Can I just say that I don't get the steelie obsession?

"BKRM3" (BKRM3) 11/08/2013 at 15:55 • Filed to: STEELIE PARTY

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Are you driving a police car? No. Unless you are.

Are they cheap? Yes.

Utilitarian? Yes.

Ok, they've got some stuff going for them. BUT-

Are they REALLY so cool on your [insert name of any model with a cult following, any model used by municipal employees, or any model sold with standard drum rear brakes] that we have to hold hands and jump up and down and have a steelie party every time you potato a picture to Oppo? Probably not.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with them but...like...they're steel wheels guys.

/rant

Victorious Secret > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 15:57

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Yea, they're pretty fucking cool.

GTFO and take your buzz killing thoughts with you.

Takuro Spirit > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 15:58

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How do you feel about STYLED steelies?

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 15:58

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I'm not saying we should have an actual steelie party of cars that look good with steelies in lieu of a Friday dance party, but I am saying we should have an actual steelie party of cars that look good with steelies in lieu of a Friday dance party.

BKRM3 > Takuro Spirit 11/08/2013 at 15:59

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Damn! I feel pretty jazzed about styled steelies, now that you mention it!

YSI-what can brown do for you > Victorious Secret 11/08/2013 at 15:59

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Lies!! They are hideous!

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 15:59

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Depends on the car and overall style. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. There are some styles of steel rims that I'm considering for the Corvair but I plan on painting them red.

Casper > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 15:59

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The only perk I see is the cheap factor. It translates to also making them cheap to get custom sized as well. It can be really expensive to find multiple sets of wheels in some sizes. That said, I would still prefer a nice set of CCWs or something.

YSI-what can brown do for you > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 16:00

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Yeah, I dot get it either.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 16:00

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BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 16:00

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I think the cool ones are more like these:

Deep dish, wide steelies with fat tires.

Übel > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 16:01

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?1

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

HHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Takuro Spirit > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 16:01

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ONE OF US

ONE OF US

ONE OF US

brakesnow > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 16:01

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I will admit they can look good on some cars, but they look terrible on most. (Having visited Montreal in December I feel confident in saying this, steelies on EVERYTHING) I've never understood the craze. Each to his own I guess.

Forgetful > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 16:03

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You live somewhere with a winter climate, don't you?

If you live somewhere it snows you see steelies on all sorts of cars all the time, and it even gets to be an eyesore when they're still on cars in July.

If you don't live in a cold climate, I can see how steelies are a niche fetish. There's a unique look to it that in all honesty is probably inspired by cop cars.

Here's my FR-S on steelies just to ruffle your feathers a bit. I think it looks alright at a distance, but up close it looks cheap.

TheBaron2112 > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 16:03

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I don't see them as cool at all. I thought the fascination with them was for use with winter tires so your regular alloys don't get banged up.

BKRM3 > Victorious Secret 11/08/2013 at 16:03

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No, you're right. They ARE pretty cool. It's just that I think we've gotten a little bit ahead of ourselves. We're at like *HERE* and we need to bring it down to maybe *here* - s'all I'm sayin.

area man > YSI-what can brown do for you 11/08/2013 at 16:03

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Invaluable contribution, bravo.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 16:04

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I agree. I modified my jetta in a similar fashion to how mightycarmods modified their golf. But I did NOT copy the steelies and I think the car is a lot better for it. For reference, here is their golf

This is my jetta

Forgetful > Übel 11/08/2013 at 16:04

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Hey, that's mine!

DoktorZombie > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 16:08

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My first car was an Impala with black steelies with dogdish hubcaps. I just loved that unmarked cop car appearance. We don't have snow tires down here in the South, so I like the steelie look. Dig it, I do.

ttyymmnn > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 11/08/2013 at 16:08

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So, really, what are you saying?

