Modding mesh wheels- thinking outside the box

[fisch]

First I am curious if anyone has American Racing Mesh wheels? Have any idea what they are worth these days? I think they are 14's but may be 13's? I might have a chance to pick some up.

 

Here is the wheel. What do you think they would be worth as-is? They are on a roadster, so I don't think fitment will be a problem on a dime. As you can see they are kinda beat and have the lip spraybombed black. They will take some work, but clean-up is a mosquito bite on the bigger plan.

 

The thing is, while mesh is cool I don't know if I want mesh on my ratty dime. I much prefer the openness of, say, SSR star sharks, but not the price that comes with them.

 

So here is the photochop idea. I am pretty positive a sawsall and a dremmel/file would leave almost no evidence of what is missing. My QUESTION for the wheel experts is, would they be structurally sound?

 

Notice I have left the stoutest, reinforced points and only removed the ones with the least contact. Also there are still EIGHT points of contact, and I feel I have seen far less on other JDM wheels. Not to mention triangles are some of the strongest shapes going.

 

Anyway way do y'all think? Just thinking out loud really.

 

I could use upholstery tacks in the tiny triangles around the bolt circle.

 

One could also just paint every other triangle too, but where is the fun in that? :P

[r0p0doe]

Go for it

[sick620]

what a neat idea :cool:

[WAGON JON]

The less mesh, the weaker the wheel gets. Might look good though. It might break on you somewhere in the ghetto or way out in the middle of nowhere. Who knows?

[68Datsun510]

Very true, hence why enkei92's have such dense 'mesh' to them.

[jefe de jefes]

I say paint. Better safe than sorry.

[]2eDeYe]

Nope, bad idea...looks awesome, but I wouldn't trust the integrity of the wheel. Cast isn't the strongest of metallurgical procedures to begin with.

 

 

Wheel breaking can lead to some interesting handling quirks :lol:

[fisch]

I hear you guys. I guess when I look at Star sharks and Super stars, there is a bit more reinforcement, not a lot, but a little more stout. The main 4-point is filled on the Star Shark, and the Superstar has beefier points where it attaches to the wheel ring. Wish I was a structural engineer! :lol:

 

 

[DISLEXICDIME]

Go buy some 15x7 drag dr 20's

[fisch]

I also thought about this, which is removing one line from every other triangle (again not the beefy ones) and then painting the remaining single line of those triangles. In essence it would make a cross shape behind the sun shape and have 8 more points of contact. (And 4 more upside down triangles.)

 

[RAlly_DatoB210]

I think it looks sick but if you feel like risking your car and life as it crashes and burns once your wheel breaks off on a high speed corner

[INDY510]

.

Ima go cut up my panasports ......... :lol: ....... turn them into 4 spoke Libras .......... :lol:

[The Dat-side]

Wait, wait, wait. I thought you were talking about painting them. DO paint them all and sand down The edge of half, like Work equip 3s. DONT cut them.

[Radim]

Send them to polish, then paint the "inner" mesh... Would look BA.

[fisch]

LOL ok I hear you guys! Remember I am an artist, not an engineer! I know when things look good, but not how structurally sound they are! (This is why I have you guys to keep me in check.)

 

That said, after looking at those Superstars above, I think paint could do wonders for these AR mesh.I did a more controlled P-shop version. The neat thing about these AR rims is that they have fewer openings than most mesh wheels. which is why I think it could work.

 

I don't know that I'd be willing to pay much for these AR though, this is the one shot I have of them and the rim is bent in two spots already (The others may be worse.) Also the owner doesn't want to sell them unless I can provide replacement rollers for trailer duty, so that would add to the cost. IDK, think they are worth $100? I mean for $400 (+shipping) one can get the DR20s listed above. I am all for being creative, using imagination and having something unique, which these AR would be. It is kinda a Ratsun zen. (More unique that DR20s, which I think are bitchin.) But there is a point where common sense kicks in. ;)

 

I guess I can only answer that last one. What is more important, time or money? :blink:

[fisch]

Well I just found out they are an 8 hr round trip away from me. Plus needing to supply replacement rubber makes this pretty impractical! If they were some crazy rare JDM maybe.

 

But the paint theory is a good one and maybe someone out there with a set of these will give it a go. :D

[sssr20det510]

just get some drag dr20's

[Icehouse]

I don't think they would break, just due to my experience with drifting with buddies when I was younger. One of my buddies liked to hit things. It's amazing the force it takes to break a wheel off a car, even a shitty knock off wheel. Then again better safe then sorry.

 

Save up for the wheels you want, in the end you will be happy. Carter got a set of sweet JDM wheels for 550! I got the wheels that where on the white car for $100. Just keep hunting.

[Icehouse]

Fishman, check out this sight, I've linked you to the wheels I like but if you click the wheels for sale button at the top you can scope sick ass wheels!!!!! Buy these for me :)

 

 

I just noticed they are posted here on Ratsun as well. If only I could justify spending that kinda cheddar on rims...

[fisch]

Fishman, check out this sight, I've linked you to the wheels I like but if you click the wheels for sale button at the top you can scope sick ass wheels!!!!! Buy these for me :)

 

 

I just noticed they are posted here on Ratsun as well. If only I could justify spending that kinda cheddar on rims...

 

Siiiiiiiiick! I hear you on the Cheddar though! I seem to able to justify buying $100 rims and putting the labor in to make them cool. But when it gets to $400+ I start thinking about all the other things I could spend the monies on, debt, mortgage, etc... (And $400 is cheap for wheels! Damn my responsible side!!)

[FoxyRoadster]

Not to hijack the thread but whats the story on the roadster.

 

Also unless the roadster has drums up front they are 14" wheels.

[fisch]

Not to hijack the thread but whats the story on the roadster.

 

Also unless the roadster has drums up front they are 14" wheels.

 

No worries Foxy! Good to know Roadsters were generally 14"!

 

CL ad for 2 roadsters:

 

RI roadsters

[SHADY280]

fisch rims like that pop up on cl here in bc all the time. usually 250 for the set. ill check and post links here for you. i could get them and if you want you could come across the border and get them.

[hang_510]

If only I could justify spending that kinda cheddar on rims...

especially when they cost more than 2 or 3 510's :unsure:

 

but those wheels are sick!!!!!!

[SpudWhitman]

i could get them and if you want you could come across the border and get them.

 

East bound and down, loaded up and truckin', a you gon' do what they say can't be done. You've got a long way to go and a short while to get there, just watch old Fischer run! And watch out for those Vermont county mounties! All the way from Mission, Colombia Britannica? Towelie says, "Don't forget to bring a towel."