I Tried Building $6000 Custom Wheels 

James looks way healthier and happier lately, love to see it 🫡

James was a prominent member of the VW community in the "baller wheel" era of fitment and style. Dude is more than qualified to walk us through this. Also, James certainly knows his way around 3 piece wheels more than he's letting on here. Anyone from the VWVortex pre-server change community knows this.

6k for filled and drilled is wild. Especially when the redrill didn't line up with the original chamfers.

James makes me feel comfortable to be a "car person" with minimal car mechanical knowledge and experience lmao

It's so refreshing to have James as a solo presenter, loved it, reminds me why I started watching the channel at first!

The wheels turned out amazing!

8:10 Slight correction. Forged wheels aren't cut from metal. They're made from compacting hot metal into a shape, kinda like making a snowball. Billet is where it's cut from a single block, like the Pagani Huayra wheels. 🫱🏾‍🫲🏻

In my teens, circa 1980-83, I worked at Jongbloed Modular Wheels aka Jongbloed Racing Wheels. We manufactured 3-piece wheels for racing and street applications. Expensive, but worth it. This was a great job and I learned many skills to help me through life. At 8:01 you mentioned "forged", that is a process in which the aluminum is hit so hard it becomes elastic (almost liquid) but without melting as shown at 8:13, but technically cut out of a forging as opposed to being "cut out of a single piece of metal" which implies billet. Forging is waaay better. What you didn't show is how the inner and outer (barrel and lip in Donut terms) are made. We started with a square flat sheet of soft aluminum and stretched it around a die on a lathe. By hand, with a steel pipe with a steel wheel on the end...not easy! Then cut the corners and center off and sent it out to be hardened. It comes back ugly but hard and rigid. We checked for cracks then it would then get put in another lathe where we would do the precise machining. Finally, it would be put in a jig with hardened inserts for drilling the bolt holes. It's still ugly, and that won't do. We did all our own polishing, and if you've never had a 10 inch wheel inner (barrel) get away from you at 100 MPH you don't know what exciting is! I don't recommend it. A 2 HP 3 phase buffer-grinder can throw a wheel pretty damn far. That being said, I can say "Building Custom Wheels" is EASY! Manufacturing them is quite challenging.

Adam died a little when he heard the cost lol!

I gotta say, the editing on this episode is top notch. Also, James looks really good.

Glad to see James looking well. I gotta be honest, it's hard for me to see a big enough difference in the wheels to care, but I'm all about sleepers anyway.

Seeing James back in a car and building it makes me so happy. He looks so happy🥹

Pumphrey is dropping some weight! Looking good brother. I actually helped my neighbors dad build wheels for his race car when I was like 8 years old, waaay back in the 80's. I remember doing something that really stunk, and later was told that it was highly toxic and I should not have inhaled it. It was the 80's, so it makes sense, and come to think of it, it actually answers a lot of questions today..... I did not realize I am almost 3 years old in Donut Underground years. Love you guys!

Car looks so sick. That being said, the final side by side was a little like the office “it’s the same picture”. It’s more like a “I’m you, but stronger”

To each their own, but 6k to look almost the same with no performance upgrade is crazy.

14:07 "Good things come to those who wait" like banana bread at work.

This might be 50 year old tech but the style is 10 years ahead.

“I can’t wait till I run these into a curb.” 😂😂😂😂

Love these videos - fun, educational, and easy to follow. Keep up the good work guys!

Next video: "Wheel theft is getting out of hand!"

The darker contrast of the old ones honestly looked a little better...

The tiniest bump is going to rub those tires right into the inner wheel well especially when turning😂😂

really digging the solo presentation in this video, it reminds me a lot more of old donut and I love it

When you apply the silicone you have to put some tape on both sides so you have a straight line of silicone when you remove the tape

I love watching donut, they teach you tons of car information while making it fun and educational.

Day 421 of asking James to do and Up to Speed on his Dad

We love you James, top notch editing and episode!

I did not expect these wheels to look THAT good!! Bravo. Loved this episode and learned so much.

I feel like been a while since James hosted a video, forgot how much I missed it.

Those center caps are way too cool, love them

Forged whells do use CNC but the part that makes them sturdier is the actual forging part where the metal is hammered into shape while red hot. Then CNCd to finish it.

Those are some of the nicest rims I've ever seen, I'm not a fan of that design but rethinking now because the chrome and gold bolts make it pop! BBS center floaters is also a nice touch.

That fitment is to die for. Beautiful James.

Those wheels look sick. Great work.

I just love seeing James healthier than ever in recent videos, I think it's pretty chad to take care of your own physical health while also taking care of your cars physical health! just love to see it

I'm surprised there weren't pages upon pages in the forums talking about perfect fitment specs for this car

Watching James do car stuff is so 👌

Love the channel guys ! So lucky you guys get to do that you guys do. !

James is looking so much healthier now, not trying to shit on his previous condition. Just happy to see the new one.

I like how the gold reflects off the chrome. Very nice!

