I did an intro post the other day asking for some advice. I got a ton of, "where's the pictures" responses. As you guys in the northwest know, it rains or snows every day here now (until this weekend).

My car is another of the 1999 C2's. It's stock except for the recently updated rear valance. I've had it since almost new. It now has a whopping 24k miles on it but that's going to change as I plan to drive it almost daily now and execute some updates. I was going to wait on the photos until my new wheels were here. I'm struggling more than I thought with the selection process though (not to mention HRE pricing) as there's so many choices out there.

I'm no photographer but here goes...

 

Great looking car

 

great looking black 99 c2! i remember the day ours was brought home and it looked identical to yours! thanks to 6speed, it didn't take long before the mods were underway! congrats and enjoy! keep us updated on your wheels!

 

I think the stock wheels look classic

 

I do too PJS. Enough actually that I'll probably keep them unless I ultimately get talked out of them. I'm leaning toward violating the classic rules a little though after seeing the $20.00 rattle can black project. It sort of bridges the classic look with a more contemporary stealthy appearance that looks good on the black cars to me...

 

Good lookin' rig.

 

C2 looks great! very low mileage as well

what wheels are you considering (finalist list?)

 

Finalist:
1. Forgeline ZX3R:

2. HRE 593R (matte black):

3. iForged "Variant" (pressure from a buddy):
Black, sorry I can't find a good image.

 

you're set on black eh? i like iForged as a brand, not so much HRE. HRE's tend to be softer. i swear i've never bent more wheels from any manufacturer than HRE. Plus at that price point, i just don't think it is a good value.

i like the Forgeline

 

I went back and forth on the black thing. I ultimately expect that I'll have no choice but to end up a multi-wheel owner. I started as a "traditionalist" struggling between a polished vs. natural finish with black a distant 3rd. Slowly the black just moved to the forefront and that will be my next set as I'm really feeling the stealth thing.

I'm really becoming passionate about the car after all these years and I can't quite put my finger on all the reasons that it took this long. I can say that self employment, my son's racing and the whole getting the kids into college thing wore me down a bit and this is exactly what I needed. I'd add that discovering this forum has been a tremendous tool for me as I couldn't really see the dealer as a "resource" for all the typical reasons.

As for your HRE comments, they just seem to be the leaders in the sex appeal/name game is all. I can't comment on their resiliency as I haven't heard that until now. I do feel the love for the 5 series that I show above but they're a ton of dough as you point out. In the current business climate I'm leaning toward being a bit more frugal like so many of us.

Everything about the Forgeline wheels have my attention. I feel it for a number of their wheels. While I like the "variant" from iforged, I'll only make that my 1st upgrade if the deal is what it looks to be from a buddy. Sorry for the bandwidth, but you asked...

 

Here's an idea: run the black wheels as your winter wheels, and get silver/polished lip or something similar for your summer set. that way you have an excuse to have two sets (a damn good excuse too, IMO), and you take care of yourself for all seasons here. A buddy of mine has done that. in the winter the black wheels are preferable given the seemingly more road debris/grime/slush you have to deal with. In the nicer months, you'll want those shiny lips for such a hot car!

Of course the other obvious benefit is proper tires on your car for all seasons. even if you don't drive the C2 in the winter, it wouldn't be a bad idea to NOT expose your nice summer set to those conditions. :beer:

i was unaware of that! yes, i was referring to awhile back. I've had 3 sets of HRE's, and all were relatively soft. My last set i owned was a long time ago, so understood about what you're saying. good to hear too, as i love a lot of their designs. Greg is correct as well - the name "HRE" seems to have a sex appeal to it.

 

Great looking car just as it is! Congratulations on the decision to start driving it and enjoying it. No sense making it a garage queeen and saving it for the next guy. Drive and enjoy it!!!