Let's just say, I was very happy with the customer service and family oriented business experience I had at VIP wheels. I have a 2006 BMW 650i convertible. I bought it in 2016, already 10 years old. I loved the look and the rims, but sadly, the rims were cracked and though repaired, I constantly had leaking wheels and would get a "low tire pressure" warning at least every 1-2 weeks.
Imagine what an a-hole I looked like pulling into a gas station with a 6-series BMW and pumping air in the tires!
So 2 years ago, I changed the tires but like a dumb dumb I changed to the exact same size (which wasn't even correct for my staggered sized tires - I had r235s in the front and r245s in the rear - both of which are sizes that should be FRONT only). Also, I did NOT change the rims. I really didn't want to change the look nor spend the extra money.
But after another 1.5 years of constant low tire pressure warnings, trips to the gas station at inopportune moments, I was fed up. The final straw was over Xmas weekend when I drove up to Idyllwild (from LA) to meet some friends for the weekend and right before I was turned to shoot up the mountain and enjoy cornering that mountain, bam, FLAT TIRE and a darn NEW CRACK in 1 of the rims! I had to have her towed on a flat bed up the mountain and she sat on the rim all weekend long till I could get her repaired on Mon. morning.
That was it! After that, I as on a mission to find a shop that had a LOT of selection so I could see first hand what I liked, I mean after all, if your gonna burn a couple grand out of your pocket, you better LOVE what you're getting. And it's hard to change when you already love what you have, but can't keep it!
A friend referred me to a shop all the way out in Pomona that has done many of his sets of wheels. I've seen pictures of all his new looks on his Ravtor truck (or whatever that beast is called) and let me tell you, they looked hot! So I drive all the way out there to find out they have ZERO rims on display and I need to order off the net. Ugh! So not what I was looking for, considering I hadn't put new rims on a car in well over 10 years and had no clue what they look like in person by looking at a thumbnail on the computer.
So one rainy, rainy afternoon, I decide that's the day to go rim shopping! Worst drive ever. I Googled and found a shop in S. LA but when I got there, they were closed. So then I Googled again (gotta love Google) and I found VIP, so I called and though they answered the phone I still asked, "are you open right now?" Duh, of course they were.
Luckily they were only a couple miles away from where I was so I shot right over. As soon as I walked in I was like a kid in the candystore. Oh ya, sooooooooooooooooooooo many choices. The only thing is, if you're not into the BLACK rims, just know they have many of them, but if you are, score for you!
Also, they don't carry any solid chrome rims, which the owner claims is because no one sells them anymore, but he did say I could look at a catalog if I wanted to get some. I honestly didn't want a catalog again.
I decided to upgrade from 19" to 20" rims, though he was trying to get me to go with 22's but when I told him that I LOVE to drive fast and I do NOT want to feel every bump in the road and I want to make sure she can still corner a mountain like nobody's business (and no man will outdrive me cuz I grew up racing up and down "the crest"), well, he immediately said, "then you got go with 20's. They will give you the smoothest ride and corner like you want, but if you go with 22's, you'll love the look but you will feel every bump and they won't corner as tight."
So you guessed, 20's it was!!!! Then came my good old fashioned haggling skills. I mean seriously, I'm a single woman and not made of money. While he didn't give me the pricepoint I wanted (which was well below his sticker) he did meet me somewhere near the middle, perhaps cuz I'm girl and I flashed a pretty smile, ha, ha! Nonetheless, I put my deposit down and the rims were ordered and drilled to my model car by that Monday (2 days later). I wasn't able to come back to the following weekend, but once I did I was a bit befuddled with my brain.
Why you ask? Cuz in person I loved them but in pictures I wasn't quite sold at first. Why? Cuz the front of the spokes have chrome on them but the sides are black so in the pics they don't look as shiny. But eventually I had to stop comparing to my super shiny full chrome rims I used to have and then I realized, ARE YOU KIDDING ME, I have Lexani wheels and tires! They are HOT! They are sexy! My girl is looking lean and preen!!!
With that said, the business is family owned. The owner is a super nice and he has his young son helping and working in the business too. I grew up in my parents' bicycle shop and I used to help them all the time once I was a teen.
I love supporting a family owned business! read more