Thank you for the wonderful words, brother! I'm humbled by all the positive energy and sentiments.
About the wheels, I know the type you mean. These five spoke, deep-dish wheels are commonly called "Bullitt" wheels; named after the famous Ford Mustang from the movie "Bullitt". Cragar has immortalised these wheels.
Now here's the catch: cheap Chinese rims are available in exactly that pattern in Pakistan. They range between 65K to 80K depending on the finish (paint, chrome, and dual-finish). However, these rims are not very reliable (especially in a car that has the potential to be VERY quick, indeed), nor are they very long-lasting (since the finish etc is prone to wearing thin, after a while). Cragars are available abroad, in 18 inch sizes. However, importing such wheels from there, would cost almost as much as the car has cost me!
The obvious solution is to find something "locally". Lensos are very reliable in that respect, and have made quite a name for themselves in recent times. These rims are lightweight, durable, and have a good brand reckoning.
Another set I've managed to lay hands on are even more exciting. They're Modellista rims in 18 inches (the desired size), 5 lug (the desired lug specs), 114 PCD (the requisite PCD), are staggered (8 inches front, 9 inches rear; the perfect size) and are extremely lightweight. Modellista is part of the aftermarket providers for Toyota (like TRD). They provide high performance wheels, body kits, and other aftermarket solutions for Toyota cars (much like AMG for Mercedes).
I truly believe wheels are VERY important on a car (believe me; the Phantom was entirely BUILT around its wheels), but in a car like the Camaro they must be able to fulfill certain requirements, in the following order of priority. First off, performance and reliability. Second, cost effectiveness. Third, aesthetics.
While I would love to have unlimited funds at my disposal to be able to spend kaboodles of money on this project, sadly, that isn't the case. Where necessary, we will be cutting corners with costs. Here, we hope to avoid a compromise on looks, as far as possible, but we will absolutely NOT compromise on performance and reliability. I hope that explains the design 'philosophy' of the Camaro (which, we're naming "Stormbringer", by the way)
Thanks for your interest and encouragement once again. Please feel free to email me any time on fouad.hafeez@gmail.com
Cheers!
