Benton

Meticulously restored Fikse Mach V forged wheels
928-specific widths and offsets
BMW "Chrome Shadow" 3-stage painted centers
Powder coated inner and outer rim halves

17 x 10.5 ET 65 Rear
17 x 9 ET58 Front and/or 8.5 ET64
17.0 / 17.2 lbs each wheel front/rear
Comparison: 16 x 9 Forged Club Sport wheels are over 20 lbs, 17 x 9 Cup 1s are over 25 lbs



The forged centers were refinished by Prince Wheel Services in Charlotte – renowned for top notch BMW Chrome Shadow refinish work. I sand blasted the entire set in my shop and powder coated the rim halves/barrels with all threads and mating surfaces masked to retain precise tolerances. I spent an excessive amount of time restoring these, and while I want to keep them, I don’t need them.

The quality of Fikse wheels far surpasses that of any other 3-pc wheel manufacturer I have refurbished or fiddled around with; however, the base technipolish finish leaves the rim halves uncoated (leading to pitting and high maintenance to maintain polish) and the centers coated in a fragile clearcoat that does not hold up to daily or all season duty. This set will have none of those issues. This is as low maintenance as you can get for a set of shiny forged wheels. Plus, 17” step-lip 3-piece wheels look damn good on a 928, especially when lowered a bit.

You will not be disappointed in the quality of the wheels or the quality of the restoration.


Price (OBO):
$2750 with either 9” or 8.5” front wheels (your choice of outer rim halves/offset, see below)
$2895 with both pairs of front outer rim halves, powder coated to match, with one pair of your choice installed/torqued/sealed (go conservative now, widen later or vice versa)
$85 flat FedEx shipping fee, fully insured and very well packed
17" tires will save a few hundred bucks over 18"+ each set


Rear wheel specs:

• 17 x 10.5 ET65
• 2” outer rim, 8” inner rim
• Recommended tire 275/40R17 ideal, larger if you can find/fit
• Relative to the commonly-used-on-928s 911 rear specs of 10” ET65, the outer lip is ¼” extended and inner lip is ¼” extended (no spacers installed)

Front wheel specs:

• 17 x 9 ET58 (as they are currently bolted together)
• 17.0 lbs each
• 1.5” outer rim, 7.5” inner rim
• Recommended tire 245/40R17 or 245/45R17 or 255/40R17
• Fender rolling may be required depending on ride height and alignment settings
• Relative to the commonly-used-on-928s 911 front specs of 8” ET52, the outer lip is ¼” extended and inner lip is ¾” extended.
• YES, these will fit over GTS/Big Red brake calipers

Alternative/additional front wheel specs:

• 17 x 8.5 ET64
• 1” outer rim, 7.5” inner rim
• Recommended tire 245/40R17 or 245/45R17
• Relative to 8” ET52, the outer lip is ¼” retracted and inner lip is ¾” extended.
• The 1” rim halves need to be powder coated to match, add 3-5 days for shipping

The offset in either case is in the 58-65mm range which as originally used on the 928. Unlike most readily-available OE or aftermarket wheels, this allows your track width and scrub radius to remain within original tolerance.

Finish, Condition, Terms:

• Centers and center caps finished in 3-stage BMW “Chrome Shadow” effect paint with black powder coat base, Chrome Shadow midcoat, and powder coat clear which is much more durable than a paint clear over chrome shadow. The effect is my personal favorite wheel finish (always loved E39 M5 wheels), which in bright light has the luster of a polished wheel and in shade/shadow takes on a moodier black chrome look. It also renders the spokes better than a traditional finish, as they have a significant gradient depending on which surface is facing the sun. Notice the backside of the spokes are essentially black. It's expensive, too.
• Outer rims powder coated in Polished Aluminum UV-resistant finish
• Inner rims powder coated in Satin (semi-gloss) black
• All original hardware in excellent condition, only cleaned to retain rust-preventive coating
• New O-rings on center caps
• Matching anodized valve stem caps
• I have not applied silicone sealant as I will await the decision on the front rim width setup. This will not take more than a day to complete.
• Note that this setup, while darn near perfect, is not “new.” There are a few very minor nicks here and there that are visible upon close inspection. The photos accurately represent the condition of the wheels as you will receive them. They spin straight and true.
• First come, first serve at the asking price. I will field offers below the asking price through 9/25 if necessary, unless interest is limited and we agree on a deal. Payment via Paypal within 24 hours of agreement or I reserve the right to sell to next in line.
• Shipping within 3 business days of payment, if not sooner. If 1” outer front rim halves are desired, please add 3-5 days to give time to powder coat.

