Quick guide to classic wheels

When it comes to your classic car, every detail matters. That’s why, if you decide you want to change the wheels, it’s a big decision.

Different wheels might make the car look more appealing or original. But choose the wrong ones and you can also adversely affect the performance of your classic as well as its value. So how do you choose the right wheels for you?

In this article, we explore how to get the right size for your classic and browse some of the most iconic wheels around. We’ll also see why it’s important to have specialist classic auto insurance in place when you’re modifying your vehicle.

Things to consider

Before making any changes to your classic’s wheels, consider the following factors.

Firstly, think about the tyres. While modern tyres have benefited from decades of evolution, this could actually be bad for your classic car. The extra grip, for example, could put more strain on the suspension than it was originally designed for.

Meanwhile, your environment could also affect your choices. Driving in the UK means not only braving the infamous weather, but also dealing with the impact it has on the roads.

The Asphalt Industry Alliance says that in 2020/21, 29% of roads were only in ‘adequate’ condition, while 22% were in ‘poor’ condition. Extreme weather in summer and winter, combined with lack of investment in maintenance, is leading to a considerable problem with potholes. Local authorities in England and Wales say they had to fill a pothole every 19 seconds in 2020/21.

With that in mind, you might want to think about what this means when it comes to your classic wheels. How will they cope with inclement weather and poor roads? The right choice could mean a much safer and more comfortable ride.

You may also want to think about the potential financial impact of any modifications you make. With a classic car, we understand that the wheels are crucial to the overall look. Therefore, making the wrong choice could affect the value of your vehicle. It wouldn’t be as significant an impact as, for example, adding a custom paint job. But it’s worth considering, particularly if you plan on veering from the original manufacturer with aftermarket wheels.

Modifications can also have an impact on your insurance policy. It’s important to have classic motor insurance in place that suits your needs, including if any modifications have been made or are in the pipeline. Lancaster Insurance are specialists at providing cover for all sorts of restoration jobs. Talk to the team about finding the right cover for your project today.

It’s perhaps most vital to make sure the wheels are the right size. Let’s look at wheel sizes in more detail.

Understanding wheel sizes

You may have your heart set on impressing onlookers as you roll past with 20-inch rims. But in reality, you can’t just fit any wheel to any car. So before you choose new wheels, know how to size them correctly to match your particular vehicle.

First is the diameter of the wheel, which is always referred to in inches and is the size people mean when they say ‘X-inch rims’. With a classic car, you might typically expect the diameter of your wheels to be somewhere between 14-18 inches. Wheels bigger than that would most likely be for more modern cars, or luxury vehicles.

Next, also measured in inches, is the width. The width of your wheels will affect what kind of tyres you can fit, with a wider wheel needing a wider tyre. This will affect the grip and play a key role in things like the performance of your brakes.

You will usually see these two measurements written together, for example a wheel may be described as 14x6. It’s most likely that the larger number of the two is the diameter, while the smaller number is the width. These are the most common measurements you will see in relation to wheel sizes and will be all you need if you are sticking with the car’s original wheel size and style.

However, you may also be thinking of installing aftermarket wheels, in which case it’s worth knowing about some other measurements when choosing a set.

Another important measurement is the offset, which tells you how far your wheels stick out from the vehicle. Offset is usually stamped on the wheel and will be measured in millimetres. However, rather than ‘mm’, you will likely see it written as ‘ET’ – based on the German word ‘einpresstiefe’ which means ‘insertion depth’.

With the wrong offset, your wheels will fit badly. Aside from being not ideal aesthetically, it could affect the performance of the vehicle and you could risk damage to the suspension, brakes or bodywork.

Next, get familiar with the pitch circle diameter, or PCD, which refers to the number of wheel bolts and the distance between them. The PCD and pattern of the wheel bolts will vary depending on the manufacturer, so it’s important that you get the same to match your car.

It’s also crucial to check the centre bore, which is the hole in the middle of the back of your tyres. This must correspond with the size of your car’s wheel hub, which connects the wheels to the body of your car. If the centre bore is too small, the wheel hub simply won’t fit, and it will be impossible to attach the wheel to the car. If it’s too big then it will be a more complicated fitting process.

The circumference of your tyres, known as the rolling radius, can also be affected if you fit new wheels. It’s important to maintain the same rolling radius, or as close to the original as you can. Otherwise, it can affect the accuracy of the reading on your vehicle’s speedometer. The last thing you would want is to get pulled over for speeding thanks to inaccurate instruments.

