Custom Wheel manufactures???

[Mike P]

Anybody have a source on custom wheel manufactures? I'm looking for someone who can custom make a pair of 15 X 8 steel rims with stock MOPAR centers and custom backspacing. I had an outfit in Denver make up a set of rims years ago, and can't remember who it was now.

[Bob Parmenter]

Mike,
Not sure from your post, but are you planning to supply the centers and just have new hoops installed?

If so, a guy I've used is The Wheelsmith, in Santa Ana Ca. 800-854-8937

There's also Stockton Wheel www.stocktonwheel.com they do good work, but a friend just got a set of wheels made up by them. He said they took twice as long as committed, and got the powder coat color way wrong. Not sure if that's just a one time glitch or a sign of a shift in business practice.

They and Wheel Vintiques www.wheelvintiques.com look like they have shifted their business pretty much to building wheels from their own parts rather than working from customer supplied pieces. But might be worth a check. I've also dealt with Wheel Vintiques and gotten decent service, but it's been a few years.

[Mike P]

Thanks Bob, thats just what I was looking for. I think it may have been Stocton I used before. Thanks.

Mike

[Darin]

I will be installing my headliner as soon as I get my interior from easy boy and need some advise. The area where it attaches
at the windshield originally had a tack strip
about 1/2 to 5/8 inches wide and about 1/8 thick . Needless to say it was all but gone so I removed what was left and need a new strip. There are on local interior shops that will sell me a strip so
I was thinking of different things that would work. What about a stiff strip of leather ? I believe the leather would hold the staples as well as the original cardboard strip . I f you have any other ideas , please post them, Also the rear window area apperas not to have had a tack strip , would a good contact cement hold the headliner there as well thanks Darin

[Bob Parmenter]

Darin, first suggestion is you start a new thread rather than tagging on to one that's on a different subject. You would probably get more input and others with a similar interest could learn from it too. Perhaps a moderator will see this and move your, and this post to it's own.

I've used 1/8" mahogany door skin, ripped into appropriate width strip to make a tack strip, but that was before I embraced adhesives 100%.

Get yourself some 3M Super Trim Adhesive (they also make a product called General Trim Adhesive, but it doesn't hold as well) to attach the front and rear. If you've never done a headliner before my best advice is to be patient. In my experience, cloth is easier than vinyl. Make sure your bows are clean and rust free so that it won't transfer a stain to the seams over time. Avoiding puckers around the edges will likely be a real challenge, but nothing makes a headliner look worse than ripples around the perimeter. Don't over stretch the material trying to get it smooth because that will just make it worse in the end. If you have access to a small steamer that can help with removing SMALL waves, but it's best to work them out before fastening. If you get frustrated while trying to place it, stop. Regroup your thinking before proceeding, you'll be happier with the results. I've had best results by starting with the center and working back then front, but I've seen pros start at either end and come out good (but then they are pros, so you'd expect that). While it might seem fulfilling or cheaper to do it yourself, this is one of those jobs that is harder than it looks or would seem. Sometimes it's better to bite the bullet and pay a pro for certain things. That being said, it's not a job beyond the abilities of a very patient and moderately skilled hobbyist.