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Aftermarket Sabre wheels

Started by 57eldoking, May 09, 2015, 08:32:21 AM

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57eldoking

1957 Eldorado Biarritz #906
1957 Eldorado Biarritz #1020 http://bit.ly/1kTvFlM
1957 Eldorado Seville  #1777 http://bit.ly/1T3Uo1c
1995 Fleetwood Brougham  http://bit.ly/20YwJV4
2010 SRX Performance

1946 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup
1957 Buick Caballero Estate Wagon (x2)
1960 Chevy Apache 10 Stepside
1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer (x2)
1992 Pontiac Trans Sport GT

Barry M Wheeler #2189

The key word is "polished." Not chromed like they should be. I'd run away fast and look for the real thing.
Barry M. Wheeler #2189


1981 Cadillac Seville
1991 Cadillac Seville

cadillac ken

kinda cool that these are available but I can't see what the application would be.  As stated, not really acceptable for a restoration and at that price you could easily get a real saber wheel restored.

But with that said, guys have told me at car shows how much they like the sabers when the see them on my car.  So maybe on a custom or street rod…  but at that price I dunno.

ken caskey

Blade

Quote from: cadillac ken on May 09, 2015, 09:55:29 PM
kinda cool that these are available but I can't see what the application would be.  As stated, not really acceptable for a restoration and at that price you could easily get a real saber wheel restored.

But with that said, guys have told me at car shows how much they like the sabers when the see them on my car.  So maybe on a custom or street rod…  but at that price I dunno.

ken caskey

And I don't get that ... I am buying original parts in great condition for fraction of the prices that repros are going for. Don't these guys have marketing research done before they price their items, or people just willing to pay more for a new but reproduction nowadays rather than originals with a little work required?

57eldoking

#4
They are indeed polished but if you visit the manufacturers website they also list that chromed finish is available. Factory Sabres are quite a undertaking to restore, we had all 5 on our Biarritz done by Valley Wire Wheels 15 years ago and even back then the cost was around $1000 per wheel. Not sure what the going rate is today. 10 years later they started to pit despite the car being kept in a climate controlled garage and almost never driven in the rain. From what I understand the aluminum grade used back then was very poor and it is almost impossible to achieve a lasting flawless chrome finish. The same goes for the rear bumpers.

I usually agree with trying to restore original parts instead of buying reproductions. It is one of the rewarding aspects by restoring a 50s Cadillac instead of a classic Chevy where virtually everything can be bought. But it is not enticing to spend over $5000 on a set of wheels that are made from an inherently unstable material that inevitably will deteriorate even with extreme care.

It'd be interesting to see how these repros appear in real life and compare to the originals. I was curious if anyone had seen or acquired a set as I've never heard of any repro Sabres before.
1957 Eldorado Biarritz #906
1957 Eldorado Biarritz #1020 http://bit.ly/1kTvFlM
1957 Eldorado Seville  #1777 http://bit.ly/1T3Uo1c
1995 Fleetwood Brougham  http://bit.ly/20YwJV4
2010 SRX Performance

1946 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup
1957 Buick Caballero Estate Wagon (x2)
1960 Chevy Apache 10 Stepside
1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer (x2)
1992 Pontiac Trans Sport GT

59-in-pieces

#5
I agree - refurbish originals long before getting repops.
By the way, I stopped reading after I saw the price, polished or chromed aside.
Are these really made in the USA or some cheap foreign knock off .
I wouldn't put my life - my family - or fellow drivers at risk with any thing so critical as wheels that came from China or the like.
Have fun,
Steve B.
S. Butcher

cadillac ken

All good points, Henning.  Yet just by looking at the photos of the repros, to me, they don't appear to be very true to the originals at the rim area.   I would too be very concerned about where they are made.  I own a restoration custom car shop (23 years now) and the amount of junk I see that is sent to me from these aftermarket companies is atrocious. We have returned to having the customers' parts refurbished and restored rather than "replacement" parts.

Nothing lasts forever.   And I share your disappointment with much of the pot metal, aluminum, and other metals that I have spent my own money as well as customers' money on to be re-chromed only to find the parts "show quality" finish doesn't last nearly as long as I was hoping for.  But such is the nature of this hobby.  One friend of mine drives a very rare and expensive fully restored Porsche.  When I asked how he does it-- driving a car that is so nice knowing it's going to take it's licks, he simply says: "it's always a state of constant restoration whether you drive them or just look at them."

D.Yaros

Hey, I have five (5) factory sabres for sale, but you have to buy the car to get them!
Dave Yaros
CLC #25195
55 Coupe de Ville
92 Allante
62 Olds  

You will find me on the web @:
http://GDYNets.atwebpages.com  -Dave's Den
http://graylady.atwebpages.com -'55 CDV site
http://www.freewebs.com/jeandaveyaros  -Saved 62 (Oldsmobile) Web Site
The home of Car Collector Chronicles.  A  monthly GDYNets newsletter focusing on classic car collecting.
http://www.scribd.com/D_Yaros/

INTMD8

I think they are pretty neat. Not for an original/perfect resto but a driver or modified they would be nice.  I think the price is inexpensive. Less than restoring originals (and a lot less than it cost me to have Brougham wheels made).

Jon S

What I don't understand is if you are going to spend the money to tool these wheels, why not make them look exactly like the originals?  There is no patent infringement after 50 plus years.  Seems like a lot of money spend (wasted) to make similar, but incorrect as opposed to exact copies.  JMHO
Jon

1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1981 Corvette
2004 Mustang GT

Dan LeBlanc

Good point, Jon.  I'm tired of paying good money for reproduction stuff that isn't correct or of good quality.

First case in point - my plug wires that are lighting up like Christmas trees at night.  Paid nearly double what a good quality aftermarket set is for something that didn't last 3000 miles without failure.

Second case in point - my hood V on the 61.  Some of the plating was polished off when I got the car, so I bought a replacement V.  Had someone come over to my car and criticize the hood V at the 2014 Grand National for not being a correct reproduction (the brushed finish isn't as original).  I took it with a grain of salt until I asked who that person was.  When I found out who they were, I promptly went up to them the next day and said asked if he remembered the hood V he was criticizing the night before.  When he said yes, I turned the table and said that he was the person I spoke with on the phone who sold me the hood V that was installed on the car.  They didn't know what to say, other than sand it with 400 grit wet sandpaper to make it look like it's the proper brushed finish.

That's the vendor telling me that. 

They ended up sending a replacement which was worse than the one installed on the car with a note saying it was hand picked from the best of their stock.

I'm not one to pay $400 for a NOS V, if I can find one, so I'll live with it.

All of us here either work hard, or have worked hard to earn the money we spend on our most valuable treasures, but yet are expected to live with second best.  What's wrong with that picture?

Unfortunately, as long as we keep buying this stuff as often we have no alternative, the junk will keep coming.
Dan LeBlanc
1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car