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I have had several rims develop the hairline
cracks Tony speaks of. I live in Washington, and tried to have someone
weld the seam as the rim itself was fine, but I was repeatedly told that this
was illegal in WA state. Illegal in most states, except, oddly enough,
California. I have since bought extra rims for the future, and learned
long ago not to throw out the leaking rim. I do know an older gentleman
who re-did my rear springs, and I mentioned it to him. He told me about
the law, and then said to drop the rim off, and he would see what he could
do. I plan on buying the Chrysler Wire rim knockoffs from Coker in the
future for my Crown Convertible, but for now get another rim. One problem
with used rims is that most have a good amount of surface rust on them by
this time, and unless you have another car to drive, which I don't, you don't
have the luxury to take the car to a wheel place like Foster's here in Seattle
to have them redone, and made to look like new. Also, if you have a good
rim, and you have it blasted to get rid of the rust, you run the risk of
creating a crack in the seam. I still plan on having my rims redone at
Foster's, but would be without the car for a week, and Foster's said I would
have to drop the rims off, they can't keep the car, which creates another
problem.
The joys of owning an old car, and a rare
car too, such as Imperial is much like coming from a dysfunctional home, you
learn how to live your life crisis to crisis, always on the edge, never knowing
what to expect next, or when. Owning a relatively new car with few
problems, and ample parts, and resources takes that edge away, and can seem
boring in comparison. This is assuming you drive your Imperial daily, and
don't have a trailer queen condition car. Ok, so maybe I should not write
analogies for a living!
When the trials & tribulations of upkeep on your classic outweigh the
pleasure of even driving your Imperial to the store, maybe it is time to get a
Minivan. So far, that has not been the case with my '66.
Bill
Tony wrote:
There is no need to replace the wheel unless it is bent. A
good welder can weld the joints where they leak for a few
dollars.
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