O.J. had his “ugly-ass” shoes. I had my “ugly-ass” wheels...the alloy/steel hybrids that came standard on the 70s and 71s. Yuk. Spent a year fooling with Photoshop trying to find a solution, Finally painted them all satin black and got myself some identical-to-factory lug nuts cheap at Wal-Mart. I could live with the results, particularly on my Dark Green car. So I was happy.

Then someone gave me a copy of the April 2003 “Practical Classics” a Brit magazine dealing with classic cars. In an otherwise praise-filled tome on 1800s, reputed long-time 1800 mechanic, Tony Barrett, offers this caveat: “The wheels themselves don’t give any problems except for post-1970 ones which can fall apart. They were constructed with an alloy hub and a steel rim. Unfortunately these metals don’t get on that well, and after a while they end up separating. These original wheels are unlikely to be still fitted, but if they are [get some 140 wheels].”

Now in all my voluminous reading of 1800 literature and web blabbing, I have never heard this comment about alloy wheels falling apart. As I tear, pell mell, around corners, tires screeching, I am now tear-a-fied. Has anyone else heard of this problem? Do you have any comments?

Thanks.

Dave Bucher

Oh, if you’d like to see a picture of my ultimate solution for those ugly-ass (and wholly unsafe?) wheels: go to www.soeast.com/Wheel.jpg