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Date:         Wed, 16 May 2001 12:56:48 EDT
Reply-To:     FrankGRUN@aol.com
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Frank Grunthaner <FrankGRUN@aol.com>
Subject:      Re: wheel confusion
Comments: To: KENWILFY@aol.com
Content-Type:  text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

I must put in a few centimes here. Ken's comment about accumulating costs is quite true. The initial cost of junkyard wheels, as well as any wheels that require center machining just represent the tip of the iceberg. The machining costs incurred on the set of Audi 5000 Turbo alloys (Ronal R8), together with the costs of wheel refinishing (I sandblasted off the old finish and powder-coated the rims), adding new studs to the rear, and developing center hole covers quickly brought the total to the cost of new SA rims. The spacers for proper offset proved a trivial cost. This just a note to warn the unsuspecting about quoted low-ball estimates often cited on the list and the archives. BTW, my cost experience is detailed in a missive posted to the list and to be found in the archives.

That said, the reason I felt justified in following the bleeding (or Vanagon-like) cost profile with my wheels is that (frankly) the factory wheels and the SA imports have a ghastly case of the uglies compared to the Ronal R8 wheels. I thought the stock steel wheels with small hubcap looked better and the wheel covers I used with my 14 inch stockers were excellent. Of course, beauty and taste lie in the eye of the beholder as evidenced by the fact the my SWMBO (gorgeous and dangerously intelligent) has put up with me for more than 25 years!

Frank Grunthanerr


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