Pretty cool having matching 3 season tires/***** and then your winter tire/**** set. You are truly a mod pioneer

 

Last winter, I used 15mm wheel spacer adapters with my duckfeet and snow tires, because the car was lowered, and it looks so much better if the wheels are less tucked when dropped.

These are the spacer adapters, bought from B2AutoDesigns:



And this is how it looked, dropped on Swift Springs with spacers:



As you can see in the first pic, the lugnuts that come with the spacer adapters are half-height, open-face nuts. And they suck. Getting them on without stripping the hex is a pain in the azz.

So I got to thinking: there are sculpted, cut-out sections between the lug holes on the OEM duckfeet. I could probably use a full-length lugnut. And it just so happens, I had a set left over when I bought the Vossens. A cheap, spline-drive set of nuts.

Here's a picture the half-height lugnut, the cheap-o full-height lugnut, and the OEM lugnut... side by side:



And here is one of the wheel spacer adapters, re-installed this afternoon for another Winter:



Duckfeet are back on the car, bolted to spacers that (this time around) have a full-length set of lugnut threads securing the adapter to the hub. Just drove around for a few miles, TPMS light is on (LOL) and I'm ready for another winter.

 

I knew you were considering that spacer mount solution, glad to see you had enough room, and a good plan if you already have a couple of those spacer nuts that are rounding off.

Don't know why they have to make them w/ such soft metal???

 

No, I haven't a clue. And last year when putting them on and taking them off, I used great care not to strip those hex nuts. Even bought a 6-sided 17mm socket just for the event.

All isn't roses, Brad. It seems only 18 of the 20 cheap-o lugnuts were the same. Two of them were about 2mm longer, although with the same generic spline-drive design. I figure there's a bucket of these things at NeedForSpeed (where I bought the rims), and they simply scooped 20 out into a bag, without consideration to there being more than one similar design in the bucket.

Well, wouldn't you know it, that 2mm made all the difference. I couldn't get the rim back on flush to the adapter face because of them. So (long story about to end, LOL), I used 2 of the half-height lugnuts...

...and stripped one of them torquing it down. It's all my fault, because I used a socket extension that was too long, and should have used a shorty. So I'm just hoping I can get it off next Spring. If I can't, I'll have to go to a shop and have them fix it.

Instead of using the half-height nuts, I should have used two of my McGards. Those would have worked, too.

 

Finally (!!) received an envelope from Poland yesterday, containing small swatches of material that Redline Goods uses for their shift boots and what-not. The first shipment never showed up after 6 weeks. This one finally did after 3 weeks. Anyway... here they are.

These 30 were easy enough to pass on:



Whereas these 12 could stand a longer look.



I know the blue is weird, but kind of pretty. It will surely look wrong as I take them out to the car to further wind down the choices... which is next.

Any recommendations? Keep in mind, I have a Stone interior. I'm still thinking the Light Gray leather would work.

 

My vote is light gray. Are you sewing your boot yourself? Since my csc was replaced my shift boot has been destroyed by the tech. Some battles are not worth the fight.

 

Haha, no. God, no. Redline Goods makes them to fit (ish).

 

I would say number 2 or 3 in the top row. Keeping the contrast, and matching the dark elements of the control panel with all the buttons.

Looking at it again, you have light seats, so probably 3.

 

^ agree. I like the darker of the 2 grays best, so #2. It matches the colors well, and provides a nice, contrast-ey backdrop for that Ti shift ****.

 

Here's another perspective. Granted, I have my winter shift **** on at the moment. For most of the year, it would be the titanium ****.

 

I have to admit, although in my hand there's something intrinsically appealing about both the red and light blue leather, and it looks better to the eye than in these pics... it's still too cartoonish for a grown man's sedan.

So 1 and 8 are right out.

I think 3 is out, too. Too much camel, and too bright in the wrong direction.

What else can I ditch?

 

Between 4 and 5 for me, with a strong bias towards 4. Im just looking at it as a repetition of elements. You have the steel volume ***** surrounded by a dark little island of buttons, surrounded by silver trim. So having your titanium ****, surrounded by a dark boot, surrounded by the silver trim. I dont know, maybe Im looking too much into this lol. The perforations in 4 also tie into the same on the seats.

OH!!!! and, almost forgot, since its a very 'dynamic' piece of leather, constantly moving and folding, natural cracking in the folds wont show as much on the darker material

 

It's the perforations that are appealing. I believe their perforated leather options are very limited. I should check that...

...wait a minute. There it is!



If I'm looking at this right, then I have options representing swatches of material that weren't included in the sample pack. Errr.

 

And here's the new baseline. The picture could be better, because 6 and 7 look almost the same here, but not in the previous pic. 7 is lighter.



Eyeballing this picture, I think 2 is off the list, as well. That's it for beige. Nothing Redline has in the world of brown & beige look good in a Stone Leather G... in my humble opinion.

 

4 or 5 (in that order)
Ditch the cream. Light grays are not "bold" enough, IMO. Ditch those.