

I vote no ring.

Less than a minute to reply.
You are fast.

[69bronzeT5]

I vote no ring.

Less than a minute to reply.
You are fast.

I do like your car the exact way it is though! Add trim rings, a vinyl top, side moldings and you got Chris' car

[1969chargerrtse]

I vote no ring.

Less than a minute to reply.
You are fast.

I do like your car the exact way it is though! Add trim rings, a vinyl top, side moldings and you got Chris' car

And the 440 hood stickers.   

[tan top]

   car looks awesome as it is Rob  but yeah i'm a fan of brushed trimrings !! as were supposed to be on a 69 only thing is , once you bang them on the 68 style roadwheel , will prolly scratch the chrome !! so might look ugly if you want to run with out  trimrings again
   

[Chris G.]

Stop worrying about Chris, it's getting old. Do what you want. 

[Magnumcharger]

My vote: No ring.
I also vote to banish 14 inch wheels from any and all B bodies.
Make 'em all 15 inchers and all chrome!

[richRTSE]

I vote no ring.

I think the chrome looks better than the trim ring. I will probably be putting chrome magnums on my 69 as well next year.

[stripedelete]

I like rings, but after 25 years, it wouldn't be my baby without them.

I like the chrome on yours.  I think it pops the rest of your chrome out of the orange.

Q: Are 15 inch rings correct?

[Ghoste]

I like them better without.

[resq302]

I like your car with the chrome.  If you were going all out stock, I would say go with the brushed trim rings but like someone else said, if you put them on the chrome, chances are you will scratch them and if you change your mind, they will probably look like crap.  Also, once they are scratched, they will probably start to rust up on you.

[maxwellwedge]

I like rings, but after 25 years, it wouldn't be my baby without them.

I like the chrome on yours.  I think it pops the rest of your chrome out of the orange.

Q: Are 15 inch rings correct?

Chrysler never offered a 15" Magnum/Road Wheel

[1969chargerrtse]

Stop worrying about Chris, it's getting old. Do what you want.  

Man some things never change. You are still rude.  I remember being new here and stressed out with what my car was putting me through and you had a Tuff luck attitude while most if not all the other members felt compassion and helped me along to get it back on the road again.   Lighten up.  I love Chris and his car. He's my Italian East Coast buddy and we always kid how the cars are similar.  He also was a huge player in giving me advise when I was learning about , and putting the car back together.

As for the other kind members. Thanks guys.  I think do to the chrome issue, and scratches with a possibility to rust Ill leave it as it is. They are 15" That's the way I got the car.  

[Chris G.]

Not being rude at all, just telling you to do what makes you happy. I love the '68 wheels. I have never truly liked the 69/70 style road wheels. Why Mopar didn't use those wheels for the other two years is a question that will never be answered.

Anyway, keep the wheels you have (IMO).

I love Chris. He's my Italian East Coast buddy  

Very sweet.  His B-day is coming up in January...FYI. 

[1969chargerrtse]

Not being rude at all, just telling you to do what makes you happy. I love the '68 wheels. I have never truly liked the 69/70 style road wheels. Why Mopar didn't use those wheels for the other two years is a question that will never be answered.

Anyway, keep the wheels you have (IMO).

I love Chris. He's my Italian East Coast buddy  

Very sweet.   His B-day is coming up in January...FYI.  

Gee now you gotta go and be nice. Sorry, that getting old thing and do what you want came across wrong to me.  I humbly apologize.  

I understand it's best to do what YOU want, but getting advise from friends who share the same interest works best for me.

[moparstuart]

keep the chrome they look much better and are lower maintence , Plus you wont loose the trim ring LOL

[Belgium R/T -68]

Another vote for keeping the chrome That's the route I will go.

Per

[miamivice]

keep the chrome, think it looks much better 

[Back N Black]

I say no rings

[twodko]

Keep the chrome.

Tom

[4forty]

chrome/no rings!

[1969chargerrtse]

chrome/no rings!

Not fair, that's a 68 and they belong there.   Beautiful car.

The votes are in, Chrome it is.  Thanks guys.  That was easy.

[Neal_J]

I vote rings with the 15's, but I'm biased.

Neal

PS - I've heard that the rings' teeth don't hold as well on a chrome wheel vs. a painted steel wheel.

[375instroke]

I'll never be satisfied.  I say rings, but the wheels that had them weren't shinny chrome.  They were brushed, or dulled somehow.  A brushed trim ring with a bright chrome wheel would probably look funny, don't you think?  I think they make brushed 15" rings.  The one's I've seen, polished, not brushed, are shaped like the 15" Rallye wheels, with a convex to them, whereas the Road Wheels 14" ring was flat.  Would rusting be any more of an issue with a chrome wheel compared to a painted one?  If I was going with the all chrome ones, and stepping up from the 14" I have now, it might be with 16" wheels.  Any larger just looks funny.

[ChargerSG]

I have to flipp the coin on that, i think it looks great with and without but black painted Magnums should have the rings

[stripedelete]

I'll never be satisfied.  I say rings, but the wheels that had them weren't shinny chrome.  They were brushed, or dulled somehow.  A brushed trim ring with a bright chrome wheel would probably look funny, don't you think?  I think they make brushed 15" rings.  The one's I've seen, polished, not brushed, are shaped like the 15" Rallye wheels, with a convex to them, whereas the Road Wheels 14" ring was flat.  Would rusting be any more of an issue with a chrome wheel compared to a painted one?  If I was going with the all chrome ones, and stepping up from the 14" I have now, it might be with 16" wheels.  Any larger just looks funny.

