Dated wheels and the importance?
 

I’m trying to understand the importance of wheel dates when it comes to cars that won’t be sitting on the Pebble Beach lawn. I know there may be a cool factor or even bragging rights for some who probably saved their original tires from 1975 but for the rest of the folks what difference does it make, as long as the wheels are Genuine Fuchs and in excellent condition. If a person owns a 3.0RS or an RSR (or another rare model) then finding the correct dates is important..other than that is the premium worth it? I remember when I had Lindsey Racing build me a set of their 17” Fuchs using 16x6 Fuchs. He said most of the wheels they received from customers were damaged. Seems like dates trump condition in today’s time.

Hey Rey,
I’m going to counter one of your points. If someone owns a real RSRand the car ever saw the track in its previous life, it’s very unlikely to have its original wheels. And that would be that particular car’s real and genuine history. I think people restoring cars, going out looking for the exact right date code are often fabricating something. These cars are only original once. I think folks fixating on this arr a little bonkers.

Like you said, there is a place for it. If you’ve got some preservation class car competing for top honors it better have it’s original date stamped wheels most any other instance nobody will be behind you wheel checking a date. People put it in their ads but I’m not sure it makes a measurable difference in value most of the time.

I agree Matt. I don’t get it either. Maybe someone can chime in and offer a different perspective than we have.

For those of us (Rey included) who have or have had early 930s, most of those undersized original wheel sets are long gone. I have no interest in paying a huge premium for a set of date-correct wheels that were too small to begin with. YMMV, etc, etc.

Whatever floats your boat. A date hidden on the backside of a wheel, gauge or whatever, means nothing to me but if it makes someone happy, so be it.

If a seller claims that a car is n"100% original", it's a quick check to see if the wheels are matching date range. On steel wheels it's easy to check. On a a 356, more important, On a 924, less important.

Pebble Beach important. Cars and Coffee not important.

There are different levels of original. If a car gets used then parts are replaced and exchanged/upgraded. Are the spark plugs original? Is the air filter original? If so then yes you have an all original (never used) car. Maybe it would be more correct to state that the car is constructed of parts built at a similar time as the chassis was produced.

I've sold hundreds of date matched wheel sets and the buyers tend to often be guys who have bought fully restored cars but that have many reproduction parts. In their quest to make the cars their own and to make them more original guys will buy things like date matched wheels.
Date matched wheels are not for everyone. I get lots of calls from guys who freak out over the price for a set, add to that they have to have them restored, they balk. I explain that they aren't paying for their set of wheels, they are paying for the wall of wheels that made their set possible. In order to build the date matched sets I have to buy every wheel I can, which means thousands of wheels. It's a system that works, but it isn't cheap to do, therefore the wheels aren't cheap.

---Adam
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Adam,
Just tried to dm you about a set of flat 6x15s I’m about to list. Happy to wholesale them and not deal with the bs. Shoot me an email at gtgears@yahoo.com and let’s deal.

Adam exactly my point. Dated wheels can be a very expensive venture for an owner. Which is why I believe many have no idea at the true cost of buying a correct set. Before restoring the wheels a good wheel restorer will check for any flaws…if flaws are found that will add to the restoration. Which wont be cheap. In the end to each his own but one should really asks themselves what will be the true purpose of the car.

Luckily, the initial sticker shock scares most people who would be scared. Unlike some things where it's cheap to get into and the price climbs from there, like restoring a 928!

---Adam

Rey it is funny you say this. I sold a stock 3.6T exhaust with 1993 date stamps to a gentleman that had to have everything on his car original production period parts. It is nearly the same exhaust as the later year 930's and can be had relatively cheap used or cost well over $20k new from Porsche. i could find him most of the exhaust for around $1000 all used but he had to have the 93 date stamps on the headers and cat and Although I didn't want to sell I through out a $4500 for the three units thinking he would laugh but to my chagrin he said fine. Same thing happened when I sold my 94 turbo S flachbau tail and figured $10k would make him run. Little did I realize someone would offer me $40k for it years later. Water under the bridge.

I purchased a new set of speedlines for my turbo last year. It set me back nearly $9k. I figured mine are perfect and original so I should preserve them. It is also nice to have a set for the car to sit on in winter storage. Yet I have seen others shell out as much as $25k for a set of clean 92-93 date stamp wheels so they can say they came with the car. I don't see the need my factory original speedlines all have different date stamps within a few months of each other.

Some people are more obsessive than others. They read too much and feel that it has to be one way or another based on what others tell them.

BTW as far as original RSR wheels I guess you are correct. Some RSR is missing a set which I have sitting on a shelf. They are not 100% perfect but close and IMO aren't worth refinishing but will keep the slight patina and see what happens. I was offered $40k for them but this time I have decided to not make the same mistake again.

I can understand hollow spoke vs solid but date stamps for any thing but a pure collector car with low miles makes no sense to me.

Adam That is one collection of wheels you have there. You were kind enough to sell me one SM version of a cup I years ago at Hershey after it rolled down the hill away from you. The irony was I was looking for just the one and I couldn't find it. I recognized it from the backside as it rolled in front of me. You wanted to sell the set but were kind enough to sell just the one.

I'm curious how Adam keeps the inventory straight.

That is fraud. I wouldn't be too happy if I bought an "original" car and found out later it was a track car cobbled together with date matching parts.

Fraud, no doubt, but hard to prove and far worse happens everyday on BaT and other platforms. Some sellers get away with murder. I saw a 1996 turbo S spec 993TT which was at most a $150k car at the time sold by Mr. 12 o'clock as a real turbo S for $450k and the he flagrantly lied his arse off. He still got away with it somehow. Having non original parts with proper date stamps is nothing in comparison.

I can't tell you how many RSA's I know that were track cars their entire life and sold on BaT as never being tracked. Crazy what greed and money will do.

I personally know of a few. One I saw crash. I have pictures of them somewhere.

Back to wheels. My 9x15 s date coded 71 would be worth much more to someone with a 911ST than someone with a 77 930.


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