Dear Tom and Ray:

I was recently out shopping, and a car drove past with attachments on the wheels that spun around, making the car appear to have wheels that spin at a different speed than the car is going. They made a really cool effect, and I want to buy some for my dad. Do you have any information about these spinning wheels? I'm completely in the dark about them, but I'm keen to find out more. Thanks. -- Amy

Ray: Well, these "spinners" are a current fashion accessory for people who like to customize their cars, Amy. They make you look like you have a free- wheeling fan blade inside each wheel. They're the neon under-car lighting of the current fashion season.

Tom: We have good news and bad news about them, Amy. The good news is that we can tell you the names of companies that make these spinners. The bad news is that the price is going to make your head spin.

Ray: We found wheels with spinners made by Diablo, Spintek, Thunder, Excess, Omega, Oasis and Dub. And there might be others. They're usually chrome, usually a minimum of 18 inches in size (big!) and usually cost more than $1,000 a set.

Tom: Plus, since the wheels are so large, you'll have to buy new tires to fit these new wheels, so add another $600 or more on top of that.

Ray: Of course, give any trend six months in the marketplace, and someone will come up with a cheap knockoff. Enter the JC Whitney catalog! It sells spinning wheel "covers," which are essentially hubcabs. You just pop them onto your existing wheels, and they give you a similar spinning effect. They cost less than 100 bucks per wheel cover, and come in more normal sizes (14 and 15 inches).

Tom: That's the way to go, Amy. Because, like any fashion statement, in a year or two you'll wish you could retract it.

© 2008 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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