Here's what we started with. Not much to look at, are they? These were on Project Road Kill, but anyone who's ever spent time walking through a junkyard knows these wheels can be found for next to nothing on the tire pile. If you obtain a set at a swap meet, ensure that the rims aren't bashed, and try to get a set of trim rings and centers to refurbish.
There are a lot of great things about the Chrysler Rallye wheel, but if we had to narrow it down to one thing we like about them, it would be this: we have a set. Why are we so proud of having a lowly set of 14-inch Rallye wheels? That’s simple—they just look good to us, and they look “right” on just about any Mopar. Also, if we have them, we have some options. For starters, we don’t have to buy wheels for the next vehicle we drag home. That’s a big bonus. Also, if we decide we don’t need them in the future, we can barter with someone who does for something more useful to us.
These particular wheels were on the Project Road Kill we hauled home a couple of months ago. Other than being straight, there’s not much else you could say about them. The trim rings were long gone, two center caps were missing, and the other two were wasted. The wheels were rusty, and someone decided that two of them would look great painted Rattle Can Black. But with some industrial cleanup and paint, trim rings from The Paddock, and new centers from Specialty Wheels, we got the wheels to look perfect again.
These are the '72-'74 wheel centers that came on two of our wheels. One has a chunk missing from it, and the other is pitted. Once the metal starts to pit, you ought to chuck the piece.
Mopar Rallye wheels are about as rare as the flu. Everybody has a set in their garage (or “out back”) that just take up space. What makes Rallye wheels such a great thing for the do-it-yourselfer is that not only do they look good on your car, but the wheels can be made to look great in your driveway for a modest outlay of green. If you don’t have any, and want a set, swap meets are a great place to start.
Restoration usually involves elbow grease, paint, and new trim rings and center caps, instead of expensive rechroming (at which point you’re better off buying reproduction wheels). If you’re lucky, you already have a set of usable centers and/or trim rings. We had neither, which raises the cost of this little endeavor, by going with strictly brand-new pieces. As with other projects, the more you start with, the less the finished product will cost you. If you have a set of good—but worn—trim rings or centers, some time on the buffing wheel and the appropriate paint will reduce your price considerably.
