Table of contents
Introduction
For the last five months, the Chevelle had been down at Top Shop Auto getting worked on. One of the necessary fixes were the wheels and tires. Riding on ten year old tires was not my preferred choice. Also, I absolutely needed new wheels to go with the tires. Choosing the right set of wheels is a heavy commitment. The wheels you put on a car can make or break the aesthetic. As we have talked about before on Powershift Auto, you need to know if the fitment will work for your specific car. This is a very difficult task with a classic car where no similar car is the same. Fortunately, I was lead in the right direction by Top Shop Auto and narrowed down on my choice. Stick with us as I dive into which set of Weld Wheels I purchased and what I think of them.
DISCLAIMER: This is my absolute honest opinion and is not a sponsored post by Weld or any other company.
What Are Weld Wheels?
Back in 1967, Greg Weld discovered he could not find the right wheels for his car. Combining durability without compromising performance is a tough feat. Greg Weld took it upon themself to craft the perfect wheel. Fortunately, this was timed perfectly with the horsepower wars of the 60s. Weld wheels are well known in the automotive racing world, specifically in drag racing. Whether it be their beadlock sets or their Street performance line, Welds are used in both American muscle cars and import drag racers.
What Weld Wheels Did I Buy?
Picking the right wheels is one of the most difficult decisions for me. I reviewed countless forums, photos, and magazines until I finally locked in my decision. The Weld Racing Ventura Wheels and their iconic five-spoke design spoke to me. The Weld Ventura wheels are part of their street performance line of wheels. Sticking to their roots, the Ventura embodies the combination of speed, durability, and safety. While I could not find a 1966 Chevelle with Weld Venturas, I decided to “send it” and get them. When they arrived at my doorstep, I knew I made the right decision going with Weld Wheels.
Construction
The Weld Ventura S104 wheels are 1-piece flowform aluminum crafted wheels. Flow Forming involves applying pressure to the inner barrel of the wheel while it spins. The flow form process stretches and compresses the aluminum to bolster its strength.
Weld crafted the Ventura S104 to enable better brake clearance since many modified cars are sporting massive brake rotors and calipers. One of my favorite features is the lack of imperfections from the polished lip and inner spokes. Weld wheels have a reputation for quality and back it with a long history of good customer service.
Weld Wheel Sizing Options
The Ventura S104 is available in 15 inch to 22 inch sizes. Width-wise, the Ventura S104 can be as wide as 12 inches with a 22 inch wheel. Lastly, the bolt patterns available on their website include 5×108, 5×114.3, 5×120, and more. With these available specs, the Ventura S104s can fit on a wide variety of cars.
Personally, I went for a staggered wheel setup. The front wheels are 18×8 +0mm and the rears are 18×9.5 +0mm in a 5×4.75 bolt pattern. The wheels are wrapped in Nitto NT05 tires. For the exact setup, the tires are 245/40 and 275/40 in the rear. If you need help choosing the right tire, visit our tire buying guide!
Overall, Weld provides an excellent range of sizing options for just about any car. The best part is if you can’t find the right size, you can contact them and have a set built to your required specs.
Weight
The Ventura S104s are not a featherweight wheel, but they aren’t heavy either. The 18 inch Venturas are around 25 pounds per wheel, which is great considering the durability. While having a sub 20 pound wheel is nice, knowing the durability is there to handle potholes and abuse is great.
Customer Service
Weld wheels has a super easy website to navigate. When deciding on wheel specs and sizing, looking at photos won’t always get you your answer. I contacted Weld Wheels to get guidance on the right size wheels for my Chevelle. A quick phone call led me in the right direction and it was clear the employee knew what they were talking about. If you don’t want to make a phone call, Weld has a live chat feature directly on their website. Regardless, Weld displays fast customer service throughout a purchase process.
If you are curious about the warranty provided by Weld, visit their website here!
What Do I Rank Weld Wheels?
From start to finish, buying Weld wheels was an absolute pleasure. The top-of-the-line customer service, easy to use website, and the actual product is outstanding. When I receive my wheels, I immediately noticed the level of care Weld puts into their product. I felt like I could take on the world in the 1320 with these wheels.
Finally, when the wheels were mounted on the car, I knew I made the right decision. Not only does it fit my car perfectly, but they get tons of compliments when driving around. I am absolutely ecstatic about these wheels and cannot wait to show them off at the next car show.
If you are looking into weld wheels, absolutely consider pulling the trigger on a set. You will be happy with your decision and can rest easy knowing Weld will help you out.