I'm looking for rims that have a good balance between performance and looks and was hoping you guys had some recommendations of awesome wheels between $250-450 each.

I'm set on 18-19" for height, chrome or nice metallic finish, 20-30lbs.

I've been looking at mostly fanblade and 5-point star designs, but might want to do something different yet not ridiculous. I'm basically looking for the wheels that I will say "Man I wish I got those instead." about.

My adventure last night that led to me needing new wheels:
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After having super burritos and a pitcher of margarita at Taco Cabana, my cousin and I decided to pick up an extra car from my brothers house (so he wouldn't have to drive my Maxima).

I was on the feeder road next to the freeway taking a left turn under the overpass. I was going about 25mph when I started feeling a hydroplaning effect, next thing I know i'm about 9 ft into some dirt and concrete chunks and over the curb. The airbag pops a second later. White dust everywhere. Me and my cousin jump out. Some caucasian dude looks at us from his early 90's Ford Explorer then drives off (we're dark-skinned, I understand). I call the cops to get a police report.

A hispanic and black dude in a honda civic with a lawnmower for an engine roll up and eye us, then ask for directions to Houston (remember it's 1:30AM). I pop my trunk and they leave.

The cause of the hydroplaning effect? Sand. Sand from construction on the overpass. I told the cops the sand was too far out into the road. They agreed but then said "Ain't **** cha could do about it." They then offer to write me a ticket for damaging city property. I tell them no thanks and they bounce. Luckily I have full coverage and a tow truck comes and scoops up the car, later today i'll have a rental.

On the way to pick up the extra car, we hear about the Taco Cabana we were at earlier being robbed by two armed individuals.

The damage was basically front passenger quarter side panel and bumper. The CV joint / shock is probably blown as the wheel is pushed up and back into the wheelwell. Chrome wheel is cracked.

Next time it's pull e-brake, swerve, accellerate and release.

Then again, I could always ask for the cash value from the insurance and do 2k worth of mods...

Has anyone else experienced the airbags releasing without fuel injection shutoff? I thought it was supposed to but maybe misinformed.

Lessons learned:

A.) Take into account construction before taking aggressive turns.
B.) Don't go to Taco Cabana at night, you might get shot (someone was killed at that same drive-thru a few months ago).
C.) Keep heat in case shady folk ask you for directions.
D.) Keep your pimphand strong and don't let them laws give you any back (they didn't even ask me for my license, or if I had been drinking).

-KIK

 

Is this thread serious? Sounds pretty funny. I'de just get the car fixed and save the extra money if the town is like that.

 

I'm serious. The town is Conroe, and it's about 40 miles north of Houston. It's pretty chill where I live on the northside; this happened on the southside. I also park the car in a garage. During the daytime there's nowhere in the town I don't feel relatively safe, night is a different story; I need nina. -KIK

 

That is a horrible story.

Quit drinking & driving, get your car fixed, and then, maybe think about modding your car.

 

Come on now The pitchers are mini pitchers, we had 2 12oz cups each, the machines mix them at 20% alch by vol and i'm well over 200lbs. I'm serious about that sand. The guy driving the wrecker said he had hit that same curb before. The city should have had a streetsweeper clean that up (but I did take it a little too fast). -KIK

 

So, because the bags deployed, the repair bill went thru the roof. The car was valued at about $8k, I have an option to buy the car back for $1.2k.

The entire right front suspension is shot, both airbags are out. Should I buy it back to part it out? I also have a potential buyer, a friend of mine who owns a shop, he probably wouldn't pay much more than the $1.2k I would buy it back for though (i'd remove all my stereo eq + rims if I sold it).

 

Let it go bro,

Time to cut your losses.. Its not worth the investment to get it back. You could prolly get airbags for roughly around 800 a piece 1500 local.

Good luck

 

or no airbags....

 

ya know what I'm sayin.. That is one crazy story though and because its told in such detial I do believe you 97%. But margaritas and maximas may sound nice when said together but nah. That sand btw is a bunch of crap but if you think thats bad come and witness construction in FL.

 

Yea - I was looking into that. Pretty heavy liability if someones in the car and a major accident occurs, and the insurance finds out you have no airbags.

I was thinking about finding that 5-speed Maxima that I always wanted, and swapping a few of the parts. Just got illumina/progress for suspension, fsb, rsb, anti-sway bar, helios HID's, dash-kit, front seats re-done in green suede/ beige napa (done myself, was going to do the back, and headliner), was about to order a y-pipe + catback, but...

Honestly I was kinda offended at an earlier post telling me to "maybe get some mods". I've been around, I just don't post much. The signifigance of the damage that occured to the car was due to the fact that it was lowered and had low profile tires.


Looking like it's best to ... *sniff* ... let it go.

Anyways, you guys take it easy. This is one of the most awesome car boards I know of. Mostly it's due to the small-size (relative) and eager helpfulness of the members.

Take care dudes,

-KIK (ex-maxima owner)