New Wheels?

[kev131]

I'm a bit late coming into this debate but I did watch it develop while away on hols. If there is any subject guaranteed to generate debate and comment it's wheels. I think men are as obsessed with wheels as women are with jewellery. Which while I'm at it ...does anyone else think that the current fad of daytime driving lights is anything other than car jewellery for men...?

Anyway these wheels - My opinion for what it is worth has been stated here before. Your original wheels suited the looks of your car exceedingly well so much so that I tried to help you source a new set from Italy. But I think I know you well enough by now to know that you will always to listen to the opinions of others, will not be in the least bit offended by them...and then do what you damn well please!!

I don't hate or dislike these wheels - In fact they look well on the Beta Berlina and I guess on other Lancia saloons. However they are wheels designed to complement the lines of an elegant carriage rather than a fast road saloon and I feel that the aggressive look has been sort of emasculated by these wheels.

It is of course your car and if you are in any doubt why don't you photoshop the wheels to silver and see what they look like then? Ultimately, I think you will go back to the steelies eventually....

[Rob 131]

Kev

Like the comments about car jewellery and day time driving lights 

I have just spent 3 weeks in France with a hired Citroen C5 Exlusive Estate (not sure what was exclusive about it except the price Euro 34k New in France; they had one in the showroom when I went to have it fixed  ) and this had LED Day Time Lights that you could not turn off 

The car drew so many admiring glances and people loved to talk about it (mainly Brits and the Irish) . Why  Am I missing something with these cars

[kev131]

The car drew so many admiring glances and people loved to talk about it (mainly Brits and the Irish) . Why  Am I missing something with these cars

I drove behind a new de-badged one of these in black on the Autoroute recently and not having seen one before I was puzzled as to what it was (I had to overtake it eventually to find out). I did really admire the looks of it though - A bit like the Insignia estate and very much in the ilk of German estates...which of course is what Citroen said they were modelling the car on. 

[Thotos]

I am a great advocate of daytime running lights and always drive with lights on, even in the Fiat 131. But I hate the latest fad of rows of bright-white LEDs especially when they have vertical rows either side of the bumper which I think make the cars look too narrow and too tall. Your description of 'jewellery' is spot-on Kevin but I'd like to add the adjective of 'useless' or 'superfluous' in front of it   

And yes Kevin, it seems you do know me well enough      I saw a new Mercedes C-Class  Coup? yesterday and it was in dark grey with dark grey alloy wheels. So it seems that Mercedes are already copying my wheel colour scheme 

The 131 has been living in its garage for the last two weeks as I was in 'Gamma-mode' so I haven't seen it. I'll be getting it out of the garage at the weekend for the Fiat Motor Club's birthday lunch on Sunday so it'll be interesting to see if the car looks odd to me again. 

[Thotos]

Talking of wheels (and tyres?) here's a website some of you might find useful:

http://www.willtheyfit.com/

[Thotos]

I had the wheels balanced again today. I asked the tyre place to check the balance first before taking off the balance weights and all four wheels were way out! I don't know what they were doing when they fitted the new tyres three weeks ago. I suspect they didn't bother fitting the outer weights probably because they were out of stick-on weights    I took the car for a short drive on the M25 after the wheels were rebalanced and it seems fine even though the M25 was too busy to get up to proper test-speed. But I'd say the car now seems to drive as well as it looks   I'll be going on a long 150+ mile round trip drive tomorrow with motorway, major A-roads and twisty country lanes so I'll find out for sure if the wheels are now balanced properly. 

[stathe174]

But I'd say the car now seems to drive as well as it looks  

My opinion is that the car drives better than it looks... 
But then again I'm the guy with the BWA's on his 131 

[Thotos]

Lancia wheels are designed for Lancia cars - Fiat wheels are designed for Fiat cars - or am I being too simplistic!

It seems the Italians agree with me as they are advertising used Cromodora CD51s (very expensive as well  ) and suggest they'll fit a 131  

[Thotos]

These Cromodora CD51 wheels are getting a bit too common! 

[kev131]

Ya go back to the standard cloverleafs...

[Robert]

Even with repeated promotion they are not getting more desirable 

[Thotos]

Ya go back to the standard cloverleafs...

Might do that but they are getting too common in black and silver too 

[kev131]

Ya go back to the standard cloverleafs...

Might do that but they are getting too common in black and silver too 

Ya...? And there's probably a good reason for that...!!

[jasonh131]

Swop with the trevi for a month or two see how u go

[jseabolt]

I think they look sweet! I'd keep them.