I have been on this forum for way too long to not know this but here goes.
What is a wide five wheel?????
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Think of an early VW wheel...do you notice how wide the lug nuts are apart?
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This 5 lugnut pattern (wide five) was used by VW until '68 with the advent of the 4 lugnut pattern.
Here is my tub with wide fives.
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What the hell's going on here, Joe? Your car is dirty? :-) I'm reporting you!
I am new man Rich, I have deicided to drive the hell out of it; it gets cleaned on Mondays. 
I am SOOOOOOO glad you asked this as I've been wondering this too. I have the four lug and it seems I have fewer cool wheel choices? Am I correct that most of the five spoke wheels are wide five?
Another question I have is this: if there are "wide five" lug pattern, does this insinuate that there is another more narrow five pattern lug?
How would I convert to wide five? I have a 68 VS with front disc and rear drums. I'd love 4 when discs and wide five.
Originally Posted by Cole:
I am SOOOOOOO glad you asked this as I've been wondering this too. I have the four lug and it seems I have fewer cool wheel choices? Am I correct that most of the five spoke wheels are wide five?
Another question I have is this: if there are "wide five" lug pattern, does this insinuate that there is another more narrow five pattern lug?
How would I convert to wide five? I have a 68 VS with front disc and rear drums. I'd love 4 when discs and wide five.
In order:
1) Yes. Most 5 spoke wheels are 5 lug.
2) Yes. There are many other 5 lug configurations. Porsche 5 lug is 5x 130 mm, Chevy is 5 x 4 3/4", etc. If you want Fuchs, those are 5x 130 mm.
3) How hard? Harder than you think it could or should be. It's a lot easier to get to a 5x 130mm drilling than a 5 x 205mm (wide 5).
Good luck. Forewarned is forearmed.
Originally Posted by Cole:
How would I convert to wide five? I have a 68 VS with front disc and rear drums. I'd love 4 when discs and wide five.
The wide five (5x205mm) pattern won't fit on 4-lug rotors. You'd have to install some wide five disk brake conversion kits with the different rotors. (I'm not sure if your existing calipers and mounts would work with just a wide five rotor only).
http://vwparts.aircooled.net/P...p;search=%20wide%205
I suppose you could also change to wide 5 drums all around if you can find them.
Well.... like I said, it might be a tad harder than you think it could or should be. Just a tad...
I sometimes wish I'd gone with a 4x100 bolt patterns. There are tons of nice, light wheels in that bolt configuration. I have a Porsche bolt pattern (5x130) which means there are very few wheels that will fit my car.
Originally Posted by Ron O:
I sometimes wish I'd gone with a 4x100 bolt patterns. There are tons of nice, light wheels in that bolt configuration. I have a Porsche bolt pattern (5x130) which means there are very few wheels that will fit my car.
... and one very nice choice that does. You made a good choice, Ron.
The "Wide 5" is the original wheel to the early Porsche. Five lugs, 10 slots, drum brakes. Looks wicked as hell and totally legit but not easy for disc conversion and usually comes with the swingarm transaxle out back, which can give trouble at the limits of handling.
The 4 x 130 mm 4-bolt, eight slot wheels are a pretty close approximation. Moon or nipple hubcaps hide the lugs and most people don't count the slots. Disc conversions on these are easy, and they can be dressed up to look like ultra-rare Rudge knock-offs. These come with the later IRS transaxle which is more forgiving in hard off-camber corners.
Some guys like Fuchs . . . The 5 x 130 bolt pattern is also readily available in the aftermarket, as are (much heavier, but much cheaper) Fuchs lookalike wheels.