Can't believe how similar they look to the original

I like how they look exactly the same as the old ones

the front tires have to be eating up the fender when rolling up an inclined corner xD

James taste in cars is so good, bro does not miss

Such a beautiful car, truly deserving of a bespoke set of wheels

If I spend 6k on a set or wheels and they aren't assembled. I'm sending them back lol

Bro gagged when you said 6 grand. And I'm right there with him, that's a disgusting amount 😂😂😂

6k well spent my man. They look awesome 😎👍

Can we do a video of him cleaning the brake dust off those?! That should be hilarious/painful

I've never understood why people would leave the tire stickers on. Other than that, looks good. Nice vid.

Those wheels are dope af James. Beautiful job putting them together.

Those came out way better looking then I thought they would. GJ!

Well, at least we know it's worth it less than 30 seconds into the video because we know he's not getting a Tesla.😂

aren't the previous wheels were like 99% the exact same wheels?

Mans was so ready to flex didnt even take the tire stickers off LMAO I love it

Y’all should do a low Supra and a high Supra

Are we all pretending the old wheels don't look the same as the new wheels 😮😮 Fkn love the Emporer's new wheels 😂

Whoa, this is kinda insane price for BBS RS. In Poland you can get these for like $2k less. I’ve actually owned a set of 16 to 18 5x114.3 with wider slants than yours and sold them recently for like 3.5k, and rotors haven’t been redrilled lol

Wheels worth more than the car! CLASSIC!

Worth the wait for classic bbs goodness. Suit the car perfectly

14:16 maybe I’m missing something but I barely see a difference? Not worth $6K to me anyways? They look nice dude but, you could’ve dropped in an 600-800hp engine for that price.

Ngl, they look pretty much just like the old wheels, just newer, even though they probably aren't

i love old school bbs mesh. i had a set back before the scene started in '93. bucky lasig and i had the first 2 custom honda civics in baltimore. i found some silver mesh single pc. bbs. it eas awesome. memories. i actually was posting to say you look great. much more healthy than before. keep it up.!! its hard A.F.!

He drove off before taking off the tire stickers. That's how excited he was to go out for a drive in the new set up lol

Nice job. Although I prefer the old wheels, suits the car better somehow :)

$6K for *almost* identical wheels to the old ones 😂 Nice to know Donut has money to spend. Although, I think it would be better a Hi and Low Motorcycle series

That ish came out CLEAN!!!

This is called class love you donut media

The new wheels are sick. But seeing the side by side for 6 grand. Wouldn't refurbing and cleaning up the old wheels give the same result but for a fraction of the cost. As in a lip swap and colour is all youd need. Plus the centre caps and 50 quid on floaters. Sick flex those new wheels are though.

12:54 👑 Make ‘em fit take your crown 😂

2:24 my mans bought 6000 dollar wheels but still uses a 20 dollar caliper

I like the old rims better.

Cool wheels but the old ones had a better pattern.

James killing it in every aspect of life. Love the videos!!

Those wheels looks SICK! 🔥 Good to see you James happy and healthy! ❤

Love you guys, but for real, $6K on Wheels only to hog them out manually at each lug hole? It seems like that would wheels to potentially be off balance? Curious how that worked out

They look great and should last about 3 days in LA before they are stolen, good luck.

Pumphrey's glowing with health. Keep up the good work James!

You guys should also try building some truck split rims! Use a cage though when you air em up though lol

6k on redrilled wheels? It's a joke, right?

Skinnier lug nuts do exist. I wonder if they would work instead of cutting your rims.

I like how james is more in shape but he's less goofy now

Lmaoooo the floater caps!!! OOTT Officially Over The Top!

Start buying toothbrushes in bulk

James is like a completely different person! Its nice to see cos for so long he looked miserable like he didn't want to be there filming. Hope to see more episodes like this one it really makes it great to watch

I worked in a wheel shop for about 8 years, love this stuff! I waited 4 years to get the right wheels for my forester, worth it, looks dope!

This is what it's all about. Learning and creating and even making mistakes. I love this informational and hilarious channel!

Keep us up to date with how those tires perform

Those wheels look so sick! Great job, man!

james is looking really good! we need more of him solo hosting

They look great! They bring back memories, I had similar looking wheels on my ‘88 Mustang!

The "before" ones aren't even OEM 😂😂

I love the hell yeah thrown in there from the banana bread video 😂😂

I think these look so sick and I love how much James loves them! I have never been one to spend much money or time on wheels. I find it intimidating and expensive! Definitely something I'd pay someone else to do if I had the cash, but for now the old drive way respray works for me lol

Hell yeah! 3-piece BBS rims are dope

Absolutely love that build!

Rebuilding some OZ Mito Type 2’s this week, just the video I needed for motivation ❤

This video reminds me of the excitement I had when sourcing a set of genuine gunmetal Volk TE37s with carbon fibre centre caps for my s13 back in the mid 2000s

James that hole spec wheels, colours and all are perfect Mate.

1st time seeing a floater centre cap. That's cool AF