A friend of mine is after me to buy a new car** and she found the
Buick Cascada. I've wanted a Buick for a long time, because I like GM
cars, but the Chevy I-forget-the-model-name was so cheap. Bucket
seats but not even a center console. And I've avoided Ford and
rice-burners. And the Cadillac seemed showy, so that left a
Buick. And the Skylark was beautful (And my Buick was okay too. I
forget its model name. Centurion?)

But the Cascada comes standard with 20" wheels, and they say that like
it's a good thing. Well if you're in the Gran Prix races, I'm sure
it's a good thing, but I like a comfortable ride. They don't even
mention smaller optional wheels (although I'm sure I could get them if
I pay someone to go to the Chevy dealer and get them there.

(It also has "sport-tuned suspension" I don't want that either, but I
suspect it's not like a violin that you can retune to something else.

It also comes with a black top, no other choice given. Don't these
designers ever drive the cars they design? It's like the charge-card
email notifications all over again. (I had two convertibles with
black tops. When the second one needed a new top, I changed to green,
to match the turquoise car, which was imo primarily green, and it was
much better. Since then I've had tan, a rather light version of tan.)

I suppose if I order the card before it's built, I can get a tan top,
and they probably "won't charge me much extra", but any negotiation on
the price will be over.

I've never bought a new car, but the idea was to get what I wanted,
not what I don't want. For $35,000 dollars, which I gather is not
much these days, but they don't offer to let me spend more and get
what I want.

**and indeed it will be possible to get a 7-year old car like I like,
but v. hard I think to get a 3, 4, or 5 year old car, because they
stopped making Sebrings, Solara convertibles, and maybe only Mustangs
are left.

Any other new or late model American convertibles bigger than a Miata
for sale these days?? At least as big as a mustang.

On 05/08/2017 04:31 AM, Micky wrote:
A friend of mine is after me to buy a new car** and she found the
Buick Cascada.


Ever notice women love to spend money? What's next? A new kitchen?

On 5/8/17 3:31 AM, Micky wrote:
A friend of mine is after me to buy a new car** and she found the
Buick Cascada. I've wanted a Buick for a long time, because I like GM
cars, but the Chevy I-forget-the-model-name was so cheap. Bucket
seats but not even a center console. And I've avoided Ford and
rice-burners. And the Cadillac seemed showy, so that left a
Buick. And the Skylark was beautful (And my Buick was okay too. I
forget its model name. Centurion?)

Cut a bunch.
Consumer Reports has an auto issue. Look through the magazine racks
of your grocery store, Walmart, etc. Some of the car magazine
publishers had
an issue showing all of the model year's new buggies.
A number of the "foreign" models are built in the U.S.A. if that's
an issue.

On 05/08/2017 3:31 AM, Micky wrote:
....

Any other new or late model American convertibles bigger than a Miata
for sale these days?? At least as big as a mustang.

Camaro

And on the subject topic, the 20" rims will make for a better ride than
the smaller. The only one I would strongly recommend to avoid is the
19" and only because they're so much less common that tires are in
ordinately expensive. I didn't think about it when bought the Enclave
some years ago is how happen to now know...

--

On 5/8/2017 4:31 AM, Micky wrote:
A friend of mine is after me to buy a new car** and she found the
Buick Cascada. I've wanted a Buick for a long time, because I like GM
cars, but the Chevy I-forget-the-model-name was so cheap. Bucket
seats but not even a center console. And I've avoided Ford and
rice-burners. And the Cadillac seemed showy, so that left a
Buick. And the Skylark was beautful (And my Buick was okay too. I
forget its model name. Centurion?)

But the Cascada comes standard with 20" wheels, and they say that like
it's a good thing. Well if you're in the Gran Prix races, I'm sure
it's a good thing, but I like a comfortable ride. They don't even
mention smaller optional wheels (although I'm sure I could get them if
I pay someone to go to the Chevy dealer and get them there.

(It also has "sport-tuned suspension" I don't want that either, but I
suspect it's not like a violin that you can retune to something else.

It also comes with a black top, no other choice given. Don't these
designers ever drive the cars they design? It's like the charge-card
email notifications all over again. (I had two convertibles with
black tops. When the second one needed a new top, I changed to green,
to match the turquoise car, which was imo primarily green, and it was
much better. Since then I've had tan, a rather light version of tan.)

I suppose if I order the card before it's built, I can get a tan top,
and they probably "won't charge me much extra", but any negotiation on
the price will be over.

I've never bought a new car, but the idea was to get what I wanted,
not what I don't want. For $35,000 dollars, which I gather is not
much these days, but they don't offer to let me spend more and get
what I want.



Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.

As for ride, most tires today have low aspect ratio. Good for cornering,
not so much for soft ride.

Not many convertibles to choose from thee days. Maybe they got better,
but I no longer drive Buicks after the last one fell apart. It was a
2001 LeSabre Limited loaded with espensive problems, as all my GM cars
had. I buy quality cars by Hyundia now including a Korea made Genesis.
Love driving it.

On Mon, 08 May 2017 11:31:03 +0300
Micky wrote:

A friend of mine is after me to buy a new car** and she found the
Buick Cascada.


What a ****ing joke.

Improvements in suspension design
have allowed for lower profile tires with
larger diameter rims - up to a point. As
Pawlowski stated, those 20+" WAGON
WHEELS are cosmetic, nothing more
than libido boosters or for cruising the
beach parking lot on a Friday evening.

On Mon, 8 May 2017 08:12:47 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.

As for ride, most tires today have low aspect ratio. Good for cornering,
not so much for soft ride.

Not many convertibles to choose from thee days. Maybe they got better,
but I no longer drive Buicks after the last one fell apart. It was a
2001 LeSabre Limited loaded with espensive problems, as all my GM cars
had. I buy quality cars by Hyundia now including a Korea made Genesis.
Love driving it.

There are several reasons for larger diameter wheels, none of which is styling.

1. Larger diameter wheels allow larger diameter brake rotors that will result in a greater mechanical
advantage. This results in increased stopping power.

2. Larger diameter wheels, for a given rolling radius, reduces the vehicle's un-sprung weight which will
allow the tire to remain on the road, where it's suppose to be, improving safety and handling.

