I don't think I've seen an E46 M3 with 17s before. I like it.
In a world where every car has tiny sidewalks and 18"+ wheels, it's a nice look. Same with that Honda Fit.
I don't think I've seen an E46 M3 with 17s before. I like it.
In a world where every car has tiny sidewalks and 18"+ wheels, it's a nice look. Same with that Honda Fit.
In reply to CyberEric :
Thank you and, yeah, it looks even better than expected.
And now (well, as of this past Thursday) with an alignment. Real photo shoot to come. Cleaned it up this morning but spent the afternoon cleaning gutters.
PT_SHO said:
Wow he fit 10s and 295s with the fender rules? That's incredible.
In reply to 02Pilot :
I run Yokohama A539's in a 175/50-13 on my classic Mini....they're terrific all around tires and reasonably priced. I buy them from MiniSpares in England....current price is £64 ea, plus shipping, no VAT as I'm here in the states. Shipping is usually about $100 a set to KC.
They also carry the Nankang AS-1 for approx £40 ea. I've never run those so can't comment on their performance - probably fine for a regular street tire.
Current exchange rate is close to 1.3
The bbs wheels that came with my Z are beautiful, but I think kinda undersized at 17x7.5. I call them "period correct" to make them seem not so tiny...
I cannot help but think for a car that weighs over 3k lbs and with goals of 400 whp it only make sense to take advantage of the fact that I could easily fit a 9-10" width underneath and have a better selection in 18-19" diameter. Money is less of an issue than weight but I guess I'll shop for a balance of value?
So I think I want a big chonky boi fit to fill up the wheel wells like a 285/45r19 front 315/40r19 rear for a more modern look and better grip. Input welcome
In reply to tb :
The BBS wheels look so good that I'd want to keep them. What size tires are you running on them?
In reply to David S. Wallens :
iirc they are somewhere around 245/50r17. Not terribly large considering how much rubber you could fit under the car.
To be honest, I just don't love the wheels and have been planning to replace them from day one. I get tons of compliments on them and can oblectively understand why most people love them... they just are not my personal favorite style.
Everything else about the car was right so I bought it in spite of the wheels figuring I would have no problem making someone a good deal on them in the near future especially since they have decent rubber on them, probably after showing off at radwood! I have enough room in the garage to hold onto them if you think I would hate myself in 10 years for letting them go...
I do dig the BBS but, yeah, can see how they might seem a bit dated. Or does that make them cool? But if you don't like 'em, you don't like 'em. What's your ideal wheel for that car?
I dropped a wheel size 2 months after I bought my GTI and everything got better.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
I might just store them and reevaluate in A few years or I could prob get a pretty penny for them, dunno.
Idk about what I would choose yet, prob need to start a thread soon to get advice because I am not a wheel nut like some people and not up on all the options. Maybe a clean black chunky 6 spoke almost like an updated Datsun wheel of my old 280zx? I could see white sparco's working if I found the right size but the urge to go all group b with this car might consume me...
Like I said I just don't know yet and prob will not until the moment it see it
20 x 9 for a big girl with 315s on the rear for the steamroller look? Idk
tb said:20 x 9 for a big girl with 315s on the rear for the steamroller look? Idk
You'd want a lot wider than a 9" wheel for 315s.
In reply to rslifkin :
No doubt I need to look at numbers, I just rattled something off and am sleep deprived and bad at math. If memory serves a 315 is a comfy number for the back and a 11.5 -12 will fit well with the right offset. I jusy never think before I type or anything like that. Thanks for the correction, exactly why I will need advice when it comes to shopping.
tb said:In reply to David S. Wallens :
I might just store them and reevaluate in A few years or I could prob get a pretty penny for them, dunno.
Idk about what I would choose yet, prob need to start a thread soon to get advice because I am not a wheel nut like some people and not up on all the options. Maybe a clean black chunky 6 spoke almost like an updated Datsun wheel of my old 280zx? I could see white sparco's working if I found the right size but the urge to go all group b with this car might consume me...
Like I said I just don't know yet and prob will not until the moment it see it
What about rebuilding those bbs with a stepped lip? Keeps the mesh but offers you an 18 or 19 with whatever width you want?
Although, if you genuinely don't want that wheel style it won't help you.
In reply to ian sane :
Good idea, but it is the centers that I don't care for. Gold isn't my thing and neither is the lace mesh look really. Thanks, though!
This could be a size / budget compromise. Limits me to a 245 front 285 rear but only like $1k for 18" wheels that have decent rubber options and are more my taste.
I have never quite figured out why many people say they are after performance, not looks, but when you point out that putting larger diameter wheels is the wrong way to get that, given that alloy weighs more than rubber and their new 20" cool looking wheels probably added considerably to their unsprung weight, they hate being contradicted by facts and keep insisting against logic that they did it for performance.
Is it somehow unmanly to say "I know this may reduce performance but I just liked the look"?
Both my modern sports cars have 18" wheels, which is OK by me and they look good, but somehow I have the feeling that anything larger than 15" is for poseurs. Or maybe 18" is the new 15", I don't know. It sure is a pain being unable to find a performance tire for older high performance cars, though!
In reply to wspohn :
This is why I never went deep down the wheel / tire rabbit hole and just follow others advice. I want light and high performance but that means small and then you can't find good tires anymore. Then you get seller advertising the latest technology wheels that are supposed to awesome but they are huge! Finally you compromise on wheels of some size, get sticky tires that you learn well and are used to then they are discontinued and next season will be another learning curve...
I decided to stop racing so now I want to add style into the equation and it complicates things because it is too easy to get it wrong compared to turning wrenches. Add in being bad with numbers and I find this almost overwhelming
For the 300ZX, personally I'd go with something '90s–think CCW Classic, Forgelines or whatever Stillen offered.
David S. Wallens said:For the 300ZX, personally I'd go with something '90s–think CCW Classic, Forgelines or whatever Stillen offered.
That is a really good suggestion and I should have thought in that direction already. I have a handful of small Stillen and Jim Wolfe upgrades on my radar already. I do want to maintain the classic feel and have it be easily returned to "near original" condition even if the factory wheels are long gone.
Edit:
Just looked it is currently on 225f/245r. Easily breaks traction into 3rd. Drifts around nicely if you are gentle but get rowdy and it will wheels hop get rough. Vlsd works but seems more of a brute force units versus silky smooth engagement, some chatter between wheels might be due for service?
TSW also has some traditionally styled wheels that would work well on the Z.
So on the original topic, do these qualify as sufficiently chonky? Summer set on the E38, 255/45 on 18x9 front, 275/40 on 18x9.5 rear.
David S. Wallens said:In reply to tb :
Duh, just missed an obvious one for that car: the new Volk Racing 21A.
Yeah, that just might be it! Thank you, sir
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