Need an opinion on Wheel trade/purchase

I have a co-worker that has a Riviera with the chrome wheels. They are in great condition. He has tires with the brand name Aurora, that are also in great condition. I would like to buy the wheels from him. He will only sell them if we exchange our wheels/tires. I have the standard painted Riviera wheels in good shape with Kumho Ecsta ASX tires. My tires have about 60% tread life on them. He wants my wheels/tires plus cash. What do you guys think is a fair price? I'm not sure and need some suggestions. I don't want to low ball him or cheat him, but I don't want to get bent over either.

The Aurora tires are a German tire brand from what I've read. I have no idea the quality, but they are not an expensive tire. Examine or ask for the tires' date code and model number. The last two numbers in the date code are the year of manufacture (5 years old is too old). Based on the model of tire, the Auroras could be an economy, performance, or touring tire. Make sure you research and get the tire that matches what you are looking for. Otherwise take a loss and replace with new rubber that provides what you need. My opinion is that tires are such an important component, I would try using the Auroras, but replace at the earliest signs of trouble or dissatisfaction with performance.

I am wondering why he wants to let go of the chromes. One reason could be they may be leaking air around the bead seals. The chromed aluminum option had common problems in this area, due to oxidation/pitting around the inside edge of the rim. Not saying it's the only reason, but it could very well be one reason he doesn't want to remove the tires from the rims. You may want to ask him straight if he's ever had trouble with holding air pressure.

If there is a problem with leaking, a good tire pro can grind away the corrosion and reseal the bead. You want to be sure to only use moist-free air to fill the tire (nitrogen would be a very good idea here). The problem with just using air from any old tank is that it is sometimes"wet", which introduces moisture inside the tire, causing the corrosion to come back, imo.

Don't reject the wheels just because there turns out to be a leakage issue. A good tire pro can deal with the issue and create a tire/wheel combo that lasts for years of leak-free service. Just ask the seller, and possibly it could give you some leverage to buy for a lower price. Good luck.

Thanks Aaron. Yes, I am aware of that issue with the chrome wheels. It was the first thing I asked him. He assured me that they do not leak at all. He actually bought another Riviera, a 96, that had these wheels on it. He transferred them to his driver, a 95 Riviera. The 95 is solid, but the paint is shot completely. He has seen my car, and knows that my car would look awesome with these wheels. Again, I would like to buy them from him, but I don't want to get bent over. Being that i am giving him my wheels/tires in exchange, I offered him 200.00. He felt this was too low. I am willing to go higher, but I am unsure how much more. That is why I am asking for a few opinions. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I think that's a fair offer, considering you could buy a set of brand new aftermarket chrome wheels starting at about $600. They wouldn't include tires, but new wheels... your car could look awesome with 17 or 18 rims, too!

(I think the chromes looked good on the Riv for a time, but they do date the car. Larger rims make it look about 10-15 years newer, and firm up the ride a bit. Only downside is, you'll pay more for good tires.)

I wouldn't go more than $200, but that's me.

I have had 3 of these cars and I put chrome wheels on all of them.When the cars were 6-10 years old I would pay 75-85 dollars a wheel.Now that these cars are dated I think you are being very fair.Anyone doing a riv now will be putting 18-20" wheels on.These are not 67 corvette rims.

ghpcnm wrote:

Very fair offer...Ask him what he has in mind

Yes, I've done that also. I told him to think about it, and get back to me.