Yeah, but what about chrome wheels? Moss charges $110 *more* apiece for
them. That price difference ought to provide the rebuilder some profit
margin, even if they can't make money on painted wheels. Heck, they even
save three steps -- stripping, undercoating, and painting -- they ought
to charge *less* for rebuilding.
Or to put it another way, let's admit you can't rebuild a painted wire
wheel profitably for less (or significantly less, since a "new" wheel has
a perceived additional value) than the $160 price of a new wheel (I'm
using a standard B wheel for comparison). But with a chrome wheel, the
rebuilder saves 3 steps and some materials (primer, paint), and the price
they have to undercut is now up to $270. There's gotta be some profit
margin at that price.
As I said, I did just get 2 chrome wheels done, albeit by buying two
tires at the same time. But there were no guarantees they'd do it again
(and I have two broken spokes... sigh).
I suspect it has just as much to do with vanishing craftsmanship and
liability issues (IMHO). After all, motorcycle and bicycle wheels are
still being trued, as far as I know.
Dodd, Kelvin had this to say:
>Hmmm..
>
> Sit at a bench and true rusty wheels for $3.00 per hour for penny
>pinching, declining market sports car owners, or take early retirement and
>see the grandkids.
>
> To true a wheel properly requires stripping the wheel of paint and
>grease. Careful inspection of the splines. Cutting out any seized spokes.
>Replacing all damaged spokes. Setting the wheel on a jig and artistically
>adjusting the spokes till the tensions are correct and the wheel runs true.
>Then the wheel is undercoated and painted with a highly durable paint.
>
> At this time there is no way that the job can be done correctly on
>demand, and be competitive with the price of newly fabricated wheels. This
>is an indication of how highly competitive the British Car Market in America
>is.
>
> The Australian market still seems to have the available labor and
>demand to make rebuilding feasible. I sent 50 of my used wheels over there,
>rather than having to junk them. I got $4.00 apiece which was what I
>figured the value of a used wheel discounted by how many times I had moved
>them.
>
>Kelvin.
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Max Heim [mailto:mvheim@studiolimage.com]
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 1999 10:41 AM
>> To: MG List
>> Subject: Re: sills and wheels
>>
>>
>> Hmmm, Rick and Tim may be calling attention to a widespread problem...
>>
>> My former source, British Wire Wheel of Santa Cruz, CA, has
>> apparently
>> ceased servicing wire wheels, as its costs had increased to the point
>> that they compared unfavorably with purchasing a new wheel. I
>> found this
>> out earlier this year when I attempted to have a pair of wheels trued
>> through my local shop, O'Connor Classics. But seeing as I had chrome
>> wires (which would have been more expensive to replace), Mike
>> convinced
>> them to replace the broken spokes and true them while mounting 2 new
>> tires.
>>
>> I must say that the economics of this situation seem very wasteful. I
>> mean, how many hubs and rims will pile up if no one will rebuild wire
>> wheels, and everyone has to buy new every 5-10 years?
>>
>> I would think that the continued demand for servicing would create an
>> opportunity for local specialists -- but where are they?....
>>
>> Tim Economu had this to say:
>>
>> >Speaking of truing wheels, is there a place around Seattle
>> that can do this
>> >for my chrome wires?
>> >
>> >Tim Economu
>> >'69 BGT mona
>> >
>> >>>>
>> >------------------------------
>> >
>> >Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1999 19:27:22 EDT
>> >From: Rhbuxton@aol.com
>> >Subject: sills and wheels
>> >
>> >Hi All
>> >I live on the east coast of the US near Washington D.C.
>> Does anyone know of
>> >a good place to have wire wheels trued near me? Also,
>> where is the best
>> >place to buy sills and floor pans?
>> >TIA
>> >Rick
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> ===============================
>> Max Heim
>> mvheim@studiolimage.com
>> Studio L'Image/San Francisco
>> 415 643 9309 : 415 643 9307 fax
>> Studio L'Image/New York
>> 212 242 3366 : 212 242 3399 fax
>>
>
--
Max Heim
'66 MGB GHN3L76149
If you're near Mountain View, CA,
it's the red one with the silver bootlid.
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