Topic: Better to restore or buy snowflakes?

[VandykeT/A]

I currently have a set of 15x8 snowflakes that are faded out and have been laying out in the weather for the last 20 years. From what I remember other than looking old the actual wheels were in good condition. I also seen that yearone sells a new set for around 800 bucks, considering I paid 1200 for TTII's for my 02 isn't to bad IMO. Would I be able to restore my wheels to as good as new condition or would I be better off to just buy a new set?  I all ready have new center caps.

[winks79]

I would buy the YO set. You can get your originals restored for about the same amount of money as the new set costs shipped to your home, and then you have to have the tires dismounted and then remounted, not counting packaging and shipping. If you are planning on restoring them yourself, that is a whole lot of work,(I've heard some guys that have refinished their own, say they have 8-12 hrs in each wheel). My wheels are in really good original condition, but I am going to buy a set of the YO wheels also, just to have. I have seen them up close and they are a really nice set of wheels. Just my opinion, will see what somebody else has to say.

[Wallington]

Likewise, I had a set of 4 shipped down to Sydney, Australia for less than the price quoted to machine a set of 15x7" without extras. It's a no brainer unless you have a 100 point concourse car with judges checking casting numbers. You can save some money restoring them yourself, providing you have a lot of time and patience but unless machined they won't look original, air tools and lots of sanding still make the edges and surfaces look rounded off and sometimes rippled if chasing pitted areas.