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2006 XK8 Victory Edition convertible with the factory-mounted 19-inch staggered Atlas chrome wheels (my wife's daily driver). I believe the fronts are 8J x 19 and the rears are 9J x 19, both with 5 x 120.65 bolt patterns and both with a center bore of 73.8mm. If I am wrong on any of these specs, please correct me....
The chrome plating on a couple of these lousy drug-dealer wheels has been pitting for more than a year now. I can tell that the pitting is spreading, which I fully expected once I discovered it. I have investigated having the wheels stripped and re-chromed, but they must be shipped across the country to California for the work and will be gone for at least 5 to 6 weeks so this is probably not a viable option. Between the shipping to and from and the re-chroming itself, I may be better off financially just replacing these lousy wheels with something more attractive and durable. I have always preferred silver alloy wheels with no paint or adornment....
I am looking for advice and recommendations regarding what to replace these factory wheels with when the time finally arrives that the chrome pitting begins to cause the tires to lose air pressure. No more chrome in this stable. I think a conservative silver alloy will look best. No mags or racing wheels or multi-colors or wacky designs that appeal to a 19-year-old kid. The new wheels should reflect the proper GT spirit that these XK8s represent....
I would prefer to spend no more than $400 to $500 each on new wheels. Less than that would be even better. What can I get that fits my preferences, and where are the best sources to obtain them? I have never had to purchase an aftermarket wheel during the 48+ years I have been driving, so I definitely need some experienced guidance here....
If it was me, I would look at factory options first. They would be sure to fit, and you would get the factory look by definition. It is low supply, low demand, so if you can wait long enough, you probably will not have to spend all that much.
Get a used set for cheap, and refinish them locally to your liking (they are all painted). Keep your mind open to a few options and see what comes up (classifieds, craigslist, etc.). A few styles I was keeping my eyes open for: Ares, Hydra, Apollo, and Atlas of course. 18" are more comfortable and run cheaper tires, 19" look better.
I went through this a couple years back. Sold chromed Apollos, bought painted Hydras...
She actually likes her wheels, which has always been fine by me because I did not want to spend the money to replace them. But if we keep the car long enough, they will eventually have to be refinished or replaced....
Those Coventry Whitley Hyper Silver wheels are indeed very attractive and priced right as well. Purchasing new, undamaged wheels certainly appeals to me vs. attempting to source a set of used OEM wheels that may show up with various levels of damage and previous repairs that may or may not be satisfactory. While I will not rule out looking for a decent set of OEM wheels when the time comes, I will certainly place these Coventry wheels at the top of my list. My next-door neighbor and I are currently taking bids on re-roofing our houses as a package deal within the next month or two so I hope my wife's chrome Atlas wheels will continue to allow the tires to hold their pressures for awhile longer. I really do not want to pull the trigger on new wheels until I have to....
Thanks again for your recommendation. Once again, this forum comes through with flying colors....
I ended up selling them locally on Craigslist to a gentleman with an XJR. The chrome had some damage, but not completely terrible. The key as to have decent tires on the wheels so someone could just get them and mount them on a car the same day. I wanted to minimize the mental math of someone considering the wheels, then having to add up new tires, shipping, mounting and balancing, to finally balk at the overall cost. Just to set the expectation, I sold the wheels (in just-OK shape) with tires (say, half gone) for about the price of the replacement wheels alone (no tires to minimize shipping). Figure $100 per corner.
So, in short, I started with a set of wheels I did not like and half-gone tires, and ended up with wheels I did like a lot (Hydras), fitted with new tires for the net cost of these new tires. Obviously, this is the net result. At some point you are out a set of wheels and tires, and the old stuff is just sitting there, posted on Craigslist.
In my experience, don't wait too long for the chrome to be truly disgusting and the tires bald and leaking air. Then nobody will want it and it will be worth nothing. When I was gathering options for my wheels, I did locate a couple of local shops that offered to completely refinish painted wheels with minor rash for a bit over $100 each, so used wheels in rough shape are not necessarily a bad option if cost is low enough.
I have done this twice now. The key is to time this a bit in advance of the tires being due for replacement. Locate wheels you like, get new tires for them, and then sell the old set in used but ready-to-drive condition. Just my play, I suppose.
She actually likes her wheels, which has always been fine by me because I did not want to spend the money to replace them. But if we keep the car long enough, they will eventually have to be refinished or replaced....
Jon,
I had issues with corrosion on the insides of the Sepang split rim alloys on my equivalent 2005 4.2-S Final Series. A refurbishment resolved this but I could have done without the time and expense to strip, repair and refinish them.
As I recall, the 19 inch Atlas was standard with 20 inch Sepang as one of the very few options available (or required) on these highly spec'd versions.
From my experience with 18, 19 and 20 inch wheels on XK8's, I'd avoid going to a larger rim if you do change. The 19 inch is the best for comfort. It always amazed me how harsh the ride became with 20 inch rims.