Questions/Offers:
PM or email me at bentonmarkd-at-gmail-dot-com

FredR

Mark,

A lovely looking set of wheels and a pretty decent price IMHO- excellent opportunity for those so inclined.

The only comment I would make for those not so well informed is that if I were going to run these wheels on a 928 I would do so with the 1 inch outer rim section to give ET65 as per Porsche NSR design. With the 2 inch section and ET58 one loses most of the NSR if my memory serves me correctly.

With ET65 option one can still fit a 255x40 section up front with no significant issues on the resulting 8.5 inch rim other than maybe the need for an extra rack stop should there be any contact on full lock [?].

Not sure what a new set runs at these days but 10 years ago they were over $5k then. Excellent for both road and track. I note they also have raised centre caps presumably to avoid clashing with the wheel bearing grease covers.

Rgds

Fred

Benton

Thanks for the input, Fred. I would tend to agree that the 8.5 is ideal, but I would prefer to not run a 255 on an 8.5 on the steering axle--thus the more aggressive width and offset as a compromise. I like a positive front end with minimal sidewall roll, and a 255 on an 8.5 is pushing it IMO. Widening the inner rim halves (as opposed to the outer to get to 9") would have likely necessitated steering stops, but I don't think this setup would require them in either case.

Luckily, the buyer can make that choice.

FredR

Mark,

I run Pirelli P Zero and I agree that a 255 on a 8.5 is on the limit of acceptability. Maybe different makes have different limits. My wheels have 1.5 inch outers and 8 inch inners and perfect for a 265 section but for sure they do need limit stops. Given I am not doing any track work these days my new rubber is already waiting for me at 255x35x18.

In the case of the wheels you are offering a 245 will doubtless work very well on those rims so plenty of options. I come from the school of thought that NSR is "non negotiable" as it were.

Those wheels were on my radar when I came across my current ones. I really liked the hidden bolting design- less cleaning clutter. You have certainly done them justice.

Some 10 plus years down the line my wheels aee now getting a bit tired with the polished and laquered centre forged section needing some TLC!

Good luck with the sale.

Rgds

Fred

Imo000

Many aftermarket rims have a life cycle. Have these ever seen the track, if have, how many hours? If they were only used on the street, how old are they and how many miles are on them?

SeanR

Nice Benton, worth every penny.

Benton

For those interested-

The story of these wheels: purchased new in the mid-2000s for an 86.5 928. I bought the 86.5 in 2010 from a clueless owner who had put limited miles on the car and immediately disassembled these wheels. Since 2010, they have been stored indoors and have been under periodic restoration. I had the centers refinished when I had a set of Kinesis wheels painted in Chrome Shadow at Prince Wheel about 18 months ago. I have since powder coated the rim halves myself. I am no slouch in the restoration department.

I believe the "life cycle" point is moot with a set of street-used Fikse wheels that have not seen a high stress, damage-producing impact. These are properly-engineered, bespoke wheels (including the rim halves), with many, many sets used for multiple seasons of pro endurance racing use. Daytona Prototypes used 18" Fikse wheels as the benchmark for 10+ years.

Judging by tire removal marks on the rim halves, maybe they've seen three sets of tires. I would estimate in the neighborhood of 30,000 street miles. I do not believe they were used on the track, but I cannot ask them if they have seen such.

When sandblasted, it was clear that the centers were in excellent condition with no evidence of fatigue or damage. The threads on the centers were taped and chased after blasting and coating. There wasn't a speck of rust on any of the bolts.

