The Lotus Cars Community banner
  • Hi there! Why not register as a user to enjoy all of the benefits of the site? You may register here. When you register, please pick a username that is non-commercial. If you use a name that appears on any search engine commercially, you must pick another name, whether it applies to you or not. Commercial usernames are for supporting vendor use only. If you want to become a supporting vendor and grow your business, please follow this link. Thanks!

"Black chrome" finish on Exiges/Elises, what do you guys think?

19K views 36 replies 21 participants last post by  JimK 
#1 ·
As a detailer here at Auto Europe I'd like to know what's your thoughts on a different finish for the satin black wheels that come on the car. As most of you know the wheels are very hard to clean, well, if your using them stickly as track wheels it doesn't matter too much to you but there's a new finish on the market called Perma Chrome. What it is a finish that's smooth and doesn't pit or peel and if available in various shades, including this darker chrome look, as well as a finish that's close to chrome (not really something most Lotus owners would want, but who knows) Here's the website for this product...
U.S. Wheel Exchange : Welcome

One more thing, the Lotus' is a beautiful car with beautiful wheels and I'd like to know if there's enough interest in a product like this so we could possibly offer this to our valued customers as we have a place locally to do this for us. Thank you very much for your input, its greatly appreciated:clap:
 
#3 ·
I have two sets (like a lot of people). I'm happy with my black "track" set, but maybe interested in coating my stock "road" rims.

What are chances of getting a photoshop image done?
 

Attachments

#15 ·
+1



:eek::eek::eek::thwack::wallbang:..........unless you are retro.....chrome was cool in the 80's..........its time has passed so let it be!
 
#33 ·
Yes, I've seen the Storm Ti Exige S with black chrome wheels at Beverly Hills. With the wheels that come with the LSS package, it was very nice, subtle, and really works on a Storm Ti Exige S. My next question was how much weight does it add and the sale person wasn't really sure.

I would have taken a picture.....but they won't let me*. rotfl


*http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f68/please-dont-take-pictures-cars-55750/
 
#17 ·
The pics of them on the Lambo are exactly what I'm talking about. I can appreciate the "hard core" guys and for those who don't care or don't even take the car on the street, great, but for those who do go out on the street and cruize and show their cars, what's wrong with having something that matches the "upscale" look of these great cars! Now I can understand the chrome look, but I'm talking the "black chrome" look, something that's not "blingy", which doesn't belong on a Lotus, but black chrome would! I can't find any pics, so if someone finds them on the actual car, let us know, thanks. Auto Europe - Birmingham, Michigan's Lotus / Morgan / European Automobile Sales and Service Since 1965 - Home
 
#19 ·
Thanks Chris, but I have a place in our backyard that can do this for us. All I need is a good pic of them on the Lotus, doesn't even matter which style the wheel is, just something to show the boss here so I have "proof" of how good it actually looks on the car, then we can get a set done and show it off to our customers that are interested in this process.

I completely understand the nature of this car and its track heritege, but IMO there's noting wrong with having something nice on the car, cleans up easier (how many cuss words have you uttered when trying to clean the flat black wheels guys:eek:) and in general gives the car the upscale look it so truely deserves, afterall its the most affordable supercar in the world:bow:
 
#21 · (Edited)
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Supercar Lotus elise
how about painted gloss Black AND Chrome ring,as seen in the TRMotorsports
 
#23 ·
Gloss black painted wheels are waaaaay better than the flat, matte black, especially if they're clearcoated, but my choice of words for this is wrong. If you guys go back to the original post I have a link for this process and if you read about its not using any chrome properties. I just wana see BLACK CHROME finished wheels on the Lotus, not even aftermarket wheels, the OEM's are just fine as they are sharp wheels themselves:cool: If you check out website Auto Europe - Birmingham, Michigan's Lotus / Morgan / European Automobile Sales and Service Since 1965 - Home you'll see how much better the 60th anniversery car looks with its yellow painted wheels and btw, this car is my favorite car in the entire show, period:coolnana:
 
#27 ·
Not quite "black chrome" but hyper black, close enough until...

...someone finds the finish done to a Lotus!




These pics are from almost 2 years ago and even though I've made some changes to my car since then (white viper-styled stripes on the hood, bumpers and hatch/metallic green on the roof and spoiler, GT350 styled stripes that run down the rocker panels w/ an "S" in the middle, yellow lamin-X on headlights and fogs) you kinda get an idea what this would look like, although the finish I'm talking about is alot deeper than what I've got. In the future, instead of getting new rims, I'm going to have this process done to my current spring/summer/early fall rims. Hope I didn't "whore out" my car too much! BTW, those small OEM tires have since been replaced with P225/45/17 BFG KDW2s which add to the chunky or "chubby" look of the new R56.
 
#29 ·
Painting them black is not the same. I'm not sure how to verbalize it, but there is a difference. Kinda the difference between chrome and nickle. Both shiny, both silver, but different. It's been a while since I've seen the black chrome wheels, but IIRC the black chrome finish looked more like metal (duh), not as deep of a black and much more reflective. It's a beautiful finish.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top