Wheel advice

[NorthernThrux]

Let's say that you have a lovely 1973 911S with 212 dyno verified hp that was restored to condition 1 that you drive every chance you get. A couple of thousand miles a year on often crappy country roads and sometimes in the rain.

And let's say that you worry a bit about wrecking the beautiful date correct Harvey Weidman restored 6J x 15 wheels you have on your car which have perfect Michelin XWX 185/70R15 tires on all 5 rims.

And let's say that the dad of a friend of a friend passed away and had a set of 7J x 15 and 8J x 15 RS wheels in their basement in somewhat decent driver shape. 911.361.020.41 and 911.361.020.42

And let's say that you read a recent article in Panorama about life beyond XWX tires.

Would you buy the rims and some better Avon or Pirelli rubber and would they fit my car without mods like rolling the fenders etc.? I'd settle for stock tire size with stickier compound and less hydroplaning issues, so don't have to go to a wider tire. My car is lowered only slightly from stock. About 12-15 mm.

Ravi


EDIT: I should also say that they have 4 of the 7J x 15 rims, so I could just buy those 4 and go 7" all around.

[Cruisingnkali]

Never tried, but to my understanding, 8” fitment will be tough/impossible with stock flares.

[dirk07]

Always a question of ride high.
Well, 7 will fit in the front but 8 not in a narrow rear.

[Lz7w]

7" all around should fit (tire and ride height dependent) and looks good with the "frosted" finish IMO.
picture is the rear fitment with 205/60 tires.

:-)

[Arne]

Previous replies are correct, Ravi. Pass on the 8", but four 7" can work at your ride height if you keep the width of the tires down. The above mentioned 205/60-15 should work, although they are a bit shorter than stock (makes fender gap larger), and the selection of grippy tires isn't great there either. To keep the tire height close to stock stick with 185/70-15, or 195/65-15 if you find something you like in that size. (Not a lot of grippy options there either.)

You mentioned either Avon or Pirelli, and I think those are probably the best two choices for both fit and performance. Avon more grip but less life than Pirelli.

[Arne]

There's another option to consider in wheels, although maybe not as affordable as getting a used set from the friend's family. You could get a set of Maxilite in classic satin finish from Stoddard, deep-6 for the front and 7R for the rear. With the right spacers in back you should be able to then use 215/60-15 in back...

https://www.stoddard.com/91136102011-roe.html

[NorthernThrux]

Thanks Arne. The Deep 6 Maxilite is actually pretty reasonable. The 7R is a lot higher, just like the real thing! I'll give this some thought. I wasn't going to steal these rims from the friend's friend, but 4 of the 7s with 185/70R15 CN36s should be a reasonable solution. 15 x 7-inch 23.3mm offset was a factory option on the 911S if I'm correct. Saw it on the Viper Green 911E on these pages recently. Stunning. So many options....


My major worry is preserving the original rims, and secondarily, more traction. Although I am considering an LSD as well. Car didn't come with one, but as my confidence in cornering has increased, I feel it could be a worthwhile addition.

[dirk07]

7“ hadn’t been an option before RS and if you are going to use 185 tires you better stay with the 6“ all corners and use some spacer.

I m driving 205 on 6“ all corners on narrow body’s.

[NZVW]

Ravi, I had the same set of circumstances, re Harvey refurbed Fuch and XWX so I got a set of 16/5 Minilites out of England and shod them with Yokohama Advan AO48 205-60-15 medium compound tyres. I run a low ride height and have no 'rubbing' issues and the grip is somewhat sensational compared to the XWX.

[NorthernThrux]

Ended up ordering the polished petal and rim/black paint versions from Stoddard. Suits the car better since there is other brightwork that matches. My measurement of the backspacing shows that the oil line is the determining clearance and is 23 mm from the inner surface of the rear tire. The backspace on the 7R rim is 26 mm further in than the stock rim, so I also ordered a set of 7 mm spacers.

911-361-020-00-6PB Maxilite Fuchs Style Wheel 15 x 6-inch ET 36mm Offset Polished Lip and Petals, Black Insets.
911-361-020-11-RPB Maxilite Fuchs Style Wheel 15 x 7-inch 47.4mm 911R Offset Polished Lip and Petals, Black Insets
901-352-413-00 7mm Factory Rear Wheel spacer for front or rear Fits 911 1965-98 930 944 928 90135241300

Finally, I also ordered CN36s which happen to be on sale right now. 185/70 up front and 215/60 at the back.

I think these should give me the subtle upgrade I want without overtaxing the stock Konis and sway bars and preserve my correct rims and tires from road rash.

thanks for the help and suggestions!

Ravi