These were not in poor condition when they were disassembled. I have high standards for finishes and wanted to use them on my 993, but the ~5 year old, Florida-used technipolish finish simply had not held up. IMO, Fikse's weakest link for street use are their finish offerings. I aimed to build my ideal set of 17" Fikses.

hacker-pschorr

Technically everything has a life cycle, what sparked the fibers in your brain to pick on these?

Pulling the technical tidbit about the life-cycle of wheels out of thin air and choosing this particular thread to bring it up is downright puzzling to the point of annoying.

Of all the hundreds upon hundreds of wheel threads selling unknown branded knockoffs you are silent. But here someone is selling one of the few wheel brands that far exceeds OEM and you choose to cast doubt upon the quality of the product being sold?

I could understand your concern if these were a set of race wheels in use for decades being sold as "like new", that's not the case here.
Or if the seller was some unknown entity with a single post count.
Nope.....you decided to pick on Benton, a long standing respected member of our community.

Frankly I feel you owe him an apology.

hlee96

Would the rear tires rub against my S4 using 275 tires? Fenders are not rolled. Thanks

S4ordie

+928 These are the only non-Porsche wheels that look right on a 928. They are strong and with these offset options, a really great option.

Slantnose!

Those really look great!

Benton

While I cannot say with certainty, I am nearly certain that the answer to that is no, even if the car is lowered significantly. It's right in the neighborhood of what I would say is ideal but not too aggressive. With 245/275 or 255/275 (dial out a bit more understeer with 9"/255 front), this would be an ideal corner carving setup.

If the buyer wanted to do the occasional drag strip run with drag radials, a taller sidewall is ideal (and some bulge), so the 17" is even better. A 315/35R17 would likely squeeze in the back for drag use, possibly with fender rolling.

One reason I wanted to use the 17s myself was to have the liberty of switching tires for seasons and needs more reasonably. A set of Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Specs (great street/autox/track compromise tire) was in the neighborhood of $650 for these. Comparable 18" sizes were nearly $1000/set, I believe.

Many thanks for the positive comments.

hlee96

Thanks for the reply Mark. I don't race nor track the current crop of 928s. I like a nice balance of handling and comfort, willing to sacrifice some handling for a DD comfort (that's why some are auto!). Therefore, would you state that with:
245/40 (or 245/45) front with 8.5 ET64
275/40 rear with 10.5 ET65 *won't rub?

My favorite tires now are Michelin Pilot SuperSports on my DD 335xi.

thanks for any more advice
-Hoi

Benton

I'm going to add a few reference pictures. Make sure to read the notes above the picture to save from confusion. If you don't want me using a photo of your car, PM me and I'll be glad to take it down.

Sterling's (member) car on 17" Fikse FM10, similar sizes (unsure of widths, offsets, and tires but they are similar):




svp928's (member) car on 17" HREs (unsure of widths/offsets/tire sizes):



275/40R17 on 10.5" wide wheels (rear):



315/35R17 on 10.5" wide wheels:



While 19s, the front wheel size in this photo is ~8.5" ET 56. The outer edge of the 9" front Fikse wheel would extend outward approximately 4mm more than this front wheel. The 8.5" front Fikse setup would retract inward approximately 16mm from this wheel.

Benton

Hoi - let me dig into that for you as I studied the best tire options for these wheels when I considered using them. Will report back on this post. Unfortunately, the MPSS is not available in wider than 245 rear section width for a 17" wheel. However, there are some excellent tire options for various reasons/purposes.

Update with my tire recommendations for 8.5" front wheels (I believe these also have 255/40 if inclined):

BFG Comp 2 A/S, currently the best all season available and great for summer:


BFG Sport Comp 2, recently redesigned and highly rated:


Sumitomo HTR ZIII, benchmark for inexpensive high performance tires (don't let the price fool you; they're very good):


For "Extreme Performance" summer tires/AutoX/Track, the Falken RT615, Nitto NT05 (loud) or Toyo R1R (a bit dated design, but still great and shed water well) would be the best choice:



For aggressive fitment, some options in the 255/315 stagger category:

Nitto NT05, street/track/autoX summer:


Nitto NT555, high performance summer/mild winter:


Nitto NT555R, streetable drag radial also available in 245/315 or 245/275

There are more options available, but I would choose from those depending on your usage.