RubberBerner

Ok...looked around, i love panasports but im not paying that much, i like the rewinds, but they're not wide enough, i want some nice wheels, with a nice lip, nice offset ( i hate it when the wheels stick way in the fenderwells...i like them to be flush or a little out. want 6.5-7.5 up front and atleast an 8" in the back on stock 4x114.3 lug pattern...16" biggest for the front, 17" biggest for the back... does a wheel like this exist...or is there a nice wheel i can get for $750 or so? Advans, and volks are just too expensive!

NismoPick

you should get something like these rims then...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...RK%3AMEWA%3AIT

Bleach

Racing wheels like what you want cost $1500-2000 a set new. Those used ones are hard to come by.

Besides that, I think you should do a 5-lug swap first. Then you'll open up doors to all kinds of other wheels at a much more competative price.

Z31 300ZX brakes/hubs are part of what you need for the conversion. Their offset is a little less centered, but still not as high as FWD. Mustang, Supra, 350Z wheels come in 17x8 and 17x10 or whatever else you want. Don't go with 16" front. Its hard to find the right tires in 16" and not as many wheel options.

I got some 16" racing wheels and I've only got a couple options on tires.

ok, so 350Z ect RWD wheels are usually +30mm offset vs the FWD which are +40 or +42 on wide wheels. Still, a 8 and 10 inch wide wheel with only +30mm is going to have a nasy lip on it. I've seen those installed on the G35 and Z. Very nice.

The 280ZX can fit some fairly big wheels inside the stock fenders.
8.5" front and 11 inch or so rear if you have the correct offset.

Mine are 16x9 front and 16x10 rear (pictured) I gotta do some creative fitting to see how they'll work on the front. They don't really stick out, but they are pretty flush right below the fender lip.

RubberBerner

well im probably going to roll the fenders as well...so i dunno...im thinkin 16" all around...i like the vintage look...rims not too big, i was gonna do 14"s up front, but there's virtually no good tires in a 225/45/r14 size

lifegrddude

I hit a pothole a little while back and it bent my 17's so I had to change my wheel setup. Right now I'm using 15 X 6.5 up front and 16 X 8 out the back. I think I made a mistake on tire sizing for the front though. I shoulda went with a 205/55 instead of a 205/50. My Z is sitting way too low. The rear tires are 205/50 as well. I am using a +18 offset with a 3mm spacer up front and a +38 with a 25mm spacer out back. Anyways, lemme see if I can get this pic to work....

jfairladyz

Everything was beautiful. Then you exposed the taillights

lifegrddude

Lol yeah, I was messing around with the spray to see what a quickie job on the rear would look like compared to the front signal lights. In the shade it's ok, not great, but in the light it looks like crap. I didn't want to do the typical blackout spray look that a bunch of people are showing up with lately at the Tuesday meets. Had to try a different shade. It'll probably be coming off next weekend since this weekend will be spent re-doing the undercoating on the frame rails... Fun times with fumes and aerosol rubber, such a messy job.

Dorifto

Nice - Longchamps DO look good on ZXs. Always liked your Zed sled, lifegrddude. It's because of your car I'm buying that airdam!

Must've been one hell of a pothole ... I've been in a car that's lost the whole strut assembly on the driver's side hitting a pothole once - not fun.

jfairladyz

Just looking at the pics again. You've sealed the headlight covers for me. I'm definitely goint with them. They funny to me sometimes but not there. And I'll be damned if you're picture taking skillz don't just do the Z justice. Talk about nailing the shot. The angles are perfect. Get yourself some freelance work for a magazine with pics like that man. No joke.

lifegrddude

Thanks for the comments guys.

Dorifto, to tell you truth, I wasn't sure how the Longchamps were gonna look. I just liked the way they looked on my friend's DR30 Skyline in Okinawa. Thankfully they look good on Z's as well. Yeah that pothole was huge! I couldn't avoid it because there was a car in the next lane. I'd say the size of the hole was about 5 feet across and 6 or 7" deep. I rode the line between my lane and the next, but it still wasn't enough. I think 3 or 4 other people blew out their tires as well. One guy in a 330 BMW bent all 4 rims and had 3 of his tires blow out! I know he had to pissed too cause they were some expensive looking 19's.

