"Siena get new shoes" or "The shoes make the lady"

[pamp]

Finished the wheel tire/project. 16 X7 and 16 X 8 BBS RS 005 Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec. 205/55 front and 225/50 rear. To say these tires are sticky would be an understatement. This project started as an ebay buy, wheels for $950-all 16 X 7. Then to Greens Auto in Vancouver B.C for restoration. The "lips" to modify the rears to 16 X 8 came from Hofmann Racing in Germany also the low profile hex nuts and gold plated screws. 800 euros for the lips (2 1/2'') screws and hex nuts. Restore price was $1000 for straightening, finish, and assembly. Tire cost was $780 shipped from the US via Tire Rack. To say this project got O.C in the budget department...Well...once only deal, and I love the result. Alpina wheels just look wrong for my color. One thing that came up was the the new racing lips have a 8mm valve stem hole. After visiting three different tire shops, none had a clue or suggestion. I started to think "where have I seen this small a hole on a wheel before?"
Motorcycles! Found 1 ea. of the desired stem at two different M.C. shops, the sevens were EZ and standard North America spec. Then found a "no touch" machine at Canadian Tire to do the mounting.

 

[TodB]

Dunlops

To say these tires are sticky would be an understatement.

I recently got the Specs for my E28 5 series. They are great, great tires though I'll bet overkill for a coupe. Your price sounded high. Weren't they $116 each? If you ordered before last week, there was a $50 rebate also. I was at $500 shipped before the rebate.

 

[pamp]

Meats

$200 to ship to Canada, to our island, bro' Still cheaper to go this way for me vs Canada dealer prices. For some reason tire prices are much higher here. Even though I paid all duties... Well... We have taxes. Supports a country that is larger than the USA with a population smaller than California. But we pay willingly for the life. ( paid all of my taxes due, and saved , yet for some reason, some$$) Seemed to be worth a try with the Tire Rack and compare. Availability was an issue as well. I live fairly remote and the closest BMW dealer is a 4 hour drive from here, for instance.

 

[abe3.0CSi]

Nice wheels and tires...I just bought a set of restored bbs rs 16" x 7", 8". Just got them 2 days ago and they look like the borrowed pictures. I am going with 215x50x16 front and 245x45x16 rears for a lower profile look. I currently have stock wheels with 215x60x14..my fenders are rolled so it should be fine. The offset in the front is 11 rear 20...close enough to the Alpinas.
Update, I just put the tires/rims 215x50x16 and 245x45x16 and its a perfect fit. I like them better than the conventional wisdom here because I have a wider track in the rear and the diameter is between stock and the 205x55 , 225x50 "wisdom tires" which IMHO look too big. Bottom line, its a personal preference. Biggest down side is that selection of tires are limited.
abe

 

[decoupe]

Nice Shoes

Great looking wheels and sounds like good rubber. Summer grade? I went the Tire Rack route when I put on some "ultra high performance" all season Continentals and was very pleased with the price and service bringing them into Canada with a minimum of fuss.

The tires are/were so disappointing after the Yoko AVS ES 100 that were on the car but we get snow and frost at the damnedest times of the year here so I erred on the side of caution and ended up with teflon tires.

Doug

 

[pamp]

The shoes

Abe,
Let me take a side shot of the current set up. As most would agree, 205 & 225 is about as wide as one would go. I am right at the edges of the quarters. Any wider would look...well...
like some LA low rides if you get my drift. This project was a little tough and pricey. Could be duplicated? Yes, yet I feel it is special and worth the effort, for my car. These were some well used shells to start. I had my heart set on the gold, my other wheels were BBS single, forged, but in the gold, 14 inch. Tire size 205/60 and looked quite cartoonish. My refinished pieces, these are like fine jewelry, the three piece. But to find in gold, period specific, restored, I had no luck and searched for some six months just to have my starting point with the beaters, now restored. Had three offers to sell these before they left the wheel shop! No way...

 

[pamp]

Side shots

Hard to get perspective. I would be advise against varying the established formula as so many on the forum have attested to... 205/55 front and 225/50 rear on the 16 X 7 / 8 stagger ET 11 and ET 24 for the sizes. The difference being the "lips" or outer rim 1 1/2'' for the ET 11 or 7 inch, 2 1/2'' for the ET 24 or 8 inch, and for ET 36 -3 1/2'' on the outer for a 9'' wheel. Not sure what an ET 20 would be...I looked in the shop and the only wheels I have that are ET 20 are 15 inch - a 7 '' wheel...? If this is the case than a 245 would not work in the best world. Saw a lot of the black/silver combo for decent deals...not to my design. Could someone with more knowledge chime in...?
To Doug...I liked my yokos also for an all season. Ran them on my old 2002. These are summer only tires I have now. Hope to see no errant conditions!

 

[atan888]

Love it BBS RS FTW!

 

[abe3.0CSi]

Boy I have debated back and forth of which size tires to use....we will see if I made a mistake or not. BTW, if worse comes to worse...I'll add hydraulics to the front and have that baby jumping up and down!!
Diameter of original tires if 185x70x14 was 24.2
My current tires 215x60x14 24.2
Current Wisdom f 205x55x16 24.9
r 225x50x16 24.9
My choice f 215x50x16 24.5
(or big mistake) r 245x45x16 24.7

So, I don't think its going to look like a low rider car...but the hydraulics are still an option...haha
abe

 

[aw21]

Nice wheels and tires...I just bought a set of restored bbs rs 16" x 7", 8". Just got them 2 days ago and they look like the borrowed pictures. I am going with 215x50x16 front and 245x45x16 rears for a lower profile look. I currently have stock wheels with 215x60x14..my fenders are rolled so it should be fine. The offset in the front is 11 rear 20...close enough to the Alpinas.
abe

Can't wait to see photos of these on your car!

Also keep us posted on the tire size.

 

[gazzol]

Lovely wheels, I'm a tiny bit jealous they are one of my favorites and I'd love a set, well done!! Very unusual color of car, I don't think I've ever seen it on a coupe before, I like it a lot.
Regards gazzol

 

[bert35csi]

Was this color (sienabraun) ever available other than on a 1974 USA 3.0 CS? Have to say I've never seen one. Seems like about 90 percent (at least to me) of all 74 CS USA coupes was in this color.

 

[pamp]

Sienabraun - Metalic

Hmm...
Maybe a good question to put to Mr. Harz