What would you do?

larry_f · 03-05-2008, 03:49 AM

I am about to purchase a 1967 911S. The wheels that are on the car now are deep 6's. To make the car original, I would need to purchase a set of 4 1/2 Fuch wheels that are rare (probably expensive) and would hurt the ride/handling characteristics.

Would you leave the deep 6's even though they are not correct or go original and suffer the ride?

ossiblue · 03-05-2008, 04:35 AM

I'll probably be the first of many to offer this up to you--what is it you want out of the car? If you want to increase the value of an already valuable car by making it as original as possible, go with the narrow Fuchs. If you're going to drive it and want to improve handling/comfort, then make the necessary changes. Bottom line, you have to get clear yourself, the direction you want to go. Ideally, if you've got the $$$, buy both sets of wheels. (Easy for me to say...)

Macroni · Macroni's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by ossiblue

I'll probably be the first of many to offer this up to you--what is it you want out of the car? If you want to increase the value of an already valuable car by making it as original as possible, go with the narrow Fuchs. If you're going to drive it and want to improve handling/comfort, then make the necessary changes. Bottom line, you have to get clear yourself, the direction you want to go. Ideally, if you've got the $$$, buy both sets of wheels. (Easy for me to say...)

+1

larry_f · 03-05-2008, 03:26 PM

I had thought of the two sets option. Any idea how much an original (real) set of 4 1/2's go for?

larry_f · 03-05-2008, 03:42 PM

I had thought of the two sets option. Any idea how much an original (real) set of 4 1/2's go for?

evergreen · 03-05-2008, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larry_f

I had thought of the two sets option. Any idea how much an original (real) set of 4 1/2's go for?

They are even pricier than deep sixes. Probably safe to say $2800 to $3K for a really nice set of 4 1/2's...maybe more; IF you can find them.

Stunning NOS set of 4.5s here ... but probably astronomically priced especially when converting GBP to $USD.
Better have a paramedic on standby if asking for a price on these

http://www.racecar.com/edmondharris/parts/product_detail.asp?ProductID=402

Soterik · Soterik's Garage

Larry,

Get both sets, you will be happy that you have them at some point in time. Note that there is a great tire for the 4.5's that has great "stick", Avon CR6ZZ, in a 175/15.

http://www.early911sregistry.org/forum/showthread.php?t=16533&highlight=tire+cr6zz

These wheels are only going to keep going up, guessing $3K+ right now. If you get a so-so set, you can get them restored by Al Reed or Harvey Weidman.

Another option, if you're "sick" like me, is to get a set of 4.5's and have them widened to 6" by Harvey. Best of both worlds!

ttweed · ttweed's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by larry_f

Would you leave the deep 6's even though they are not correct or go original and suffer the ride?

After driving mine on both sizes, I would never have put the 4.5s back on for anything but display purposes. Unless you are going to show the car and absolutely must have the correct rims, the difference in grip between a 205 on a 6 or 7" rim and a 165-175 on a 4.5" rim in spirited driving was a no-brainer for me. When you add the fact that the original 4.5s are scarce, and coveted by the VW crowd as much as the early 911 folks, driving the prices to over $4K for a nice set these days, the decision may become easier for you. Of course, if you are as sick as Eric, the best of both worlds is definitely to widen a set of 4.5s to 6".

TT