3. Larger diameter wheels in conjunction with lower profile tires will improve handling as well.

Styling is nothing more than an offshoot of the above.

On 05/08/2017 7:12 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
....

Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.
....

The reversion to larger diameter wheels most recently is primarily owing
to the EPA-mandated fleet mileage rules--lower rpm.

Early vintage autos followed the precedent of the carriage at the
time--wheels were big on them so the trend followed albeit 23-26" or so
was probably about the middle range. The 30" Model-T clincher tires
were on 23" rims; the dimensions were the tire OD, not the rim. Roughly
mid-20s was the advent of pneumatic tire similar to what we now know;
rims went to 20-21" with wide profile and they could be run at 35 psi or
so whereas the clincher tire needed about 65 psi to keep it mounted.
Needless to say that didn't lead to a cushiony ride.

In 30s, 'til after WWII pretty similar range altho 19-20 probably about
most common. By 1950, 15" was pretty-much de facto standard, the 14" on
some the lighter/smaller (for what was "small" back then, anywya )
was prevalent by mid-50s; the '55 Ford had in HS was 14", the folks'
Chrysler New Yorker was 15. That pretty-much remained the way it was
until the tiny car phase hit and there were things running around with
as small as 12 and 13"...

Then the mileage standards hit and the trend has been reverse direction
since...

--

On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 12:05:35 PM UTC-4, Gordon Shumway wrote:
On Mon, 8 May 2017 08:12:47 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.

As for ride, most tires today have low aspect ratio. Good for cornering,
not so much for soft ride.

Not many convertibles to choose from thee days. Maybe they got better,
but I no longer drive Buicks after the last one fell apart. It was a
2001 LeSabre Limited loaded with espensive problems, as all my GM cars
had. I buy quality cars by Hyundia now including a Korea made Genesis.
Love driving it.

There are several reasons for larger diameter wheels, none of which is styling.

1. Larger diameter wheels allow larger diameter brake rotors that will result in a greater mechanical
advantage. This results in increased stopping power.

Agree


2. Larger diameter wheels, for a given rolling radius, reduces the vehicle's un-sprung weight which will
allow the tire to remain on the road, where it's suppose to be, improving safety and handling.


I don't see why it would necessarily have to be true that for a given
rolling radius, larger diameter wheels reduce the un-sprung weight.
For starters, there are all kinds of wheel styles and I would think
the weight will vary among them. Plus, I don't think Micky is talking
about a "given rolling radius", sounds like he just wants smaller wheels.



3. Larger diameter wheels in conjunction with lower profile tires will improve handling as well.

Styling is nothing more than an offshoot of the above.

I'd say for many cars, probably most, styling, having the wheels look
cool, is more important to the customer than all the above. They
paint brake calipers for example, I don't suppose that has anything
to do with performance either.

On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 12:15:52 PM UTC-4, dpb wrote:
On 05/08/2017 7:12 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
...

Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.
...

The reversion to larger diameter wheels most recently is primarily owing
to the EPA-mandated fleet mileage rules--lower rpm.

Seems to me the choice of gear ratio in the tranny would give you whatever
final ratio you want with any size wheel.

On Mon, 8 May 2017 09:19:30 -0700 (PDT), trader_4 wrote:

On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 12:05:35 PM UTC-4, Gordon Shumway wrote:
On Mon, 8 May 2017 08:12:47 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.

As for ride, most tires today have low aspect ratio. Good for cornering,
not so much for soft ride.

Not many convertibles to choose from thee days. Maybe they got better,
but I no longer drive Buicks after the last one fell apart. It was a
2001 LeSabre Limited loaded with espensive problems, as all my GM cars
had. I buy quality cars by Hyundia now including a Korea made Genesis.
Love driving it.

There are several reasons for larger diameter wheels, none of which is styling.

1. Larger diameter wheels allow larger diameter brake rotors that will result in a greater mechanical
advantage. This results in increased stopping power.

Agree


2. Larger diameter wheels, for a given rolling radius, reduces the vehicle's un-sprung weight which will
allow the tire to remain on the road, where it's suppose to be, improving safety and handling.


I don't see why it would necessarily have to be true that for a given
rolling radius, larger diameter wheels reduce the un-sprung weight.

The larger diameter wheel will have a considerably greater area of space between its' spokes than a smaller
diameter wheel. Therefore, as we all know, air weighs less than an equal volume of wheel or tire.

For starters, there are all kinds of wheel styles and I would think
the weight will vary among them. Plus, I don't think Micky is talking
about a "given rolling radius", sounds like he just wants smaller wheels.

We're never sure what Mickey is talking about.

3. Larger diameter wheels in conjunction with lower profile tires will improve handling as well.

Styling is nothing more than an offshoot of the above.

I'd say for many cars, probably most, styling, having the wheels look
cool, is more important to the customer than all the above. They
paint brake calipers for example, I don't suppose that has anything
to do with performance either.

Whatever.

On Mon, 8 May 2017 09:38:50 -0700 (PDT), trader_4 wrote:

On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 12:15:52 PM UTC-4, dpb wrote:
On 05/08/2017 7:12 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
...

Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.
...

The reversion to larger diameter wheels most recently is primarily owing
to the EPA-mandated fleet mileage rules--lower rpm.

Seems to me the choice of gear ratio in the tranny would give you whatever
final ratio you want with any size wheel.

Agreed. Wheel diameter had nothing to do with the tree-hugger CAFE requirements.

In article ,
says...


3. Larger diameter wheels in conjunction with lower profile tires will improve handling as well.

Styling is nothing more than an offshoot of the above.

I'd say for many cars, probably most, styling, having the wheels look
cool, is more important to the customer than all the above. They
paint brake calipers for example, I don't suppose that has anything
to do with performance either.

Unless on some high performance car (and even then it is doubtful) just
about everything on a car is made for looks. The average car buyer does
not have any idea about the handling or other advantages of the tire
size.

On Mon, 08 May 2017 09:02:18 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
wrote:

On Mon 08 May 2017 01:31:03a, Micky told us...

