16" vs 17" wheels

The selection of high performance tires is greater for 17" wheels than for 16".  I love those wheels on Matt's car.

Just to bring a bit of clarity here:

You have enough suspension, Bob, to make 17" wheels work and not destroy the ride, so if you've found some you like, have at it! As Lane said, the selection of high performance tires is greater for the larger size, and with time 16" wheels and tires may start to go the way the 15" size has, so it's probably the smart move in the (maybe not so) long run. And I agree with Lane- Matt's car looks great with those wheels. Whether like that or paint detailed (either black or your car color only darker) it'll look stunning!

How's it in the center of the country? btw- spring's been here for about a week... - _{your Wet Coast buddy Al!}

Thanks for the photo, Stan.  That is the look I really like.

Lane, those are the wheels I am after,  and Image Wheels in England makes a reasonably priced set.

As for Spring, Al, it's somewhere on the horizon...

Bob,

Normally I'm not a fan of 17s, as they generally look pretty big (to my eye at least). But Matt's car completely nailed it. Those wheels are the mac-daddy. And as Lane pointed out, the selection of really good rubber (Pilot Sports, etc.) really starts at 17".

I'm old enough that I still remember rolling 14s on Camaros, etc, so 16s seem like they ought to be big enough for good rubber, and while the selection is better in 16" than 15", it's still nowhere near as good as in 17".

Stan: Unfortunately, the place Matt got to make his wheels no longer makes them, but I think I can get close with Image Wheels.  I think it's the full silver colour on the wheels that hits the right spot.

http://www.imagewheels.co.uk/b...c-build-alloy-wheel/

Yes, I'd go with Michelin PS, as I can get them in the two sizes I will need (front and back).  205/50 17 front and 225/45 17 rear.

I do think that 17 would be max in my opinion as the ride gets stiffer and stiffer. When IM built the KARdashian and put 18 inch low profile it gavr it a roller skate look 

I for one do not want to ride that over a lot of rough roads I already find that bilstein gaz all around is stiff enough when i go over a rough patch on city streets 

Bob it is  too bad you cant try something out

just saying

Ray:  I checked with the wise one about 17" wheels, and with the size tires he recommends, the ride would be okay.  I just shouldn't go with much lower profile tires.

17" does give a little better selection of performance tires.

FWIW, I think the 17's from Image Wheels painted in the classic Porsche Fuchs theme would look awesome on your car and take it to the highest level of BAD-A$$! 

Well he would have tried them Bob, but you will find the ride stiffer that is all I was sayimg

@IaM-Ray do you pictures of the 17 or 18

@MusbJim do have pictures of the 17 Fuch 

i do hear from a lot of members about the ride being stiff and 16 was best but men 17 looks like it fill out the wheel well. 

So Looks or Comfort is the question. 

I thought that Matt eventually went back to 16's.  I like more rubber on the side walls but that's just my opinion.  

I saw that car when it was being road tested and I sat in it  ... quite a nice bomb

Marty

Matt had very low profile, high performance tires on his 17” wheels.  According to Henry, the tires were too much for the car, and that made the ride too rough, not the wheels.  I am following Henry’s recommendations re: tire size, and should not have too rough a ride.

Opinion appreciated. 

Here is the link for 18 inch...  18inch

I have not seen 17inches on any IM that I know of... except maybe Stoich's 

I have 16inch and they give a stiffer ride than the 15's so your mileage may vary.  

15s are fabulous.... if you could get a decent tire.

The 15's give the smoothest ride for sure.

As I mentioned with 16's and the 911 front end sway bars front and rear, and the trailing arms, with full bilsteins... on a rough surface road in the city the ride in my opinion is roughish... but when your on a good road or at speed it really hold the road well.  So for me 16's are all I would tolerate for highway driving.  Now the 17's with the proper sidewall, and you recalibrate the speedo could do fine as well but it will be stiffer

As for Too harsh a ride with a low profile 17 to me it is the same as with Jonathan 18 inch low profile that I posted above it would be impossible to go for a long trip with those and not get beat up  Ah Bob, you will have two sets now 17inch for track and the 16inch for travel  

@IaM-Ray wow that all wheel and tire. Who make the punch out. 

Not sure who made those but I think it was Boyd... Those are on a 3.6L six P engined car with the fat rear end.

The magic formula. 2 sets.👍 16 for travel and 17 for show. 

