Wheel question, cross post from RL
 

I am thinking switching from 15" wheels to 17", more choices for tires. I have an '83, early offset manual steering. What wheel options are there for early offset? I would prefer to not have to use spacers.

If I do go to a larger wheel are there changes that I would need to make. And how would it effect my car?

There are no factory 17" wheels with early 23.3mm offset. Aftermarket ones are available but they are heavy monsters. Nothing wrong with spacers if you get the non-adapter types and install longer studs. In fact, this is how the factory did it on the rear.

If you get heavier than-stock wheels & tyres, handling and ride-quality will suffer. Main benefit is improved cornering grip. On my '86 951 (early offset), I was able to use 17x10.5/11.5" wheels with 255/40-17 and 275/40-17 tyres by increasing offset by 1/2" to 35mm. Similar to what Porsche did in going from Turbo to TurboS.

You're gonna have to do some researching on custom wheels, as the backspacing will be different than stock. If you use a larger, wider wheel, chances are you'll need spacers. These links might help you.

944 Wheels FAQ
14.0 Performance Modifications

I personally love the cookie cutters, but couldnt stand the wheel gap in the rear. So, what I did was swap out my studs for longer ones, with the factory spacer and a second hubcentric spacer. Open ended lug nuts too.

Ive read not to go any larger than 17" wheels on a N/A 944 because it'll affect peformance.

Search a u t o m o t i o n . c o m for "Euromeister." They may not be feather light, like the originals, but I've seen them on a few cars and they look fantastic. They do come in 17, and the price is right.

Nice look, are they available in a late offset?

Note that the offset information in the 944FAQ is incorrect for some models. The '86 early-offset ones I think.