Did Ford have 15's with the "dull" spokes that will interchange with a 2nd Gen?  Ford 14's will swap on a 2nd gen ..right?.... can't remember.     

[tan top]

Did Ford have 15's with the "dull" spokes that will interchange with a 2nd Gen?  Ford 14's will swap on a 2nd gen ..right?.... can't remember.     

got a rough set of ford 14" magnums with 25 + year old tires  , i put on the charger for  storage in the winter ,  think they are 5 or 6 " wide  with 3" 1/2" back space  , & G70 -14 tires  spokes are painted silver , look originalish  fit ok

[stripedelete]

Did Ford have 15's with the "dull" spokes that will interchange with a 2nd Gen?  Ford 14's will swap on a 2nd gen ..right?.... can't remember.     

got a rough set of ford 14" magnums with 25 + year old tires  , i put on the charger for  storage in the winter ,  think they are 5 or 6 " wide  with 3" 1/2" back space  , & G70 -14 tires  spokes are painted silver , look originalish  fit ok

I think that's what is on the rear of my car too (6" or 6.5" - been all long time).  But did Ford make/use a 15" version of that?  It would be an option, albeit unpopular one,  for 15's with a "brushed" look.

[vancamp]

another vote for chrome and no trim rings correct or not they look better in my opinion.

[RAC95054]

another vote for chrome and no trim rings correct or not they look better in my opinion.

Me too on this one.  That's what I opted for on my '69.

[TUFCAT]

I vote for trim ring! ----  also dulling the chrome to make "brushed looking" spokes.

However, I like them either way as long as they're period correct.

For example my '67 Coronet has no rings because they weren't used in 1967....(yes, I do realize these wheels were optional on R/T and never available on a Coronet 440 model).

In your case, I would definitely get rings. I prefer them on 1969 and later models.

Also....make sure the rim is painted flat black on the exposed area that is left between the trim ring and basket.

Also, if financially possible, consider getting some brand name raised white letter tires, or redline radials, even reproduction Goodyears.  (.....I would use the Eldorado radials for burnout tires or sell them)

[oldrock]

another vote for no rings here. Watch bullet and see what happens to those trim rings when you take a fast corner or hit a bump 

[Grim Jhaixus]

Rings. RINGS I SAY! I love the look of  black powdercoat with chrome rings, but that's me. Do what you want.

[TUFCAT]

In 2001, I bought NEW reproduction 14x7" Magnum 500's for my 1972 Charger Rallye.

The first thing I did was take 600 grit sand paper to dull the chrome spokes....then scuffed and painted the outer rims black.

The "finished look" included BRUSHED trim rings - which were available for the wider 14X7" wheels (through Ford restoration sources).

In retrospect, I probably should've bought 15" wheels instead , but this was back in 2001 when 14" tires were still {kinda} available on the open market. Now they've basically disappeared.

Long story short, I found the 14" wheel profile looked small on a Charger which desperately needs a taller wheel to fill the large wheelwells. This was true back then,  when lots of restored cars were still running 14" radials . But I let it go because it was a stock restoration.

I learned my lesson.  When I bought wheels for the 1967,  I ordered 15 inch...

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Here are my 15x7 Road Wheels with the brushed rings I ordered from Summit Racing this past spring.   I like the look much better than the chrome rings I had on there originally....

first single wheel is the chrome ring....second is the brushed

[69CoronetRT]

For example my '67 Coronet has no rings because they weren't used in 1967....(yes, I do realize these wheels were optional on R/T and never available on a Coronet 440 model).

Chrome road wheels were available on any 67 Coronet. They were not limited to the R/T.

RE: Trim rings.

I like the brushed rings because they are correct for 69. However, you might as well keep the chrome wheels because correct 69 trim rings are virtually impossible to find.

[DodgeChargerNeeded]

no rings nothing looks as good as a chrome magnum 500

[375instroke]

I like the brushed rings because they are correct for 69. However, you might as well keep the chrome wheels because correct 69 trim rings are virtually impossible to find.

Well, correct '69 rings would be 14" only, right.  Everything else will look obviously different.  Even if everything was proportionately larger, the bolt circle would still be the same, and that would make them look different.  The aluminum ones really look funny.  I saw this at a swap meet, and the shape looks good, but the drop center is way too big.  What trim ring would one use on these?  I guess 15" is as big as one can go unless appearance is of low concern.

[1969chargerrtse]

   Wow this thread is still going on?  Due to the economy and my car is just darn good looking no matter what it rolls on, I'm staying with what I have.  I had no idea there was brushed, shiny etc? before this thread.  If I was to roll into some money to waste or play with I would get new rims with the correct look, but that's not the case so they will stay as they are and they are   looking to me.I sold my classic Honda bike 2 years back to help fund some of the restoration cost.  I already told ( not asked ) the wife that when the big tax refund check rolls in I'd like to sneak a grand or so to buy another old Honda.  I've been a bike rider since I was 16 over 40 years ago and miss it.