7X15 "Fuchs" question. Help appreciated.

[MountainRoads]

OK - setting myself up for some possible disappointment here. I finally had reason to pull a wheel off one of my cars for inspection. I'd always had reason to believe they were authentic "Fuchs" 7X15 wheels, but now I'm not so sure Reportedly, the PO had them refurbished by one of the top-notch wheel guys, who everyone here is familiar with. They really do look great.

Anyway, I pulled one of the wheels to check clearance on another car and finally peeked at the part number to find out what they really were. They are stamped: "911 361.020.020. A$162 28139, 7Jx15". Hmmm... a quick check of part number tells me those should be 6x15 ("polish / elox.", whatever that is?), right? These are definitely 7x15 and show no evidence of weld-up. Also, I could not find the Fox (Fuchs) symbol. Only saw what appeared to be a triangular stamping. So are these fake "Fuchs", or what? Candid thoughts/comments/input greatly appreciated.

- MR

[flycut]

If they have a 911 part number they are real.
Repro do not have a 911 part number.

[andyjboy]

There are another 2 digits stamped inside a square after the embossed 911 361.020.

For a 7x15in Fuchs these will be 01, 11 or 41 depending on when they were manufactured.

[MountainRoads]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I thought I read "361.020.020", which is what threw me. Did not notice a square. Will take another look next time I'm there. Thanks again.

- MR

[MountainRoads]

So I took some more shots and am as baffled as before. I pulled two wheels and they are identically stamped: 911361.020.00 with the last "zero" overstamped with what looks like a "seven", or could be a large "one". Apologies for the crappy pics. Best I could do with my "budget" digicam.

Same 7JX15 and a small, upside down, triangular stamping on both wheels. I can't tell what's stamped inside the triangle, because it's really small. They don't look like weld-ups to me, but I'm not the expert on these things

Thanks in advance.

- MR

[fryardds]

Interesting, I don't see a date code stamped by the hub. Does the other wheel have a date code? It has a small inner hole that accepts the three prong cap so it most likely is an early .01 7" Fuchs.

[MountainRoads]

Interesting, I don't see a date code stamped by the hub. Does the other wheel have a date code? It has a small inner hole that accepts the three prong cap so it most likely is an early .01 7" Fuchs.

Good question. I did not see date codes on either wheel. I'll pull the wheels off the the other side of the car, but it will likely be a couple of weeks before I can get there. I suspect they are all marked the same. What are the tell-tale signs of a weld-up from .00 (6 inch) wheels? Thanks.

- MR

[Harvey Weidman]

Those are not weld ups. (you wouldn't custom make a standard offset 7 anyway) They are real. The early 7s (and many other wheels) had the part number frequently stamped over (like your big "1"). The mould was the same for the center portion and the forger sometimes forgot to change the removable part number dies when changing over to the next size. (or sometimes they didn't have the right die combo) The 3 prong wheels were discontiuned in 8/73 so your wheels are from the correct era. They were most likely put on at the dealer unless your car is an RS. I have seen many wheels without dates, again human error...and in groups... that leads me to belive a single person made the omission...
Hope this helps. And wash up the back of those wheels!!! Corrosion never sleps.
H

[MountainRoads]

Those are not weld ups. (you wouldn't custom make a standard offset 7 anyway) They are real. The early 7s (and many other wheels) had the part number frequently stamped over (like your big "1"). The mould was the same for the center portion and the forger sometimes forgot to change the removable part number dies when changing over to the next size. (or sometimes they didn't have the right die combo) The 3 prong wheels were discontiuned in 8/73 so your wheels are from the correct era. They were most likely put on at the dealer unless your car is an RS. I have seen many wheels without dates, again human error...and in groups... that leads me to belive a single person made the omission...
Hope this helps. And wash up the back of those wheels!!! Corrosion never sleps.
H

Thanks Harvery, et. al. who offered tips and insight. Much appreciated. That explanation helps a lot and I knew I could count on you guys. Also, I hope you recognize your own craftsmanship Harvey (so I was told by previous owner )

FWIW: I know these wheels weren't put on by the dealer and no, it's not an RS. (In my dreams.) I owned this car before and it had the original stock -E "Comfort", 5.5 X 14s on it when I sold it. The spare still is 5.5 X 14 and looks like it could still have the original Michelin rubber on it, too. Amazingly, it still looks quite serviceable as an emergency spare.

Duly noted on the grimey backsides. I never worried much about that before. Thanks for the reminder. I'll need to wait for the temp to go up a bit before I can spray them with Gunk and then hose them down.

- MR