can old Cragars be rechromed?

I can get a set made in 1972. They have some minor rust where the center meets the hoop.
Is it worth it, or are new Cragars identical?

Thanks,
Joel

You might be better off and cheaper off to have them powder coated in chrome color. I have seen some done and it looks like real chrome!! Wont peel or discolor too!

Stu

I doubt you'll find a shop willing to do it. I expect even if you do you'll find it makes the cost of new attractive. It's a shame, IIRC, Cragar didn't move production out of the U.S. until ~ 1975? Went to Brazil then?

Robert

(Wheel&Tire shop right down the street here can do anything you want to an old set of rims...

$$$...

These would be for the Hemi Blues.

Joel, I just bought these brand new from Summit about a year ago. 15 x 4 1/2 with the correct direct bolt pattern. The center caps are definitely not the same at the originals so I changed them out with some nice originals. I have heard that the spokes may be “flatter” on the new Cragars but I cannot verify that.

After taking these photos, I see that I need to take a few minutes and clean the car... It is getting dirty. I have been driving it a lot!

Stan

Too hard to get the chrome down in the seam is the issue. Likely cheaper to buy new ones as chrome plating prices are steep.

If it was done originally, why can't it be done again?
I have a set of the 15x4-1/2 that wanted to have done also, just haven't got around to checking. Then get a set of 8 or10" reversed to widen to 14" for the back, nostalgic look.
The powder coating red or gold is an idea though. Black car.

You just cut the center from the outer casing.

Then re chrome both

And last weld them back together. There are steel inserts in the aluminum center that you weld to. This is a common deal.

You can't imagine what they would charge you.

If you decide to go new, I believe that Cragar offers their rims in drilled now so that you don't have to go to Uni-Lug. I have never had any problems with Uni-Lug rims. I just don't like the way they look and they are a much bigger pain to install.

Check on plating prices first but do it setting down. I got an estimate of $175 for a 64 callout hood ornament. It was in decent shape and didn't need any filling. A friend in Michigan had the five letters (D-O-D-G-E) done for his Charger restoration. He paid $100 each.

My Dad bought a set of brand new Cragars for his car a few years ago. Inside of a year they started rusting and this was on a garage kept fair weather driver. Car maybe saw 1,000 miles that year. I don't know if their QC has gotten any better since then.

Here's a pretty lengthy thread on the subject: https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/2362655/1.html

Here's a pic of the Cragar center/rim weld. As stated, simply cut the weld and separate the pieces for plating.

The old centers are also steel. I had old cragers and the whole wheel was rusted and peeling. If you buy new ones. They will also be rusted soon
Iv had ralley wheels powder coated. And the problem is. It's hard the get the seam where hoop and center meet not clump up. And when in the oven it will pop. In order to re chrome. The old has to be removed. Lots of money. And few years will look same if not worse then the wheel you have now
....ya couldn't give me a set of "chrome" wheels

I love Cragar wheels. Yes, they rust if you sneeze near them. I have had mine which I bought used at a flea market in the 80's still look good enough for a driver today. I usually rub wax all over them & let the wax sit on them all winter long & then wipe off in the spring but just realized I did not do that this winter, ooops.

Cragars where THE wheel back in the day. First thing after buying the car was installing Cragars. Not necessarily in this order but English Leather, Right Guard and Cragars where it.

I had my spyder rim centers cut from the outer casing for $20/rim. Then I can detail the centers myslef and have them put new chrome outers on at my preferred backspacing.

It's about $85-100 total with new chrome off the shelf production outers per rim. If I had the centers chrome, that would be a separate extra cost that I would have to handle myself.

They still are to a lot of us dinosaurs.

Love the Cragars. I have them on my Cuda today partly because I couldn't afford them in the '70s. But the quality SUX. Then and now.

Did I mention that the quality SUX?

Been thinking of improving the chrome on my Cragers. They were welded up in 1971 to make a stock type rim into a just bigger than 15X12 inch wide rim around 9 1/2 inch inside off set with a stock rear end width. Might look into the power coating way because, Chroming is very expensive were I live because of so many Government Regulations that have come into effect over the years.

I still have a set of 14" Cragers that I received as a graduation present in 1970. They have some rust after sitting in my garage for 27 years. I hate to send them to the scrapper.
I restored the 1974 Challenger that were on, last year. When it came time to get new tires, I couldn't find hardly any 14" tires, so I bought a new set of 15" Cragers.

I'm krusty, Old & Cheap,
My van is Krusty Old & Cheap.
The Key Stone wheels are krusty Old & Cheap.

I just keep things cleaned up and enjoy the ride.
Still get plenty of thumbs up.

That's my story & I'm sticking to it.

Tried to get an old set of Cragars rechromed last year. My local guy said he'd do anything but wheels. Said they are too much of a liability and wouldn't subject his guys to that. Still not sure exactly what he meant by that.

I'll powder coat mine then, anybody have some crusty 15" centers? I looked and I have some old 15x13" steel wheels.

I see people say this all the time, but I have a set that are 5ish years old now and they look brand new still. My garage has a gravel floor where the car sits.

I searched for couple of years somebody locally who wants to make that and nobody wanted... The ones I had were also 6" and wanted to go 7" so just changing the outer ring from any stock steel donor. They were Keystones.

Need to note, that could have being cheaper than buy and ship overseas, that's the reason to find soomebody locally to modify the ones I found used down here. I finally gave up.

This guy is local to me.

Everything is sprayed with a gun. The end product is amazing!

https://g.co/kgs/YhRL6w