A friend of mine is after me to buy a new car** and she found the
Buick Cascada. I've wanted a Buick for a long time, because I
like GM cars, but the Chevy I-forget-the-model-name was so cheap.
Bucket seats but not even a center console. And I've avoided Ford
and rice-burners. And the Cadillac seemed showy, so that left
a Buick. And the Skylark was beautful (And my Buick was okay
too. I forget its model name. Centurion?)

But the Cascada comes standard with 20" wheels, and they say that
like it's a good thing. Well if you're in the Gran Prix races,
I'm sure it's a good thing, but I like a comfortable ride. They
don't even mention smaller optional wheels (although I'm sure I
could get them if I pay someone to go to the Chevy dealer and get
them there.

(It also has "sport-tuned suspension" I don't want that either,
but I suspect it's not like a violin that you can retune to
something else.

It also comes with a black top, no other choice given. Don't
these
designers ever drive the cars they design? It's like the
charge-card email notifications all over again. (I had two
convertibles with black tops. When the second one needed a new
top, I changed to green, to match the turquoise car, which was imo
primarily green, and it was much better. Since then I've had tan,
a rather light version of tan.)

I suppose if I order the card before it's built, I can get a tan
top,
and they probably "won't charge me much extra", but any
negotiation on the price will be over.

I've never bought a new car, but the idea was to get what I
wanted, not what I don't want. For $35,000 dollars, which I
gather is not much these days, but they don't offer to let me
spend more and get what I want.

**and indeed it will be possible to get a 7-year old car like I
like, but v. hard I think to get a 3, 4, or 5 year old car,
because they stopped making Sebrings, Solara convertibles, and
maybe only Mustangs are left.

Any other new or late model American convertibles bigger than a
Miata for sale these days?? At least as big as a mustang.




So far you haven't really asked a atruly relevnant question. You
should probably research various dealers yourself. It just might
provide more insight. Or, if you're really serious aboaut buying a
car, you could always consult a broker. They are generally impartial
and have a wealth of inforomation.
Buying a Cascada in North America you are buying an orphan - parts
will be special order only in most cases, and virtually unavailable on
the used market. In Europe the Astra J is a common car - as a Ope; or
Vauxhall - and down under as a Holden. In North America it is a
rarity.

If you want a GM convertible, SERIOUSLY look at the Camaro. However, I
would buy a Mustang over a Camaro in a heartbeat. The 'stang with a V6
would make a decent car, not expensive to maintain, not expensive to
insure, or to feed. It also maintains it's value.

On Mon, 8 May 2017 08:12:47 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 5/8/2017 4:31 AM, Micky wrote:
A friend of mine is after me to buy a new car** and she found the
Buick Cascada. I've wanted a Buick for a long time, because I like GM
cars, but the Chevy I-forget-the-model-name was so cheap. Bucket
seats but not even a center console. And I've avoided Ford and
rice-burners. And the Cadillac seemed showy, so that left a
Buick. And the Skylark was beautful (And my Buick was okay too. I
forget its model name. Centurion?)

But the Cascada comes standard with 20" wheels, and they say that like
it's a good thing. Well if you're in the Gran Prix races, I'm sure
it's a good thing, but I like a comfortable ride. They don't even
mention smaller optional wheels (although I'm sure I could get them if
I pay someone to go to the Chevy dealer and get them there.

(It also has "sport-tuned suspension" I don't want that either, but I
suspect it's not like a violin that you can retune to something else.

It also comes with a black top, no other choice given. Don't these
designers ever drive the cars they design? It's like the charge-card
email notifications all over again. (I had two convertibles with
black tops. When the second one needed a new top, I changed to green,
to match the turquoise car, which was imo primarily green, and it was
much better. Since then I've had tan, a rather light version of tan.)

I suppose if I order the card before it's built, I can get a tan top,
and they probably "won't charge me much extra", but any negotiation on
the price will be over.

I've never bought a new car, but the idea was to get what I wanted,
not what I don't want. For $35,000 dollars, which I gather is not
much these days, but they don't offer to let me spend more and get
what I want.



Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.

As for ride, most tires today have low aspect ratio. Good for cornering,
not so much for soft ride.

Not many convertibles to choose from thee days. Maybe they got better,
but I no longer drive Buicks after the last one fell apart. It was a
2001 LeSabre Limited loaded with espensive problems, as all my GM cars
had. I buy quality cars by Hyundia now including a Korea made Genesis.
Love driving it.
My 16 inch tires on my Pickup are bigger 'round than most 20 inch car
tires. Those low profile tires ride lake crap - and are much more
expensive - not to mention they only come in "performance" tires that
don't stand up worth crap.

On Mon, 08 May 2017 11:42:05 -0500
Gordon Shumway wrote:

Whatever.

Very clever answer...

On Mon, 08 May 2017 11:05:17 -0500, Gordon Shumway
wrote:

On Mon, 8 May 2017 08:12:47 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.

As for ride, most tires today have low aspect ratio. Good for cornering,
not so much for soft ride.

Not many convertibles to choose from thee days. Maybe they got better,
but I no longer drive Buicks after the last one fell apart. It was a
2001 LeSabre Limited loaded with espensive problems, as all my GM cars
had. I buy quality cars by Hyundia now including a Korea made Genesis.
Love driving it.

There are several reasons for larger diameter wheels, none of which is styling.

1. Larger diameter wheels allow larger diameter brake rotors that will result in a greater mechanical
advantage. This results in increased stopping power.

How much braking does the average driver require at legal road speeds?

2. Larger diameter wheels, for a given rolling radius, reduces the vehicle's un-sprung weight which will
allow the tire to remain on the road, where it's suppose to be, improving safety and handling.

That depends how heavy the rim design is. A lot of the big rim low
profile tire combinations are every bit as heavy as a lot of smaller
rim taller tire combinations for the same rolling diameter.

3. Larger diameter wheels in conjunction with lower profile tires will improve handling as well.

Styling is nothing more than an offshoot of the above.

Not in most cases. In most cases the big wheels are just more "bling"

On Mon, 08 May 2017 11:15:47 -0500, dpb wrote:

On 05/08/2017 7:12 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
...

Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.
...

