Hester

I've been following this thread over on PP too. Simply Wow. Hester, if you were looking for a way to up your post count quickly and/or win some new friends, I'd say you perfected the technique !

Glad the Prof's family found the perfect knowing/caring hands to pass the car onto for the next 73,xxx (or more) miles....

Okay, I'm stumped, were 911R wheels still being produced in January 1970? That is what the 1/70 on the back of the wheel indicates, is it not? The 26mm spacers have me stumped also. I run a welded 7" steel wheel with the "R" offset for autocross but I only run a 5/16" spacer, any more and my tire would rub the fender. Can't see how the 26mm one is working, but there it is in the photos. What am I missing here? Now I do run a 225 x 50 tire and my car is lower, but that still doesn't account for all that spacer. Someone out there will clear this up for me.

Yeah, that is a biiiiig spacer. I run a 15mm spacer with 7R's and 225/50. I suspect that with the smaller tire that Hester is running this spacer was used to push the tire out as far as possible.

Dave, you're right, when I go back to page 2 and look carefully at the photo of the l/r I can see that the face of the wheel is about flush with the face of the fender, so if the car were lower the tire would probably hit the fender. I guess being a skinnier tire and a taller ride height you get away with that size spacer. See, I knew someone would have an answer!

Hester,

Just checked my stash of Carello lights, and I only have a amber fog lens in the model body you have, and it has a crack too! Lenses trade on Italian enthusiast sites, also on eBay occasionally, watch the European sites, but beware and take your chances... I'll let you know if I see anything that fits your bill. Now get that illumination up and go for a drive up a twisty road!

Best,

BA

Bummer. Lately, it seems odd if things don't come easy. Thanks for checking. I'll keep looking.

1970 911S Coupe, "Hester"

I was looking at the spare tire the other day because I am buying new tires and noticed that the 185/70 mounted on the 15x7 Fuchs (a 911R wheel with the 49mm offset) is a Michelin X with no tread wear. The tire does not hold air and the back of the rim is perfectly clean as if it had never been mounted on the car. The tread is unworn. I suspect that it is the only tire that has ever been on that wheel since 1970.

It will never be a serviceable tire. My first instinct is to put a new tire on that wheel and use it as a spare, however, I am hesitating to disturb something that has been preserved for 38 years.

I could buy another rim that will fit the car, mount a new tire on it, and save the original spare for posterity. That doesn't seem to make any sense to me but I would like some input from the Porsche community. Please help.

I have already rejected the idea of taking the 911R wheels off the car and saving them because I cannot think of anyone or anytime better to use these wheels than me and right now.

I'm a bit of a freak for originality but I would absolutely keep the tire on the wheel if it were original to the car. My car has the original Dunlop spare and I still have it in the trunk. It does hold air though, so at least I have the illusion that it might get me to safety.

The only problem I would envision with using a different wheel (depending on the size) for a spare would be the spacer for the 7R wheel. Although in that situation I suppose you could remove the spacer if you were ever stranded.

Donald,

I agree with reed, don't put a new tire on the spare wheel. I would keep the original tire on the wheel because it belongs to the car. If you have a flat with your new tires, well that is what a friend with a trailer is for or a good flat bed towing company is for. I would not put an un-mounted 7R wheel on the car. Please don't do it.:)

Man, I knew you guys were going to say that. My wife and I vowed never to become collectors of anything. She has already threatened to throw out any spare tires or wheel she finds collecting dust in the garage. Anyway, I just started looking for a 15x6 Fuchs that I can mount a tire on and use as a serviceable spare while the never-installed 911R wheel with the rotten old Michelin X sits in a corner of the garage (under wraps so my wife doesn't find it). You guys suck....