From my experience with 18, 19 and 20 inch wheels on XK8's, I'd avoid going to a larger rim if you do change. The 19 inch is the best for comfort. It always amazed me how harsh the ride became with 20 inch rims.
Same logic one step down for me: 18" Hydras offer a better ride than the 19" Apollos.
If and when I replace these factory 19-inch Atlas wheels, it will probably be with an 18-inch wheel that is NOT staggered. My wife will never know the difference, her car will immediately ride more comfortably, and my replacement tire options expand greatly and drop in acquisition cost as well....
Sadly, my trusted Discount Tire store manager just told me that the Coventry Whitley Hyper Silver wheel that Steve recommended (and that I like very much) has a bolt pattern of 5 x 108. My wife's car has a bolt pattern of 5 x 120.65, so the Coventry wheel will not fit. It is apparently made for the newer Tata-era Jaguars....
There is a local company with an excellent reputation that will powdercoat her current Atlas wheels with a durable silver alloy finish for $125 each, but they are incapable of stripping the chrome first. So now I am looking for a local company capable of stripping the chrome and getting the wheels into prime condition for powdercoating. I do not yet know if such a company exists locally....
Powdercoating is yet another thing. Seems like a great idea at first, but is, again, next to impossible to repair (same as chrome) if it ever chips. Your call of course.
Removing the chrome itself is "easy". Apparently muriatic acid can do it, same as for doing prep work on concrete. Just have to find a container big enough. The hard part is the layer below it, which can be nickel or other stuff. Best I can figure, paint needs the aluminum. I believe these layers are removed with electrolysis. A car battery can do it apparently, but you are talking acid bath and nasty fumes. 4 times. I gave up on the idea...
I hear you loud and clear. I would prefer to replace the damn wheels with something more durable and affordable (and easier to find if a new one suddenly becomes necessary). The greater problem is finding a replacement wheel that she approves. She has always loved her ridiculous drug-dealer wheels (sometimes there is just no accounting for taste) and would prefer to have them re-chromed if it could be done locally and take no more than a week or so. Not an option, so we continue to battle....
Have you reached out to California Chrome? My vague recollection is that you could buy re-chromed wheels first, and then send yours in as a core later. The alternative would be to locate just one wheel as a spare to drive around, and have wheels re-chromed one at a time.
For what it is worth, I have found refinishing away from chrome to be hit or miss.
I did this on my Ferrari and I've had very solid results. Not perfect, but I hate chrome and the wheels were crazy expensive (from PO) and in terrible shape. For about $300 a wheel I was very happy.
Jon - I ordered my Whitley's through CARiD and they show both the the 5x108 and the 5x120.65 (which is what I ordered) as options. I went with 18 unstaggered rim/tire package for around 1600.
When my wife's car was hit by a careless driver back in May 2014, the right front wheel had to be replaced. After a three-week search, the body shop owner finally found one 19-inch chrome Atlas front wheel at California Chrome. I joked with my insurance company at the time that it had to be the last one left in the US. And now almost four years later they are even scarcer than they were back then. It was crazy-expensive for a refurbished wheel ($600 I think) but cost was not an issue to me because the other driver was at fault and his insurance company had to pony up whatever the final tab was going to wind up being to restore my wife's car to its pre-accident condition. If we opt to eventually strip and re-chrome these wheels, California Chrome would be the service provider. But her wheels would be gone for 6 to 7 weeks at $250 to $300 each and whatever the shipping costs to and from California wind up running. Plus, that option would continue to plague me with a set of chrome wheels....
MRomanik,
I have already called Coventry in California this morning. They confirmed that the Coventry Whitley wheel series will NOT fit our XK8 because the car does not utilize the 5 x 108 bolt pattern. The Whitley wheels are designed for the newer Tata-era Jaguars. Coventry told me that they no longer make wheels to fit our car....
dsd,
I hear you loud and clear. I know that ANY refinishing of these factory chrome Atlas wheels will be a crapshoot. That includes having them stripped and re-chromed, or stripped and powdercoated....
But the good news is that I just found a company in North Carolina that can strip the chrome off all 4 wheels and get them ready for powdercoating in 3 or 4 days for $70 per wheel. And, this guy is located only about 45 minutes from my good forum buddy Wayne (cjd777). Maybe stripping and powdercoating is the final answer. Maybe replacing the wheels with something appropriate is the final answer. As I stated earlier, that battle will continue between my wife and I once she fully recovers from the breast surgery that she is scheduled for tomorrow morning....
Thanks for your follow-up info. I will contact CARiD. Perhaps they still have some of the 5 x 120.65 bolt pattern wheels. Coventry (the actual source) does not....
CARiD is out-of-stock on the 18-inch Coventry Whitley Hyper Silver wheels with the 5 x 120.65 bolt pattern. I have asked their system to notify me if they receive any more....
CARiD does still have some of the 19-inch version (which I really do not want)....
03-14-2018, 02:32 PM
Replacement Wheel Advice....