The reversion to larger diameter wheels most recently is primarily owing
to the EPA-mandated fleet mileage rules--lower rpm.

Early vintage autos followed the precedent of the carriage at the
time--wheels were big on them so the trend followed albeit 23-26" or so
was probably about the middle range. The 30" Model-T clincher tires
were on 23" rims; the dimensions were the tire OD, not the rim. Roughly
mid-20s was the advent of pneumatic tire similar to what we now know;
rims went to 20-21" with wide profile and they could be run at 35 psi or
so whereas the clincher tire needed about 65 psi to keep it mounted.
Needless to say that didn't lead to a cushiony ride.

In 30s, 'til after WWII pretty similar range altho 19-20 probably about
most common. By 1950, 15" was pretty-much de facto standard, the 14" on
some the lighter/smaller (for what was "small" back then, anywya )
was prevalent by mid-50s; the '55 Ford had in HS was 14", the folks'
Chrysler New Yorker was 15. That pretty-much remained the way it was
until the tiny car phase hit and there were things running around with
as small as 12 and 13"...


Even 10 inch on the Mini - and 8 on the King Midget.
Then the mileage standards hit and the trend has been reverse direction
since...
But thatb does not explain the insanely low profile tires. 80
profile 15 inch tires can ve taller than 50 profile 20s.

On Mon, 8 May 2017 12:57:43 -0400, Ralph Mowery wrote:

In article ,
says...


3. Larger diameter wheels in conjunction with lower profile tires will improve handling as well.

Styling is nothing more than an offshoot of the above.

I'd say for many cars, probably most, styling, having the wheels look
cool, is more important to the customer than all the above. They
paint brake calipers for example, I don't suppose that has anything
to do with performance either.

Unless on some high performance car (and even then it is doubtful) just
about everything on a car is made for looks. The average car buyer does
not have any idea about the handling or other advantages of the tire
size.

Your statement may be true, but that doesn't change the fact that the trend to larger wheels and brakes was
born on the race track.

On Mon, 08 May 2017 11:31:03 +0300
Micky wrote:

From: Micky
Subject: Why 20" wheels
Date: Mon, 08 May 2017 11:31:03 +0300
Newsgroups: alt.home.repair
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.93/32.576 English (American)


If you think the Black Negroes that put 20" wheels on their cars
give a **** about performance, EPA or anything beside showmanship
you need serious help.

Same with the illegals and their low riders.

On Mon, 08 May 2017 13:17:47 -0400, wrote:

On Mon, 08 May 2017 11:05:17 -0500, Gordon Shumway
wrote:

On Mon, 8 May 2017 08:12:47 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.

As for ride, most tires today have low aspect ratio. Good for cornering,
not so much for soft ride.

Not many convertibles to choose from thee days. Maybe they got better,
but I no longer drive Buicks after the last one fell apart. It was a
2001 LeSabre Limited loaded with espensive problems, as all my GM cars
had. I buy quality cars by Hyundia now including a Korea made Genesis.
Love driving it.

There are several reasons for larger diameter wheels, none of which is styling.

1. Larger diameter wheels allow larger diameter brake rotors that will result in a greater mechanical
advantage. This results in increased stopping power.

How much braking does the average driver require at legal road speeds?

That depends. Imagine you are traveling at 60 mph and you suddenly see an obstacle 150 feet in front of you.
Your reaction time decreases that distance to 125 feet and your car takes 130 feet to stop... do you really
need greater stopping power?

2. Larger diameter wheels, for a given rolling radius, reduces the vehicle's un-sprung weight which will
allow the tire to remain on the road, where it's suppose to be, improving safety and handling.

That depends how heavy the rim design is. A lot of the big rim low
profile tire combinations are every bit as heavy as a lot of smaller
rim taller tire combinations for the same rolling diameter.

True. Styling has no weight requirements.

3. Larger diameter wheels in conjunction with lower profile tires will improve handling as well.

Styling is nothing more than an offshoot of the above.

Not in most cases. In most cases the big wheels are just more "bling"

Again, whatever.

On 5/8/2017 4:31 AM, Micky wrote:
A friend of mine is after me to buy a new car** and she found the
Buick Cascada. I've wanted a Buick for a long time, because I like GM
cars, but the Chevy I-forget-the-model-name was so cheap. Bucket
seats but not even a center console. And I've avoided Ford and
rice-burners. And the Cadillac seemed showy, so that left a
Buick. And the Skylark was beautful (And my Buick was okay too. I
forget its model name. Centurion?)

But the Cascada comes standard with 20" wheels, and they say that like
it's a good thing. Well if you're in the Gran Prix races, I'm sure
it's a good thing, but I like a comfortable ride. They don't even
mention smaller optional wheels (although I'm sure I could get them if
I pay someone to go to the Chevy dealer and get them there.

(It also has "sport-tuned suspension" I don't want that either, but I
suspect it's not like a violin that you can retune to something else.

It also comes with a black top, no other choice given. Don't these
designers ever drive the cars they design? It's like the charge-card
email notifications all over again. (I had two convertibles with
black tops. When the second one needed a new top, I changed to green,
to match the turquoise car, which was imo primarily green, and it was
much better. Since then I've had tan, a rather light version of tan.)

I suppose if I order the card before it's built, I can get a tan top,
and they probably "won't charge me much extra", but any negotiation on
the price will be over.

I've never bought a new car, but the idea was to get what I wanted,
not what I don't want. For $35,000 dollars, which I gather is not
much these days, but they don't offer to let me spend more and get
what I want.

**and indeed it will be possible to get a 7-year old car like I like,
but v. hard I think to get a 3, 4, or 5 year old car, because they
stopped making Sebrings, Solara convertibles, and maybe only Mustangs
are left.

Any other new or late model American convertibles bigger than a Miata
for sale these days?? At least as big as a mustang.


I get interested in interesting questions but don't come here to ask
without doing any homework.

Took me 10 seconds of Googling to find answer to your rambling question:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...d-tires-tested

On Mon, 08 May 2017 I wrote:

the Chevy I-forget-the-model-name was so cheap.
Bucket seats but not even a center console.

The Chevy Cavalier. So cheap looking.

