Hopefully New Wheels and Wider Tires

Correction, the driver side rear wheel sidewall to body gap is not ~ 3/4" (19mm), it's 9mm!  Like I say, uncomfortably close!

9mm isn't all that bad,  I open the rear wheel wells on some speedsters by removing half of the 3/4" inner wheel well lip. You only need to do the area between 1 o'clock & 3 o'clock. You can tape it off the area and use a fine tooth jig saw then sand and seal the edge of the fiberglass or use a belt sander and again seal the raw fiberglass edge .

A pan-based classic-bodied speedster with IRS will take a 4-1/2 steel wheel "usually". Sometimes, even that won't fit-- but if your spare fits, they'll probably work.

As you are finding, things get uncomfortably close on the driver's side. I had such a car with 185/65 R15s on it, and the sidewall was close enough to the fender lip that I could slide a credit card between the tire and the car, but not a pencil.

If you want wider wheels with more tuck, you can stick with what you have (they are 5" wide and have more offset) or get out your billfold.

15 years ago, a guy could get a 5-1/2" rim re-centered at a place called Stockton Wheel in Stockton, CA. the only other choice is to get narrowed trailing arms and shorter half-shafts, but that's crazy-money.

The Fuchs you have are very light, wider than steelies, and have more inboard offset. I never cared for the look, but there are a lot of reasons to learn to love them.

I measure my 2L 914 Fuchs with a "pinky" clearance (yeah less than 5/8") on the rear driver's side (with 185/65x15 tires).  I did grind the fiberglass wheel opening lip and inside wall above that lip.

You want low "unsprung" weight.  The suspension works better - accelerates and stops faster.  The Fuchs alloys are a strong forged lightweight wheel (the 4 bolt Mahle "gas burner" is lighter).  I assume yours are OEM - they will have a 914. part # on the back.  There are replicas by American Eagle that have a different offset (et35) and are not as light or as strong. The Fuchs have an et40 offset (about 4.4" backspacing). 

The Mangel chrome wheels were made in Brazil but haven't been made there is a few years.  "Replicas" are from China. The chrome coating on the new ones is very susceptible to rusting.  Caution is needed in selecting hub caps such as the nipple Porsche crested ones.

I'd stick with the 2L wheels.  (I bought billet polished alloy caps from ISP to clear the front speedo drive and the rear 36mm bolt).

I have been looking at the polished replica 911 5.5x15" 5x130mm bolt wheels with a 4 15/16" (Empi) or 5" (CIP1) backspacing. These are et45 - so more clearance. The 2L Fuchs have risen in value so could probably do the swap with little added cost.  The rotors/drums would have to be replaced or redrilled so I added that cost in.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: those Fuchs 914 alloys are the best looking alternative for 4 bolt drums/rotors.

I have 4 lug, 8 slot chrome wheels like the Mangels. They are 5 1/2" but the distance from the mounting surface to the outside is the same as 4 1/2" wheels.  The additional inch is toward the inside.

I got them many years ago from the Beck folks.  I don't know if they are still available for them.

Sorry all for the delay in responding, I was cramming to finish up all last minute projects and then transferring it to a new location, more on that later...

@Alan Merklin, reading that back to you in different words to make sure I understood:  Looking at the wheel well from the outside, the body of the car toward the top/rear of the wheel arc is where the gap becomes narrowest wrt the outer wall of the tire.  Therefore, you shave down that portion from the inside of the wheel well to provide more space for the tire?

@Stan Galat Hah, "learn to love them".  Sounds like an arranged marriage, sure feeling like it right now.  So it sounds like 185 is the reasonably widest, even that might be a reach?  

Also, you said "If you want wider wheels with more tuck, you can stick with what you have (they are 5" wide and have more offset) or get out your billfold", I'm not sure if I understood.  Did you mean that I could stick with these Fuchs rims but somehow get more positive offset to make more room for wider tires?  

Double also, you mentioned my spare.  I don't know but I assume that it fits.  Is there anything else that can be learned from that spare?  It's only a 125 width, so it's pretty narrow.

