How to Buy Antique Rims
Car enthusiasts, especially those who enjoy restoring and driving classic automobiles, often find themselves in the market for antique rims. Before you rush out and buy that set of hard-to-come-by antique rims, you need to know how to identify the set that's right for your automobile. Thus, you'll need a crash course in determining the authenticity and value of antique rims as well as the basic design styles the manufacturers followed.
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Instructions
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Learn to identify the four basic styles of antique rims: beaded edge, rolled edge, split rims and lock-ring rims. If you have an older car, chances are its original rims follow one of these designs. In some cases, you might be able to use a certain manufacturer's rims (Ford's, for example) on a make of car for which they were not originally intended (like a Chevy) if the dimensions match.
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Refer to factory catalogs or official factory specifications for the rims your particular antique car came with when it rolled off the assembly line. This will narrow your search, as you can use manufacturer information to find the exact set of antique rims you want to buy. These publications are available from the manufacturer, through local car dealerships and from vintage-part retailers.
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Get in the habit of thinking of antique rims in terms of their exact dimensions. When you're shopping for antique rims, sellers will identify their products according to two basic dimensions. The first, and most important, is the diameter of the rims, and the second important dimension is the width of the rim.
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Take snapshots of rims you find for sale, and ask the seller for dimension specifications. Then, compare the photographs against pictures in a factory catalog, and ensure that the dimensions match exactly. This is the quickest way to determine whether or not they are authentic.
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Evaluate the condition of the rims when negotiating a price. If the rims are rusted or damaged, you'll probably want to restore them or find a set in better condition altogether. If you need to shell out extra dollars to bring your rims up to an acceptable condition, negotiate a lower price with the seller or walk away from the sale.
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Tips & Warnings
EBay is an excellent place to find antique rims for sale online (see Resources below).
Check out "Car Collector Magazine" to stay on top of the classic-car trade (see Resources below).
You should expect to pay a pretty penny when you buy antique rims. Classic-car restoration is not a hobby for people on tight budgets.
If you're going to shop online for antique rims, you might find a good number of prospects on an auction site. However, online auction sites are "buyer beware," and you have no way to authenticate or inspect the rims before you buy them on the Internet.