On Mon, 08 May 2017 13:07:14 -0400, wrote:


Buying a Cascada in North America you are buying an orphan - parts
will be special order only in most cases, and virtually unavailable on

I didnt' know that. I'm sure she didn't either. And the webpage, to
the extent I looked at it, gave no clue.

the used market. In Europe the Astra J is a common car - as a Ope; or
Vauxhall - and down under as a Holden. In North America it is a
rarity.

If you want a GM convertible, SERIOUSLY look at the Camaro. However, I

That sounds great. I think a decade or more ago I thought they made
one, but I couldnt' find one. This time, I'll look harder.

would buy a Mustang over a Camaro in a heartbeat. The 'stang with a V6

Mustang sounds good too.

would make a decent car, not expensive to maintain, not expensive to
insure, or to feed. It also maintains it's value.

On Mon, 8 May 2017 08:12:47 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:



Not many convertibles to choose from thee days. Maybe they got better,
but I no longer drive Buicks after the last one fell apart. It was a
2001 LeSabre Limited loaded with espensive problems, as all my GM cars
had.

My second car was a '65 Pontiac Catalina convertible that I got free
from my brother when he went to Viet Nam.

It had so many things wrong with it. A vacuum hose was missing, so
one coudn't accelerate without lurching, but the places the hose
connected were not visible without climbing on the bumper.

The driver's window was almost an inch to the left of the roof.

The driver's window wobbled and when I took the door apart, I saw that
one of the channels was still straight. They hadn't tightened the
screw that bent it to match the curved window. Fixing that stopped
the wobble but didn't get rid of the gap with the roof.

No fresh air was coming from the vents at the kickpads (Some here may
not know that before AC there were big vents near one's feet.) When
I went to look into it, the cables that opened the vents were not
connected to the vent doors.

The battery was always dead. The dealer had replaced the battery, the
alternator, and the starter twice each and then said the warranty had
expired. When I got the car, I realized it needed another battery so
I took it to Sears, in Chicago. He said, Do you want our free
832-point multicheck? And I said. I really just need a battery.
And he said, "It's free", so I said Okay, and in less than 5 minutes
he found what the dealer couldn't find in 2 years. A dirty
connection of the battery cable at the starter motor solenoid.
He cleaned it and the car was fine until I forgot and left the
lights on for a couple hours. Then I had to take it apart and clean
it, but after a few times, I would just push the cable around the bolt
and that would fix it. I got so good that even in nice clothes I
could reach under the car, get the cable and twist it around the stud
and the car was fine.

And I may be missing some small things, but the last big thing was
that the steering wheel was mounted upside down. So the turn signals
were always turning off long before the car had turned the corner,
just from steering corrections.. Not only that, it was designed
upside down too. That's why the installer installed it upside down.
It was grey translucent plastic with thicker sections, for holding it,
meant to be at 2 and 10. But if was mounted with the thicker
sections at 4 and 8. No one should hold the wheel that way, but when
I turned the wheel upside down, something related to the horn circuit,
that slid along a metal ring under the steering wheel, wasn't in the
right place. I had to drill another hole through the hub of the
steeering wheel and everything was fine after that.

I said I'd never buy another car like that, but the next car was a '67
Pontiac Catalina and the first 7 digits of the serial number were the
same. But I had it for 7 years and it had nothing wrong with it. Go
figure.


I buy quality cars by Hyundia now including a Korea made Genesis.
Love driving it.

On Mon, 8 May 2017 05:40:34 -0700 (PDT), wrote:


Improvements in suspension design

If it can give an adequate ride with 20" rims, wouldn't that same
improved design give an even more comfortable ride with 15" rims?

It also has a sports-tuned suspension, which that girl who wants me to
buy a new car likes. I like a soft, comfy suspension, so my
passengers can sleep.

have allowed for lower profile tires with
larger diameter rims - up to a point. As
Pawlowski stated, those 20+" WAGON
WHEELS are cosmetic, nothing more
than libido boosters or for cruising the
beach parking lot on a Friday evening.

So what is a reasonable size wheel?

On Mon, 08 May 2017 11:05:17 -0500, Gordon Shumway
wrote:

On Mon, 8 May 2017 08:12:47 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.

As for ride, most tires today have low aspect ratio. Good for cornering,
not so much for soft ride.

Not many convertibles to choose from thee days. Maybe they got better,
but I no longer drive Buicks after the last one fell apart. It was a
2001 LeSabre Limited loaded with espensive problems, as all my GM cars
had. I buy quality cars by Hyundia now including a Korea made Genesis.
Love driving it.

There are several reasons for larger diameter wheels, none of which is styling.

1. Larger diameter wheels allow larger diameter brake rotors that will result in a greater mechanical
advantage. This results in increased stopping power.

2. Larger diameter wheels, for a given rolling radius, reduces the vehicle's un-sprung weight which will
allow the tire to remain on the road, where it's suppose to be, improving safety and handling.

I understand the first one, but why does it reduce the weight if the
wheels are bigger? Does the tire weigh more than the wheel at the 15
to 20" distance from the center?

In fact, when tires went from 14 to 15 to 16, I thought they just made
the sidewall shorter, but to get to 20, they can't take 4 more inches
off the side wall, so the whole radius must be bigger, and does't that
increase the unsprung weight?

3. Larger diameter wheels in conjunction with lower profile tires will improve handling as well.

Styling is nothing more than an offshoot of the above.

On Mon, 8 May 2017 09:19:30 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:

On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 12:05:35 PM UTC-4, Gordon Shumway wrote:
On Mon, 8 May 2017 08:12:47 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.

As for ride, most tires today have low aspect ratio. Good for cornering,
not so much for soft ride.

Not many convertibles to choose from thee days. Maybe they got better,
but I no longer drive Buicks after the last one fell apart. It was a
2001 LeSabre Limited loaded with espensive problems, as all my GM cars
had. I buy quality cars by Hyundia now including a Korea made Genesis.
Love driving it.

There are several reasons for larger diameter wheels, none of which is styling.

1. Larger diameter wheels allow larger diameter brake rotors that will result in a greater mechanical
advantage. This results in increased stopping power.

