Day 2 parts discussion

[PxTx]

I've seen skinny Cragar wheels without the unilug dated as late as 1982. Yes, the chrome was not that great early on. Don't recall right now when it started being done in Mexico. Anyone have a set of them for a point of reference?

These wheels here i never dismounted, but suspect the caps were simply put on by a previous owner from a newer set.



I've also owned unilug wheels that were dated 1978, and they were 15x8. If I knew this, then I forgot it now, but when did the unilug start being offered? I know early ones had an aluminum insert. Have a few, just don't have a pic handy.

Those caps you posted seem to be great examples of the early generation. No "R" and the blue color is lighter (and not as consistent) as the later ones.

For a while, I was on an acquisition grabbing as many of those as I could. Lost count after 2 dozen. Despite what the part number reads, be careful of what you buy. I've had a few which did not like to fit the old wheels. Ended up splitting a few when I tightened the screw. My point being that they can be NOS for a reason- like poor fit.



Although you can't see the dates on the wheels when tires are mounted, I still like the sets I have dated form 1969 and older. I'll try to post a pic of dates tomorrow.

[whitetop]

Cragar has had 3 versions of unilug wheels. The first was called varilug,1971-1972 ish, and used little aluminum rings behind the wheels but those were weak so they came out with thick 3/4" thick adapter plates but these were a pita to keep centered behind the wheel when installing it. The "one piece" unilug we all know today came out in mid 70's around 1974.

Cragar was making Cragars in Mexico in the mid 70's. I have a set of NOS 15 x 10's stamped made in Mexico 1976 and the chrome is very nice but have a set of 14 x 6's nos made in USA in the early 80's and the chrome is good but not as good as the Mexico chrome.

Besides the generaly crappy chrome, early Cragars had alot of castings defects in the cast center sections and the rims also were not plated that well.

All speed parts are better made today as people are more picky and they have better casting technigues. Old intakes from Edelbrock and Weiand were horrendous in terms of casting defects if you ever compare them to todays versions

[olredalert]

----Im curious as to weather the whole Crager wheel was made in Mexico or only the part you saw that was stamped "made in Mexico"???......Bill S

[whitetop]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: olredalert</div><div class="ubbcode-body">----Im curious as to weather the whole Crager wheel was made in Mexico or only the part you saw that was stamped &quot;made in Mexico&quot;???......Bill S </div></div>

The whole wheel was made in Mexico. Cragar made them in both the US and Mexico. I have a bunch of nos Cragars and some of the boxes say made in Mexico and some made in USA. I don't necessarily think they made them in Mexico to save money as some of the wheels I have are made in the US after the Mexican ones. Maybe they used Mexico at the time to meet demand??


Chrome is also way different than early Cragars. New ones are more shinier/deep and use a
darker chrome if you compare them side by side. Early ones used a &quot;white&quot; hexevelant chrome which I believe has been banned in the US for some time but a version of hexevelant chrome is still available IIR. I can't remember the official name of the chrome they used so that term might be incorrect but it is no longer available in the US. White hexevelant chrome was an industrial chrome they used on sink fixtures and curtain rods etc.

I learned about white hexevelant chrome the hard way = $$$. Had Pauls Chrome and also Stockton wheel replate some wheels-the color comparison was like an Oreo cookie versus the nos wheels I had. The new replated chrome was shinier and better but it would have been noticable on the car if I used my NOS rears. If you have all four replated most people would not notice or not know there was a difference from the originals anyway

[mockingbird812]

Good info whitetop! Much appreciated.

[whitetop]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mockingbird812</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Good info whitetop! Much appreciated. </div></div>

Valuable lesson learned. $800 plating fee from Pauls for 2 wheels( I wanted the best show chrome) $175 welding fee from Stockton and $60.00 shipping. Wheels returned from Stockton and I was happy with them. Couple years later placed them on a sunny day on my back deck along with mrecently acquired NOS 15 x 10 rears and it was Ohhh fudge....



Had another set replated by Stockton who said the chrome would be correct..it was not but more correct than Paul's but still off. Took my nos ones to Custom Chrome in Medina Oh and said&quot; Can you match this chrome?&quot; and the platers said &quot;yeah but I would have to send them out to a 3rd world country whose frogs have 3 eyes&quot; and he gave me a short lesson on banned chrome in the developed world

So disgusted ended up selling them to a guy dirt cheap and he had his used rears replated to match the fronts. I probably should have done the same thing but just didn't care anymore. Out of site out of mind.

[olredalert]

----Thanks Whitetop! Thats interesting stuff. What part of Ohio are you from? Im from Medina and dont remember Custom Chrome, but have been gone from that area for many years. Actually I dont remember any chrome platers from that area, but then at my age the memory does slip just a bit......Bill S

[Plowman]

x2 on that whitetop.

[six-corners]

Thank you VERY much. Just this past weekend I was talking to a friend about older Cragars vs. the newer ones. I had no proof on my observations, now I have something to send him regarding this subject. Thank you again!!

[68l30]

Bill, Custom Chrome is on Rt. 57 in Grafton...Best platers around hands down!


Steve