Rims or hubcaps for 88 buick electra

What will look good on my wagon? What was OEM back in the day? I was reading a post by Erik boat tail and it seemed the estate wagon came with a couple of options for rims.

What size am I looking for? If I am going to look on kijiji or CL what am I looking for?

Like I said, I will have lots of questions......

 

Wheels weather caps or mags are a personal choice, if you want after market go to a shop that specializes with them and you will have a zillion to look at. If you decide aftermarket your width your width and mainly back spacing is very important, you don't want wheel rub etc. Your stock rims that you have now will let a shop know about the correct back spacing but I'm not sure how wide you can get away with..

Old pic, I took this the day after the Buick was given to us, the wheels are stock and the caps also but there were 2 choices, the full dog dish cap and the mag like center cap as on the rear. I only have three of the dog dish and 2 mag caps, both are very hard to come by now. I lucked out and found 4 Oldsmobile caps witch I run now.




This is what the wheel itself would look like, and with the "I can't find 2 more caps"



They are 15" x 7" wheel

I'm guessing your tires are still in the P225/15" range as that's what came factory. I changed to P235's, I noticed a much smoother ride with the bigger tire also. But again have clearance ishues checked first. My wagon has a higher front end stance than others I've seen, not sure if my wagon could take the bigger tire even if I was 1'' lower in the front.



Our Buicks even look better IMO with the older steel wheel, but again they are getting harder to find used.

 

If you haven't thought of it yet, grab a copy of the 1988 Buick brochure off ebay. It'll have pics of the available stock wheel treatments. And interesting sales info on your car of course. My brochure just has one exterior shot of my car, and no technical information. There are several on ebay and prices vary. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1988-Buick-...anuals_Literature&hash=item335e99cbc7&vxp=mtr

 

I posted a CL ad a few days ago with some Buick wheels for sale off a parted out wagon. I'm posting this on my phone, so I can't put a link on here, but I will bump that thread.

David

 

You will also want to know your bolt pattern, which is 5x5", which means 5 studs, with a diameter of 5". Note that wheels off of a sedan version of your Buick will not fit, as the bolt pattern on other body styles is different.

I am in the same situation as you, also looking for wheel options for my Pontiac - same bolt pattern. I hate the wire wheel covers.

 

Well, I would like to keep the wheels as original as possible but I am open to anything pretty much,as my wheels have the centre part missing on a couple of the wheels,and it just looks like a big circle of rust.

I will have to look closely again,but I think I am missing two of them.

Hey, I did a CL search and didn't see anything, maybe I typed it in wrong? What would be the correct search? I did...buick electra estate, buick electra wheels....BE rims.....a few different combos to see what came up.

Am I missing something completely obvious?

 

Well, for one, you are apparently missing my completely obvious posts above that have exactly the correct wheels for the same year and make of wagon as yours! I guess I am the one missing something, but it has to do with a horse and water.

David. !?!

 

Here you are wixom61 and theschnizzle, link to '88 Buick wheels in New Jersey. http://cnj.craigslist.org/pts/3760196977.html

 

Thanks, CC90! I just bumped that thread again.

David

 

You're welcome David, and I wish the ones on my car were still on it! They got lost somewhere along the line, either in Cincinnati or down here.

 

As mentioned there were a variety of wheel choices, one I actually prefer on
these cars that I think give them a more luxury look that I didn't see mentioned
(unless I missed it) were the "spoked" (wire spoked) hubcaps pictured on an
'89 Electra Estate Wagon below.
Below that are some other wheel choices on the older Estate Wagons.




I have no clue what is going on with the tire/wheel in the pic below... LOL...

 

They also made a hubcap back in the late 70s that LOOKS like a Buick chrome rally wheel. I don't know where a full set of four is, but here is what they look like:

http://search.ebay.com/150989641405



You would find these most often on I believe 77-78 Rivieras, LeSabres, Electras, maybe some 79 models, maybe some earlier models.

 

Cool, I didn't know those were made in hubcap form. That wagon on the bottom that I posted looks the same style.

 

I love love love the brochures. I was excited to read something in them though. My car has the vinyl appliqué on the doors,up by the windows between the armrest and window.

Mine is somewhat worn, where can I get some more of that appliqué? Or what are my options? I guess mine must be the limited.....

 

" we politely, but firmly draw your attention to......".... Love it.......