Agree


2. Larger diameter wheels, for a given rolling radius, reduces the vehicle's un-sprung weight which will
allow the tire to remain on the road, where it's suppose to be, improving safety and handling.


I don't see why it would necessarily have to be true that for a given
rolling radius, larger diameter wheels reduce the un-sprung weight.
For starters, there are all kinds of wheel styles and I would think
the weight will vary among them. Plus, I don't think Micky is talking
about a "given rolling radius", sounds like he just wants smaller wheels.

I want a comfortable ride, and don't care about impressing chicks at
the beach or maneuvering through hazards at high speeds.

I din't comment on it in my own reply, but I don't know what a "given
rolling radius" is. I know given, rolling, and radius, but put them
together and I don't know.

3. Larger diameter wheels in conjunction with lower profile tires will improve handling as well.

Styling is nothing more than an offshoot of the above.

I'd say for many cars, probably most, styling, having the wheels look
cool, is more important to the customer than all the above. They

I think so too. That and the length of the hair of the girl sitting
on the hood.

paint brake calipers for example, I don't suppose that has anything
to do with performance either.

If they paint them the right color, they stop better so they can drive
faster.

On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 12:42:39 PM UTC-4, Gordon Shumway wrote:
On Mon, 8 May 2017 09:19:30 -0700 (PDT), trader_4 wrote:

On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 12:05:35 PM UTC-4, Gordon Shumway wrote:
On Mon, 8 May 2017 08:12:47 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.

As for ride, most tires today have low aspect ratio. Good for cornering,
not so much for soft ride.

Not many convertibles to choose from thee days. Maybe they got better,
but I no longer drive Buicks after the last one fell apart. It was a
2001 LeSabre Limited loaded with espensive problems, as all my GM cars
had. I buy quality cars by Hyundia now including a Korea made Genesis.
Love driving it.

There are several reasons for larger diameter wheels, none of which is styling.

1. Larger diameter wheels allow larger diameter brake rotors that will result in a greater mechanical
advantage. This results in increased stopping power.

Agree


2. Larger diameter wheels, for a given rolling radius, reduces the vehicle's un-sprung weight which will
allow the tire to remain on the road, where it's suppose to be, improving safety and handling.


I don't see why it would necessarily have to be true that for a given
rolling radius, larger diameter wheels reduce the un-sprung weight.

The larger diameter wheel will have a considerably greater area of space between its' spokes than a smaller
diameter wheel. Therefore, as we all know, air weighs less than an equal volume of wheel or tire.


So, a 20" wheel weighs less than the same design wheel in 18"? 16"
14""? You might want to rethink that one. The larger wheel has more
metal due to the length of it's spokes and the metal around it's
circumference. We all know that more metal weighs more.

On 2017-05-08 2:57 PM, Micky wrote:
On Mon, 08 May 2017 13:07:14 -0400, wrote:


Buying a Cascada in North America you are buying an orphan - parts
will be special order only in most cases, and virtually unavailable on

I didnt' know that. I'm sure she didn't either. And the webpage, to
the extent I looked at it, gave no clue.

the used market. In Europe the Astra J is a common car - as a Ope; or
Vauxhall - and down under as a Holden. In North America it is a
rarity.

If you want a GM convertible, SERIOUSLY look at the Camaro. However, I

That sounds great. I think a decade or more ago I thought they made
one, but I couldnt' find one. This time, I'll look harder.

would buy a Mustang over a Camaro in a heartbeat. The 'stang with a V6

Mustang sounds good too.

would make a decent car, not expensive to maintain, not expensive to
insure, or to feed. It also maintains it's value.

I heard they were discontinuing the V6 Mustang, now it is the 4 or the 8
banger.

--
Froz....

On Mon, 08 May 2017 13:12:50 -0400, wrote:

On Mon, 8 May 2017 08:12:47 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 5/8/2017 4:31 AM, Micky wrote:
A friend of mine is after me to buy a new car** and she found the
Buick Cascada. I've wanted a Buick for a long time, because I like GM
cars, but the Chevy I-forget-the-model-name was so cheap. Bucket
seats but not even a center console. And I've avoided Ford and
rice-burners. And the Cadillac seemed showy, so that left a
Buick. And the Skylark was beautful (And my Buick was okay too. I
forget its model name. Centurion?)

But the Cascada comes standard with 20" wheels, and they say that like
it's a good thing. Well if you're in the Gran Prix races, I'm sure
it's a good thing, but I like a comfortable ride. They don't even
mention smaller optional wheels (although I'm sure I could get them if
I pay someone to go to the Chevy dealer and get them there.

(It also has "sport-tuned suspension" I don't want that either, but I
suspect it's not like a violin that you can retune to something else.

It also comes with a black top, no other choice given. Don't these
designers ever drive the cars they design? It's like the charge-card
email notifications all over again. (I had two convertibles with
black tops. When the second one needed a new top, I changed to green,
to match the turquoise car, which was imo primarily green, and it was
much better. Since then I've had tan, a rather light version of tan.)

I suppose if I order the card before it's built, I can get a tan top,
and they probably "won't charge me much extra", but any negotiation on
the price will be over.

Looked at Ford Mustangs since I first posted, and they too, the new
ones, only come with a black top. If I want tan, I'm sure what
they'll want to do is take it to a shop in Baltimore and have him
replace it, but I can't help thinking that the factory would have done
a better job with the original top than he's likely to do with the
replacement.

I've never bought a new car, but the idea was to get what I wanted,
not what I don't want. For $35,000 dollars, which I gather is not
much these days, but they don't offer to let me spend more and get
what I want.



Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.

As for ride, most tires today have low aspect ratio. Good for cornering,
not so much for soft ride.

Not many convertibles to choose from thee days. Maybe they got better,
but I no longer drive Buicks after the last one fell apart. It was a
2001 LeSabre Limited loaded with espensive problems, as all my GM cars
had. I buy quality cars by Hyundia now including a Korea made Genesis.
Love driving it.
My 16 inch tires on my Pickup are bigger 'round than most 20 inch car
tires. Those low profile tires ride lake crap - and are much more

By low-profile, you mean the 20 inch tires, right? I don't want to
get this wrong.

