gilmorneau
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #41
Haven't done much to the Troopy lately except drive it. I mentioned somewhere above that I had sent the wheels out to be powder coated, but I don't think I posted before/after photos of how that went. For the record, here's the original split-rim wheels that it came with (in their original white paint):
Obviously, room for improvement. Split rims are cool, I guess, in the sense that they're original equipment and all, but honestly, they're heavy, hard to balance, require innertubes, and not many tire shops will even touch them. So away they went. They were replaced with these OEM steel one-piece rims that were sourced from a 1988 Euro market BJ71 short wheelbase model. Same size, same vintage, and correct for a 70-series, just a lot easier to deal with since they're for use with modern, tubeless tires. I think they're better looking, too.
Due to their age, these wheels started showing some pitting in the paint and a little surface rust, which I thought too ugly for such a nice looking car. Here's the only photo I could find that shows the wheels in their "ugly" condition:
So I sent them off for powder coating. I think they turned out great. I even put the little hubcaps back on them:
Obviously, room for improvement. Split rims are cool, I guess, in the sense that they're original equipment and all, but honestly, they're heavy, hard to balance, require innertubes, and not many tire shops will even touch them. So away they went. They were replaced with these OEM steel one-piece rims that were sourced from a 1988 Euro market BJ71 short wheelbase model. Same size, same vintage, and correct for a 70-series, just a lot easier to deal with since they're for use with modern, tubeless tires. I think they're better looking, too.
Due to their age, these wheels started showing some pitting in the paint and a little surface rust, which I thought too ugly for such a nice looking car. Here's the only photo I could find that shows the wheels in their "ugly" condition:
So I sent them off for powder coating. I think they turned out great. I even put the little hubcaps back on them: