My Wheel Vintques meltdown

[TUFCAT]

Tom,

At this point, the only thing I would settle for is to get a price from a professional shop and have WV reimburse you that cost of correcting them since the new set they might send you could do the same thing. This way you could either send them out and have a pro do them or you can possibly save some money and get it done yourself.

Was this a recent transaction on your credit card? Maybe you contact them and reverse charges until the issue gets resolved?  This is a large chunk of coin.

[bull]

Tom,

At this point, the only thing I would settle for is to get a price from a professional shop and have WV reimburse you that cost of correcting them since the new set they might send you could do the same thing. This way you could either send them out and have a pro do them or you can possibly save some money and get it done yourself.

Was this a recent transaction on your credit card? Maybe you contact them and reverse charges until the issue gets resolved?  This is a large chunk of coin.

I agree. If paid for with a credit card you can challenge the sale.

[resq302]

I think he said it was 4 mos ago.  I don't know what the restrictions are for credit card companies but I want to say the norm is 90 days.

[ACUDANUT]

All I can say is welcome to today's quality and control.  Heck my new Cragars SS are all ready starting to pit.  I just can't sand and paint them like you can.  

[Cooter]

Just like a car when purchased brand new, once that first 36K miles or 3 years is gone, you know THAT'S when sh*t will break on the car...just like that paint..You know it will last until they wheels are out warranty before it peels..It's a time released paint, made especially to peel after the first 90 days has passed...Sometimes the time release doesn't work correctly and it takes around 3 years to peel, but usually, it peels...


I personally have to have "the talk" with people after repainting their rides...The First thing I tell them is NOT TO WASH THE CAR WITH A HOSE!

They simply look confused and reply in the SAME EXACT manner "why not? I mean, you do guarantee your work NOT to rust out right?"

I simply reply "Did the factory?"
People kill me..I ask them "You are gonna let this car sit outside and deteriorate down to nothing in about 5 years correct?"

They reply "Hell NO! After spending all this money, I can't let it go to sh*t!! are you CRAZY?"
Yet, they will spray the same water that falls out of the sky in RAIN form, back onto that car with a 220 Volt pump and the end result is the same.....

It all depends on how well you take care of thing today as to how long it stays looking "New"..How many here spray their chrome wheels with WD-40 when being stored? i gotta buddy that sprays his EVERY time he stores the car to help keep the chrome from peeling..ya' know what? It works..His 6 year old wheels look showroom new today...

[adauto]

ALL my rides get the W-D treatment before storage... been doing it for years already. 

But as for the paint peel thing going here that SUX!  But I'llsay I've redone dozens of ralleys over the years (mostly buicks) but same s#it. Paint dont like laying on chrome, period. I 've found the longest lasting paint was Krylon. Hope that helps. 

[twodko]

Top 'o the Day folks!

Thank you all for your input. Each of you have a viable point. Copy that  resq302. Ain't that the truth ACUDANUT! Loud and clear Cooter. Back in the day Tabasco sauce and WD-40 were my very best friends.......well that and 5.56.
90 days on a credit card (in Ca.) is standard, unfortunately I paid cash. Its just a stubborn thing of ours, if we can't pay cash we save until we can. I spoke with the owner of the auto service center who ordered and installed the wheels on my behalf and he's agreed to get involved. Maybe WV will be more receptive to another business than me, I'm only the customer right?
Yesterday I took the Q5 monster in for an axle bearing replacement. That went off problems free, however BOTH rear wheels have up to 1/4" of wobble! Despite being livid over this situation and my willingness to go after them in small claims court, the reality of this is its a very expensive "lesson learned" and I'd be throwing good money after bad. If the service center owner can't convince WV to shelve their "bite me" attitude and do the right thing it'll be over.
Be it known forum wide I'm issuing a Fatwa against Wheel Vintiques........Jihad is on! Infidel wheel pigs!

[bull]

If the service center owner can't convince WV to shelve their "bite me" attitude and do the right thing it'll be over.
Be it known forum wide I'm issuing a Fatwa against Wheel Vintiques........Jihad is on! Infidel wheel pigs!

That's exactly what they are counting on and they are more than prepared for it. The guy who used that rattle can of paint last probably wrote them the same letter, went through the same angry phase and the same process of reluctant acceptance before he resprayed his wheels and moved on. You've already lost.

[resq302]

Not necessarily lost just yet.  Try posting a you  tube video and show how the wheels flake off just by using your finger nail on them.  Lets face it, bad publicity travels 10 times faster than good.  We've all seen it on the news.  I would also have the owner of the shop either call or send a letter too saying that the wheels have a wobble.  Lets face it, he is the authority on that.

[64dartgt]

Nothing like bad publicity to make a manufacturer step up to the bar.  I went on Channel 5 in Boston a few years ago regarding extreme rust on my 2000 Toyota Tundra frame.  That was after Toyota told me "they didn't have a frame rust issue with Tundras" and essentially to go #$%#$ myself.  I also filed a complaint with NHTSA, along with quite a few others.  Six months later I got a call from NHTSA.  I told they how my spare tire mount snapped off my frame and my fear that they would have spare tires dropping like bombs from tundras left and right shortly.  Six months later Toyota recalled 111,000 vehicles.  By the way, I had already traded in my Tundra before appearing on Channel 5 and gained nothing from it.

I vote for youtube too. 

[twodko]

That's the plan for Monday. The shop owner is a fellow gearhead, drives a restored 1965 El Camino SS 427 Burgundy/black. He'll have no problems trying to get WV to work with us.