@WOLFGANG I couldn't access the part # through the slots, I can try to jack up the car later.  Your response makes me think of a few questions- mine are "polished" which is not chrome, does anyone ever send out for chrome plating?  I'm guessing that's expensive and you're better off buying already-chrome.  

Also, do these Fuchs accept hub caps such as the nipple Porsche crested ones?  Actually I hadn't realized that nicer caps like those from VW ISP are available, that'd make me feel better about it all.  How do those (or the ugly black ones I have in the OP photo) affix to the wheel?  The PO was talking about a glue and said he didn't like that approach so he left them off (or those fell off and he didn't try to glue them again for that reason).

@Michael McKelvey Sounds like you have the same look as mine, but wider?  I can reach out to Beck.

@Sean Seena posted:

@WOLFGANG I couldn't access the part # through the slots, I can try to jack up the car later.  Your response makes me think of a few questions- mine are "polished" which is not chrome, does anyone ever send out for chrome plating?  I'm guessing that's expensive and you're better off buying already-chrome.  

Also, do these Fuchs accept hub caps such as the nipple Porsche crested ones?  Actually I hadn't realized that nicer caps like those from VW ISP are available, that'd make me feel better about it all.  How do those (or the ugly black ones I have in the OP photo) affix to the wheel?  The PO was talking about a glue and said he didn't like that approach so he left them off (or those fell off and he didn't try to glue them again for that reason).

@Michael McKelvey Sounds like you have the same look as mine, but wider?  I can reach out to Beck.

Fuchs are Fuchs, no hubcaps need apply, nor can hubcaps be affixed to the rim. If you want nipple caps you will need wide five rims or the standard 8 lug chrome Mangels (If that's what they're called). The 10 slot four-lug rims Carey sells take a "C" cap or you can slightly modify the hubcap lips to accept a moonie or a nipple cap.

The OEM 2L 914 Fuchs used stainless steel "bearing" caps - which undamaged are very expensive.  On a bug chassis they don't stick out far enough to clear the front bearing caps  (especially the left one with the speedo drive cable) or the rear 36mm axel bolts.

ISP West -

CENTER CAP - FOR 2.0 FUCHS WHEELS

FULLY POLISHED BILLET REPLACEMENT CAP FOR ORIGINAL 2.0 FUCHS, MAHLE OR PETRINI WHEELS - SOLD EACH 2 3/8" OR 60mm Dia. APRX.

MADE IN THE USA!

CENTER CAP

• Item Number: GA-CAP914

• Price: $30.00

• Availability: In stock.

@Alan Merklin @Stan Galat @WOLFGANG @dlearl476 @Michael McKelvey @Lfepardo: Sorry to blast you guys, but wasn't sure how apparent this reply to an old post would be?  What's the accepted protocol in these situations?  Anyway:

So I'm sure this is a stupid question somehow, but it's a good learning comparison for me I think:  Why is it that this speedster, which is also a CMC, can have those rims with the hubcaps?  Is the suspension different there?: https://sfbay.craigslist.org/e...ster/7254485081.html

Because the Craigslist ad will expire one day: The description was "1958 Porsche 356 Speedster replica built by Classic Motor Carriages, 22000 original miles, just serviced runs excellent, starts with a flick of the key every time, Titled as a 1970 Volkswagen, no smog required, clean title, fun little car without the $250K price of a real Speedster, only $29500".  

And here are some of the tire-relevant photos, which show the suspension but also tire/body clearance:

They look to be chrome Mangle 4 bolt steel wheels.  They came in 4.5 and 5.5" width.  I had them on my CMC Speedster (on a '71 chassis with IRS - like this one).  They fit fine with 165/80x15 Michelin XZX tires.  I now have 185/65x15 Bridgestone tires on OEM 2 Liter 914 Fuchs (ET40/Backspacing 4.4").  (I have stock rear drum brakes). They fit but very tight at outside tire to the fiberglass wheel well.  Not sure what the Mangles ET/Offset is.  So the offset/backspacing and the tire width/aspect ratio is what makes a difference.