Jfairladyz, the headlight covers were a 50/50 for me too. When I first got them, I didn't really like them, but they kinda grew on me. Just be sure to screw the brackets into the headlight bucket and not use the double sided tape the company provides because a few people have had their covers fly off when cruising around the freeway! Glad you liked the pics too btw. I was actually just about to head out to class, but decided since I was already running late that snapping a few pics wouldn't hurt. I'd love to work for a magazine or just have a couple photos published somewhere.

RodMoyes

Let's see, was your pothole on:

A: Mira Mar Road

B: Mira Mesa BLVD. or

C: Scripps Poway PKWY


Your pictures all look they were taken in Scripps Ranch and I know the BMW you're talking about. I know of many many wasted wheels/tires in that area due to giant potholes. If you take a picture of the pothole and your repair receipt and submit it to the city of San Diego, they will reimburse you (Assuming it happened on a city of SD street). One of my customers with a S600 Mercedes has destroyed so far, 11 22" Lowenhearts in potholes and the city has paid for all of them.

Rod.

lww

Rod is correct. If your vehicle is damaged as a result of the cities neglect (un-repaired potholes) you are 'eligible' for reimbursement.

Same goes for a cracked windshield as a result of debris from highway/roadway construction.

Document where the incident occurred, take pictures and get your new wheels courtesy of the city.

If you want a little more flexibility on your wheel size and you like the 'old school' look, go to CenterLine's website and order the exact size and off-set you want. They'll punch you out a set of Billet 4 hole pattern Z wheels with no prob.

http://www.centerlinewheels.com/wheel_deals.php

Scroll to the bottom and select 'Z-Car (Datsun)'.

I've got a set of 4 16x8 Billet Star's for my street wheels w/Yokohama's, a set of 16x7 front & 16x8 rear wheels for the track w/Hoosier's and a set of 15x6 front and 15x8 rear wheels w/BFG Drag Radials for the strip.

You can pretty much order any size you want from them although they will try to counsel you to get what they recommend. I can guarantee that 16x8's w/5" back space running 245/45/16's will definitely fit.

I'm going to try and cram a set of 275/15/15 BFG Drag Radials on my drag wheels to see if I can get more rubber on the pavement.

jfairladyz

I think Rod may have put a couple of them potholes out there. What a great way to attract business. Think about it:

Go out in the middle of the night and break up a pot hole the size of Deleware. Then have customers run through said pothole and destroy their rims and tires.
Customer pays Rod for new rims and tires.
City pays customer for paying Rod for new rims and tires.
Rod ends up with a fatter wallet.

It's alright Rod, I won't tell anyone

RubberBerner

Damn Lifegrddude...you put 205's on an 8" rim??? can i ask WHY? seems like you'd want the extra traction, unless that is you had fender clearance issues, thats why my buddies at enjuku racing (in orlando) do with thier front tires to clear the fenders (205's on a 8.5" wheel). But looks like you have more than enough room!?!?! im confused...just looks funny i guess, you just need more sidewall on the rear in my oppinion. 8" wheels could hold 255's no problem, and it would look much sicker!

RodMoyes

Actually, El Nino put the potholes there, I'm just the benficiary.

Rod.

lifegrddude

I have 205's on the rear because the tires were given to me for free. When those wear out, I'll be using 225/55. I don't really want to use a 255 on the back as I think that's going to cause more understeer. Although they might be better for dragracing, which I'm not really into doing much anymore. Pricewise for tires, a 255 is a heck of a lot more expensive too. Rod, that pothole was out by Miramar. Can't believe how bad that road is becoming. Between it and Mira Mesa Blvd., it's almost better to find a country dirt road and drive on that!

RodMoyes

It's almost like I'm psychic or something huh? I knew it was in that area. I've almost taco'd a couple wheels there myself.

Rod.