[ACUDANUT]

 That will help...However I think the most you can expect from WV, is that they might trade you out rims...You will still have the issue of the paint coming down the road on the "new ones".  Are these made in China ?  My rims are.  What is wrong with our Country ?..  
We now sacrifice quality for China crap, and help them become rich doing this....Why are we even "friends" with China after they declared war on the U.S. in Korea and helped the North out (not to mention their war crimes they committed on our POW's) ....The U.S. never even retaliated against China or made them regret this act of war, after we helped them out in WWII.  
May God Bless Father Emil Kapaun.

[twodko]

That would be the desired outcome but I would not accept another set of Mag500's. This time around (if there is a next time) I'll go with AR polished Torque Thrust II's and will be happy to pay he difference. I don't want something for nothing, I just want what's fair. Damn sure not holding my breath.

Second paragraph - Roger That!

[elanmars]

Just like a car when purchased brand new, once that first 36K miles or 3 years is gone, you know THAT'S when sh*t will break on the car...just like that paint..You know it will last until they wheels are out warranty before it peels..It's a time released paint, made especially to peel after the first 90 days has passed...Sometimes the time release doesn't work correctly and it takes around 3 years to peel, but usually, it peels...


I personally have to have "the talk" with people after repainting their rides...The First thing I tell them is NOT TO WASH THE CAR WITH A HOSE!

They simply look confused and reply in the SAME EXACT manner "why not? I mean, you do guarantee your work NOT to rust out right?"

I simply reply "Did the factory?"
People kill me..I ask them "You are gonna let this car sit outside and deteriorate down to nothing in about 5 years correct?"

They reply "Hell NO! After spending all this money, I can't let it go to sh*t!! are you CRAZY?"
Yet, they will spray the same water that falls out of the sky in RAIN form, back onto that car with a 220 Volt pump and the end result is the same.....

It all depends on how well you take care of thing today as to how long it stays looking "New"..How many here spray their chrome wheels with WD-40 when being stored? i gotta buddy that sprays his EVERY time he stores the car to help keep the chrome from peeling..ya' know what? It works..His 6 year old wheels look showroom new today...

pardon my ignorance here but how do you guys wash your cars then? i need some education on this!!

[elacruze]

Just like a car when purchased brand new, once that first 36K miles or 3 years is gone, you know THAT'S when sh*t will break on the car...just like that paint..You know it will last until they wheels are out warranty before it peels..It's a time released paint, made especially to peel after the first 90 days has passed...Sometimes the time release doesn't work correctly and it takes around 3 years to peel, but usually, it peels...


I personally have to have "the talk" with people after repainting their rides...The First thing I tell them is NOT TO WASH THE CAR WITH A HOSE!

They simply look confused and reply in the SAME EXACT manner "why not? I mean, you do guarantee your work NOT to rust out right?"

I simply reply "Did the factory?"
People kill me..I ask them "You are gonna let this car sit outside and deteriorate down to nothing in about 5 years correct?"

They reply "Hell NO! After spending all this money, I can't let it go to sh*t!! are you CRAZY?"
Yet, they will spray the same water that falls out of the sky in RAIN form, back onto that car with a 220 Volt pump and the end result is the same.....

It all depends on how well you take care of thing today as to how long it stays looking "New"..How many here spray their chrome wheels with WD-40 when being stored? i gotta buddy that sprays his EVERY time he stores the car to help keep the chrome from peeling..ya' know what? It works..His 6 year old wheels look showroom new today...

pardon my ignorance here but how do you guys wash your cars then? i need some education on this!!

I think he means power washer, or high pressure hose at the car wash.
I moved from the Salt belt to S. Florida, where salt air settles on your vehicles every night. I'm very conscious of corrosion.
I bought a Sunfire in '96, and rinsed it every morning with the garden hose, and bucket washed it properly every weekend for years. To this day it has no rust. The key is to use low-pressure clean water to flush out the misted salts and acid rain that gets into the bottom of the doors and collection points.
Of course, keeping the car clean and dry would be preferred, but since I don't have a climate controlled garage or live in a part of the country where I don't need one I'll have to make due with clean rinses.

[Cooter]

Actually, I prefer distilled water in a Spray bottle, but I expect that would be asking too much from the general public though....I do tell them that though...And, I still get that confused, deer in the headlight look again too...I do the wipe down thing...Does the same job, just more time and care involved...


Water in ANY form on your ride is gonna cause rust issues, it's just a matter of how long between rebuilds you want to take....Washing a newer car? Ok, be my guest..Some of the newer cars have sat for over 25 Plus years and STILL DON'T LEAK or have rust issues...These cars? Hell, they leaked straight out the factory, BRAND NEW...

[plumbeeper]

I bought a set of Magnum 500's from Koller Dodge in Chicago back in '95. They are Wheel Vintiques and have been on my RR ever since. No paint problems at all. I did battle a vibration problem for a couple years to find the rear wheels (14X8)were the problem. I called WV and they basically said they need to be "Lug Center Balanced" which is not the typical method nowadays. I finally found a shop that could balance them correctly and it helped a lot although there is still a little vibration around 70mph. Good luck.

Dave

[twodko]

Yeah, thanks. Seems many folks have balancing problem with these wheels. I bought 4 15x8's and 2 15x7's........don't ask why. The 8's seem to be OK but the 7's are a PITA. The shop I take our cars to balanced the wheels on the car as opposed to pulling them off. Still shake at about the same speed, keeps throwing weights off.........front end components all in good shape. The next step is to balance the front drums. Ideally front disc brakes would go a long way towards solving these balance issues but I can't seem to locate that spare $1000 I thought I had. 
I wouldn't piss on WV if they were on fire. Never again. I like the Mag500 look but in hind sight AR Torque Thrust II polished would have been a better choice. Shoulda, coulda, woulda.