[LAracer]

Hi, and apologies in advance for my ignorance. My (apparently oem) wheels do not appear to be Shadow Chrome. The dealer was of the opinion that a previous owner had refinished them. But now I'm wondering if they might be Hyper Silver. So I really have two questions: 1) was Hyper Silver an oem wheel color on '02 M5's, and 2) is there a way to identify which color my wheels started life as (e.g., a stamp or something)?

This question is motivated by the fact that I need to replace one wheel, thanks to some unmarked road construction.

Thanks.

 

[Kinder]

Hi,

I think these are Hyper Silver. Shadow Chrome wheels are darker.

 

[OptimusPrimeM5]

I am fairly certain shadow chrome was the correct finish on all the M's. This may answer some questions:

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e3...e-shadow-paint-process-wheel-refinishing.html

 

[Kinder]

Yes, according to the italian manufacturer of the shwdow chrome color, you can get the shadow chrome darker or lighter, depending on the amount of black you put as base. But apparently not all wheels were shadow chrome :

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e3...uest-refurbish-perfection-22.html#post1955329

Edit :

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e3...uest-refurbish-perfection-23.html#post1955906

 

[blackxs]

Yes, according to the italian manufacturer of the shwdow chrome color, you can get the shadow chrome darker or lighter, depending on the amount of black you put as base. But apparently not all wheels were shadow chrome :

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e3...uest-refurbish-perfection-22.html#post1955329

Edit :

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e3...uest-refurbish-perfection-23.html#post1955906

Read down one more post...
http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e3...uest-refurbish-perfection-23.html#post1955927

All OEM M5 wheels are Shadow Chrome
However, all OEM M5 wheels also look very different from eachother in their final appearance. This is because of the two-stage paint process used. BMW selected wheels similar in shade to be "sets" so normally when one refurbishes the OEM wheels they must refurbish not one, but all 4 of the wheels to ensure they match. Shadow chrome refers not directly to a color but more so to a process, which can produce lighter or darker colored wheels.
I believe in reference to the hi-power silver this is simply the refurbishing company making a distinction between the lighter and darker sets, to ensure the person gets what they want

The OP's wheels do look rather like Hyper Silver and do not have the same color attributes of the shadow chrome wheels.
Compare versus OP one of tiag's pics

There is a certain depth to the finish I do not really see in your wheels

 

[LAracer]

Thanks for the responses.

So it sounds like there's no way for me to tell for sure? I just have to rely on what the wheels look like?

This makes it very risky to order wheels. There's a reasonably good chance that my wheels are badly refinished Shadow Chrome and won't match Hyper Silver

 

[Kinder]

Damn... Tiago's wheels are so <3

 

[ard]

Thanks for the responses.

So it sounds like there's no way for me to tell for sure? I just have to rely on what the wheels look like?

This makes it very risky to order wheels. There's a reasonably good chance that my wheels are badly refinished Shadow Chrome and won't match Hyper Silver

"Order" as in from a dealer? What is he charging?

Why not buy used and refinish as necessary? Refinish both on one side if you want to minimize cost.

Is it a front or rear? If front, can I highly recommend buying two rears and going to 9.5" all around?

GL

A

 

[blackxs]

Thanks for the responses.

So it sounds like there's no way for me to tell for sure? I just have to rely on what the wheels look like?

This makes it very risky to order wheels. There's a reasonably good chance that my wheels are badly refinished Shadow Chrome and won't match Hyper Silver

Get the 4 wheels you have now refinished in shadow chrome. You wont regret it.