If so, that was my point, that the ride is hard. A long time ago
when most people, especially single girls,. had small cars, and I stil
had a 73 Buick Centurion, after riding with me for a while, she said,
This car is really comfortable. She meant it too, she wasn't
buttering me up or anything.

OTOH, I'm driving a tiny Kia Picanto with a 5-speed automatic** on my
vacation, and it's quiet, has lots of pickup (especially if you do the
downshifting yourself), does fine on gravel roads and climbing hills
on gravel roads, but -- I'll check again tomorrow -- it doesn't have
that comfort feeling that I like.

**Only about 20 dollars more per month than the manual, iirc. I know
it wasn't much.


expensive - not to mention they only come in "performance" tires that
don't stand up worth crap.

On Mon, 8 May 2017 15:38:52 -0400, FrozenNorth
wrote:

On 2017-05-08 2:57 PM, Micky wrote:
On Mon, 08 May 2017 13:07:14 -0400, wrote:


Buying a Cascada in North America you are buying an orphan - parts
will be special order only in most cases, and virtually unavailable on

I didnt' know that. I'm sure she didn't either. And the webpage, to
the extent I looked at it, gave no clue.

the used market. In Europe the Astra J is a common car - as a Ope; or
Vauxhall - and down under as a Holden. In North America it is a
rarity.

If you want a GM convertible, SERIOUSLY look at the Camaro. However, I

That sounds great. I think a decade or more ago I thought they made
one, but I couldnt' find one. This time, I'll look harder.

would buy a Mustang over a Camaro in a heartbeat. The 'stang with a V6

Mustang sounds good too.

would make a decent car, not expensive to maintain, not expensive to
insure, or to feed. It also maintains it's value.

I heard they were discontinuing the V6 Mustang, now it is the 4 or the 8
banger.

I'll look into that**. I learned today that there is a V10. In
Australia I think.


IIR and I might not, the Cascada had a 3.6L engine with turbo!!
That's more than I need.

On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 3:20:35 PM UTC-4, Micky wrote:
On Mon, 08 May 2017 11:05:17 -0500, Gordon Shumway
wrote:

On Mon, 8 May 2017 08:12:47 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.

As for ride, most tires today have low aspect ratio. Good for cornering,
not so much for soft ride.

Not many convertibles to choose from thee days. Maybe they got better,
but I no longer drive Buicks after the last one fell apart. It was a
2001 LeSabre Limited loaded with espensive problems, as all my GM cars
had. I buy quality cars by Hyundia now including a Korea made Genesis.
Love driving it.

There are several reasons for larger diameter wheels, none of which is styling.

1. Larger diameter wheels allow larger diameter brake rotors that will result in a greater mechanical
advantage. This results in increased stopping power.

2. Larger diameter wheels, for a given rolling radius, reduces the vehicle's un-sprung weight which will
allow the tire to remain on the road, where it's suppose to be, improving safety and handling.

I understand the first one, but why does it reduce the weight if the
wheels are bigger? Does the tire weigh more than the wheel at the 15
to 20" distance from the center?


It would seem to me that a 20" wheel is going to weigh more than an 18"
or 16" wheel of the same design. Gordon said something about there
being more air between the spokes, IDK, must be some new science thing.
Even if you factor in lower profile tires on the larger rims, I doubt
you get less overall weight for the larger rim and tire together.

On Mon, 8 May 2017 13:53:59 -0400, Frank "frank wrote:

On 5/8/2017 4:31 AM, Micky wrote:
A friend of mine is after me to buy a new car** and she found the
Buick Cascada. I've wanted a Buick for a long time, because I like GM
cars, but the Chevy I-forget-the-model-name was so cheap. Bucket
seats but not even a center console. And I've avoided Ford and
rice-burners. And the Cadillac seemed showy, so that left a
Buick. And the Skylark was beautful (And my Buick was okay too. I
forget its model name. Centurion?)

But the Cascada comes standard with 20" wheels, and they say that like
it's a good thing. Well if you're in the Gran Prix races, I'm sure
it's a good thing, but I like a comfortable ride. They don't even
mention smaller optional wheels (although I'm sure I could get them if
I pay someone to go to the Chevy dealer and get them there.

(It also has "sport-tuned suspension" I don't want that either, but I
suspect it's not like a violin that you can retune to something else.

It also comes with a black top, no other choice given. Don't these
designers ever drive the cars they design? It's like the charge-card
email notifications all over again. (I had two convertibles with
black tops. When the second one needed a new top, I changed to green,
to match the turquoise car, which was imo primarily green, and it was
much better. Since then I've had tan, a rather light version of tan.)

I suppose if I order the card before it's built, I can get a tan top,
and they probably "won't charge me much extra", but any negotiation on
the price will be over.

I've never bought a new car, but the idea was to get what I wanted,
not what I don't want. For $35,000 dollars, which I gather is not
much these days, but they don't offer to let me spend more and get
what I want.

**and indeed it will be possible to get a 7-year old car like I like,
but v. hard I think to get a 3, 4, or 5 year old car, because they
stopped making Sebrings, Solara convertibles, and maybe only Mustangs
are left.

Any other new or late model American convertibles bigger than a Miata
for sale these days?? At least as big as a mustang.


I get interested in interesting questions but don't come here to ask
without doing any homework.

Took me 10 seconds of Googling to find answer to your rambling question:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...d-tires-tested

As to googling, I don't get your point. Lots of these questions coudl
be answered by googling, but then we woudln't have the conversations
we have, which is a large reason people come here.

On Mon, 8 May 2017 13:53:59 -0400, Frank "frank wrote:

On 5/8/2017 4:31 AM, Micky wrote:
....
But the Cascada comes standard with 20" wheels, and they say that like
it's a good thing. Well if you're in the Gran Prix races, I'm sure
it's a good thing, but I like a comfortable ride.
........
Any other new or late model American convertibles bigger than a Miata
for sale these days?? At least as big as a mustang.


I get interested in interesting questions but don't come here to ask
without doing any homework.

Took me 10 seconds of Googling to find answer to your rambling question:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...d-tires-tested

Okay, I've read the article now, and I didn't say all of it, because I
thought when I posted that almost everyone agreed with what he said,.
and what I believed** And I posted here to get counter-arguments, if
there were any. And I got them.