Stan Galat posted:

15s are fabulous.... if you could get a decent tire.

Has anyone tried the Hoosier Speedster tire?

@calmotion Here is a pic of 17" Fuchs on the Speedster of Kevin Zagar (owner/operator of CoolRyde Customs in San Diego).

Here is a pic of 17's on Doug Kingston's Speedster. Essentially the same set-up as Kevin's.

@MusbJim how did they fit all that  rim in a non wide body / flared  tub. Those are almost non existent side wall. What’s your thought on the ride quality. 

I think you mentioned awesome grip and handling. 

With that sidewall? How's your dental plan?

TRP posted:

With that sidewall? How's your dental plan?

That,  is funny ~

What sidewall?  I can barely see the tires...

calmotion posted:

@MusbJim how did they fit all that  rim in a non wide body / flared  tub. Those are almost non existent side wall. What’s your thought on the ride quality. 

I think you mentioned awesome grip and handling. 

 

 

Kevin describes his and Doug's cars as as smooth riding as it gets and handling like go carts (I'm paraphrasing here). Both have front and rear Mendeola suspensions which are more compact (especially the rear) and allow more wheel/tire under the fenders. I believe both guys are running 205/45's (24.3" tall) on the front and 215/45's (24.6") on the back, all on 7" rims. The 911 and Mendeola front suspensions both ride nicer than a VW beam and trailing arm assembly so you can run less sidewall, but whether a wheel/tire combo is acceptable for you is going to be rather subjective. 

And yeah, with summer performance tires in those widths, 'awesome grip and handling' probably doesn't begin to describe the experience... Al

I've said it many times, 17's just don't look right for how short a speedster is. 16's are perfect. guys running rubber band wrapped 17's are not driving their cars daily. One bad pot hole and your rim is done!

More to your point Bill, the term buckboard comes to mind  

As with anything regarding outfitting our replica Speedsters (color, engine, wide-body, classic body, wheels, tires, etc.), its all a matter of personal preference and budget. 

@calmotion I believe that ALB's explanation best answers your question about the wheel/tire fitment.

I'm curious as to how many have actually ridden in a Speedster with finely tuned A-arm suspension. 

With a 911 fromt end it is a might and day difference as Bob, Marty et al can confirm

It appears to me that there are different types of Fuch style 17" wheels.  Matt's car in the photo at the top of this thread has 17" wheels, but the spokes don't extend all the way to the rim and they look good.  Other 17" Fuch style wheels have spokes that are much longer and extend all the way to the rim, like these Empi 17s and in my opinion they just don't look right.

MusbJim posted:

 

I'm curious as to how many have actually ridden in a Speedster with finely tuned A-arm suspension. 

I bet you're right. My comment is more about the sidewall for any 30 series tire. 

Troy Sloan posted:

It appears to me that there are different types of Fuch style 17" wheels.  Matt's car in the photo at the top of this thread has 17" wheels, but the spokes don't extend all the way to the rim and they look good.  Other 17" Fuch style wheels have spokes that are much longer and extend all the way to the rim, like these Empi 17s and in my opinion they just don't look right.

You are right, Troy; some copies do look better than others, no matter what the size. The wheel pictured is also not detailed like an original 15" Fuchs. To look more like an oem wheel, the sides of the spokes, or petals, should not be painted, but polished, and have a softer, or more radiussed top to side edge.

And what @MusbJim said is right- I'm looking forward to one day getting my first ride in a non-VW suspended Speedster! 

@ALB grey information with what to look for with regards to petal. 

@MusbJim nice wish list to be able to ride in a fine tuned suspension on the tub 

calmotion posted:

@ALB grey information with what to look for with regards to petal.  

?????

Al:

grey should be great, I would assume.  spellcheck?

Bill Prout posted:

I've said it many times, 17's just don't look right for how short a speedster is. 16's are perfect. guys running rubber band wrapped 17's are not driving their cars daily. One bad pot hole and your rim is done!

Bill:  17 inch wheels with 50 series tires look okay.  30 series tires would be extreme, IMHO.

Consider that a 17" wheel is only 1/2" more than a 16" wheel at each spot around the circumference...

@ALB sorry what I meant was great information on why you said

”To look more like an oem wheel, the sides of the spokes, or petals, should not be painted, but polished, and have a softer, or more radiussed top to side edge”