The impact of larger or smaller wheels

It’s important to understand how changing from your classic car’s original wheels and tyres will affect the performance. Going down in size would mean your wheels and tyres being lighter, affecting the suspension and potentially improving the quality of your ride. Meanwhile, Pirelli says that larger wheels will improve the car’s stability and shorten the braking distance.

Generally, going up or down one inch from your vehicle’s original wheel size should allow you to alter the performance. However, going further than that could lead to some issues depending on how your classic car is set up. The suspension or brakes may be designed around the original wheel and tyre size, so deviating too far from this could cause damage to either. It could affect other areas of the car, for example again the accuracy of your speedometer.

You might be drawn in by the aesthetic qualities of larger wheels, but this cannot be the only consideration when you’re thinking of upsizing. They can lead to greater fuel consumption, as your car needs to work harder to move the bigger wheels around. They can also be more susceptible to damage when confronted with bad roads and potholes, which as mentioned are a growing problem in the UK.

What is wheel alignment?

When fitting new wheels to your classic car, make sure you check the wheel alignment, which refers to what direction your wheels are pointing when fitted.

It’s vital to get the alignment right as it has a huge impact on the driveability of the car. When aligned properly, the car should be easy to accelerate, steer, brake, and turn. However, when not aligned properly it can lead to all kinds of issues, for example increased tyre wear and fuel consumption due to the increased amount of effort required to get the wheels turning together in the right way.

You may also find the steering of the vehicle is affected, as misaligned wheels can make the car want to pull to one side when in motion. This will happen if the wheels are aligned to point away from each other because one wheel will always be pointing away from the direction, you’re trying to steer in.

Now that we have covered the basic things to look out for when picking out wheels for your classic car, it’s time to do some window shopping. Below are some of the most iconic classic car wheels ever seen, some of which are common choices for today’s vintage motor enthusiasts.

Iconic classic car wheels

• Minilites – a timeless classic wheel style, these were one of the most successful wheels of the 1960s and 70s. They were originally developed for the Austin Mini but became a common sight on race and rally cars at the time, as well a popular choice on road cars. They have remained in high demand ever since among classic car enthusiasts due to the authentic 1960s aesthetic they offer.
  
  
• Borrani wires – wire wheels suspend the car’s weight with spokes arranged in a specific pattern. Borrani wire wheels are truly the stuff of racing legend, helping a young Enzo Ferrari to glory in 1924 at the Acerbo Cup in Pescara, Italy. Borrani rims would later become standard on Ferrari cars, while contributing to several Formula 1 Championship triumphs, victories in Le Mans and Nürburgring races, and being a favourite with James Bond.
  
  
• Beauty rings – perfect for anybody looking for some nostalgia from the 40s and 50s, wheels with trim rings were made famous particularly by Fords of the era. The most famous perhaps is the 1948 Ford De Luxe featured in the iconic movie Grease, the white racer sporting trim rings on the wheels with, of course, the unforgettable silver lightning streak paint job. De Luxe Fords have since featured in other legendary Hollywood movies, including Karate Kid and Back to the Future.
• Cosmic – another popular choice in the 60s and 70s, Cosmic was a British brand that manufactured various aftermarket car accessories, including steering wheels, bumper kits and their iconic wheels that fitted to various popular cars of that time, including the Mini, Ford Cortina GT, Vauxhall Victor VX, Austin Healey Sprite and more. Cosmic alloys were a distinctive design featuring silver curved spokes in front of a contrasting black background.
  
  
• Bugatti – The Bugatti Type 35, released in the 1920s, was a masterpiece that dominated motor racing in that decade. It was also one of the first cars to use alloy wheels. They might be a little big for your own classic car, but these wide wheels are worth a mention as a milestone in the history of classic car rims.

What you should do before making any changes

Armed with some knowledge about choosing wheels for your classic car and after having a little look around, you may have an idea of the ones you’d like most.

However, before you go any further, it really is a good idea to chat to your classic car insurance provider.

This allows them to assess the risks and make sure they’re offering the right cover to suit your classic car’s changing needs. Choosing a provider that understands the conventions of modification in classic cars will help to make sure your needs are covered.

Classic car insurance that understands your needs

At Lancaster Insurance, we live and breathe classic cars. Therefore, we totally understand that vehicle modification is common during restorations or repairs. All we ask is that you inform us about any modifications to your vehicle so we can offer you the right level of cover.

Since 1984, we have specialised in arranging.

All our underwriters are carefully selected so that we can offer comprehensive but bespoke solutions that really work for our customers. We’re proud of our impressive experience and knowledge in this industry, which makes us capable of quoting for virtually every classic car on the market.

Get in touch today for a classic car insurance quote.

Policy benefits, features and discounts offered may very between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. Information contained within this article is accurate at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.