I did say I want a comfortable ride, which implies part of what the
article says.

**(although he makes it out to be worse in ways I hadn't thought
about and couldn't have predicted)

Also, he only gets up to 19" rims and shows lots of problems with
them. He should try the 20" rims that the Cascada and I think others
come with now.


BTW, I don't think the big rims look intrinsically hotter, or better,
or more stylish. What they look is unusual, compared to the vast
majoriity of smaller rims. And people equate unusal with avant
guard, stylish, cool. Like green hair (in some circles) and
piercing, which isn't unusual anymore, but they follow the others like
sheep.

On Mon, 8 May 2017 12:44:51 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:

On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 3:20:35 PM UTC-4, Micky wrote:
On Mon, 08 May 2017 11:05:17 -0500, Gordon Shumway
wrote:

On Mon, 8 May 2017 08:12:47 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.

As for ride, most tires today have low aspect ratio. Good for cornering,
not so much for soft ride.

Not many convertibles to choose from thee days. Maybe they got better,
but I no longer drive Buicks after the last one fell apart. It was a
2001 LeSabre Limited loaded with espensive problems, as all my GM cars
had. I buy quality cars by Hyundia now including a Korea made Genesis.
Love driving it.

There are several reasons for larger diameter wheels, none of which is styling.

1. Larger diameter wheels allow larger diameter brake rotors that will result in a greater mechanical
advantage. This results in increased stopping power.

2. Larger diameter wheels, for a given rolling radius, reduces the vehicle's un-sprung weight which will
allow the tire to remain on the road, where it's suppose to be, improving safety and handling.

I understand the first one, but why does it reduce the weight if the
wheels are bigger? Does the tire weigh more than the wheel at the 15
to 20" distance from the center?


It would seem to me that a 20" wheel is going to weigh more than an 18"
or 16" wheel of the same design. Gordon said something about there
being more air between the spokes, IDK, must be some new science thing.
Even if you factor in lower profile tires on the larger rims, I doubt
you get less overall weight for the larger rim and tire together.

The Car and Driver Frank posted at the end of the thread starts off by
saying. in general, the bigger rims and tires weight more. "In
general, larger wheels are heavier, and additional weight hinders
performance. " The article is from 2010. Maybe that's why he didn't
test 20" rims.

On Mon, 08 May 2017 11:15:47 -0500, dpb wrote:

On 05/08/2017 7:12 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
...

Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.
...

The reversion to larger diameter wheels most recently is primarily owing
to the EPA-mandated fleet mileage rules--lower rpm.

Early vintage autos followed the precedent of the carriage at the
time--wheels were big on them so the trend followed albeit 23-26" or so
was probably about the middle range. The 30" Model-T clincher tires
were on 23" rims; the dimensions were the tire OD, not the rim. Roughly
mid-20s was the advent of pneumatic tire similar to what we now know;
rims went to 20-21" with wide profile and they could be run at 35 psi or
so whereas the clincher tire needed about 65 psi to keep it mounted.
Needless to say that didn't lead to a cushiony ride.

In 30s, 'til after WWII pretty similar range altho 19-20 probably about
most common. By 1950, 15" was pretty-much de facto standard, the 14" on
some the lighter/smaller (for what was "small" back then, anywya )
was prevalent by mid-50s; the '55 Ford had in HS was 14", the folks'
Chrysler New Yorker was 15. That pretty-much remained the way it was
until the tiny car phase hit and there were things running around with
as small as 12 and 13"...

All very interesting. Will take time to digest.

Then the mileage standards hit and the trend has been reverse direction
since...

This especially.

On Mon, 8 May 2017 12:38:08 -0700 (PDT), trader_4 wrote:

On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 12:42:39 PM UTC-4, Gordon Shumway wrote:
On Mon, 8 May 2017 09:19:30 -0700 (PDT), trader_4 wrote:

On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 12:05:35 PM UTC-4, Gordon Shumway wrote:
On Mon, 8 May 2017 08:12:47 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Bigger wheel are as much for appearance as anything else. Remember when
they went to 14' for a while back in 1958? Made the car lower. The
larger diameter will give you more miles on he tires as it travels
further each revolution.

As for ride, most tires today have low aspect ratio. Good for cornering,
not so much for soft ride.

Not many convertibles to choose from thee days. Maybe they got better,
but I no longer drive Buicks after the last one fell apart. It was a
2001 LeSabre Limited loaded with espensive problems, as all my GM cars
had. I buy quality cars by Hyundia now including a Korea made Genesis.
Love driving it.

There are several reasons for larger diameter wheels, none of which is styling.

1. Larger diameter wheels allow larger diameter brake rotors that will result in a greater mechanical
advantage. This results in increased stopping power.

Agree


2. Larger diameter wheels, for a given rolling radius, reduces the vehicle's un-sprung weight which will
allow the tire to remain on the road, where it's suppose to be, improving safety and handling.


I don't see why it would necessarily have to be true that for a given
rolling radius, larger diameter wheels reduce the un-sprung weight.

The larger diameter wheel will have a considerably greater area of space between its' spokes than a smaller
diameter wheel. Therefore, as we all know, air weighs less than an equal volume of wheel or tire.


So, a 20" wheel weighs less than the same design wheel in 18"? 16"
14""? You might want to rethink that one. The larger wheel has more
metal due to the length of it's spokes and the metal around it's
circumference. We all know that more metal weighs more.

Your reading comprehension still needs work. First, because of a lower aspect ratio the tire will weigh less
than the previous tire. Also I didn't say the design, or manufacturing process for that matter, was the
same; but the larger wheel diameter provides a greater volume between the spokes and that volume is air. Air
weighs less than aluminum, steel and rubber. Got it now?

On Mon, 08 May 2017 23:05:49 +0300, Micky wrote:


The Car and Driver Frank posted at the end of the thread starts off by
saying. in general, the bigger rims and tires weight more. "In
general, larger wheels are heavier, and additional weight hinders
performance. " The article is from 2010. Maybe that's why he didn't
test 20" rims.

The operative phrase is "in general."