BKRM3 > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 11/08/2013 at 16:09

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Oh man yours looks way better! Plus mightycarmods clearly selected the wrong width tire for that rim, and the wrong offset rim for the car. But I do believe that's what folks refer to as a "whole other can of worms...lol

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ttyymmnn 11/08/2013 at 16:10

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Original sentence meant somewhat to be read in a Giorgio Tsoukalos voice. That, and my posts don't make sense, therefore, aliens.

deekster_caddy > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 16:10

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Only with snow tires! And on my '73 Buick where Steelies and hub caps were standard issue.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 16:12

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Yeah I went with stock tire/wheel width and then had new tires professionally mounted and balanced along with an alignment for my coilovers. Since I'm not on air bags, any "stance" I have would be semi-permanent. This way is much nicer to drive with daily. A little firmer than stock but very comfortable on average roads.

area man > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 16:13

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I have always loved the look of black steelies. I for one hate ornate, flashy rims (even the stock ones), and steelies are about as far away from that as you can get. Plus, black ones in motion make your car look like its riding on orbs of rubber, which is kind of neat. Add in some white-lettered tires and you have a pretty sweet look. And outside of places that are snowbound for more than 50% of the winter, it's rare that people rock steelies intentionally, so when we see it, we celebrate it.

I think a lot of it has to do with how FANCY everything is in new cars these days. It used to be an expensive option to get alloys - now it's standard on most models. Steelies are a cool throwback to when people were mostly concerned with their wheels being round, not how big or shiny they were, and their cars capacity to get them from A to B (or A to A around a track), not how many toys it was loaded with.

And as others have said, it doesn't work all the time. No one will (or should) get excited about steelies on a Corolla. But if you can't see the appeal of putting utilitarian wheels on a cool car, well, there's the door.

Busslayer > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 16:17

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My appreciation for the steelie is because it means the hub caps are gone. Seems obvious you say? The hub cap is a purely ornamental piece that has serves no functional purpose. By going steelie, is the first step towards removing vanity and uselessness from your ride.

This doesn't mean I have a problem with alloys. They are what they are - functional.

BKRM3 > area man 11/08/2013 at 16:26

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Not only do I see the appeal, I completely agree that steelies are a solid choice with regard to practicality, i.e., cost and utility, especially in the case of winter setups and I even agree with the aesthetic appeal of harkening back to a time of simple, purposeful wheel design. They're a good choice, almost regardless of the particular car.

But don't you think the recent enthusiasm has gotten a bit out of hand? The steelie love has reached a fever pitch and that is what I don't get.

BKRM3 > Forgetful 11/08/2013 at 16:29

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And it looks good! Congratulations on your practical winter setup! Totally serious, that car's going to be a blast in winter.

But please forgive me for not skipping around the room, singing a steelie jingle. =)

BKRM3 > Forgetful 11/08/2013 at 16:31

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Nope, doesn't bug me at all. I've lived in PA my whole life and have had to switch to winter tires every year (even ones with studs when I lived in western PA!). As I said in my previous comment you're going to have a lot of fun with some snow on the ground!

area man > BKRM3 11/08/2013 at 16:32

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Oh, unquestionably. I think that's a hallmark of Oppo - something happens (maybe a coincidentally timed series of posts - I'm thinking I've seen a few about winter steelies in the last few weeks) that triggers a mutual realization that HEY EVERYONE LOVES THESE. So everyone posts about it and talks about it to feel the mutual love. Then the furor is replaced by something new. Circle of life.

BKRM3 > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 11/08/2013 at 16:33

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I have a purple impala SS in Forza that looks almost like that. It's seriously one of my favorite cars. Those wheels look great on it too!

BKRM3 > area man 11/08/2013 at 16:36

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I'm going to start a new winter-mode frenzy. Hold on while I go potato a jug of that blue washer fluid and a bag of kitty litter =)

YSI-what can brown do for you > area man 11/08/2013 at 16:58

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Invaluable contribution, bravo.

Scurvy > BKRM3 11/10/2013 at 16:24

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If you live where the roads are fairly;y crappy (aka anywhere that gets frost) steel wheels are not the worst idea. Hit a pothole, and 5 mins with a hammer and a rim bar and you're good as new, versus $200 to get your alloy repaired, or worse $500 to get it replaced..

thebigbossyboss > BKRM3 12/03/2013 at 14:57

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Because simplify and add lightness.