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Looking for some input on this. My new to me 85 turbo look came with the 16x7 and 16x9 Fuchs wheels that are chromed. The owner traded in the original wheels for the upgraded size in 1994. I'd like to return to the stock anodized look and am looking at my options:
1. Refinish the wheels with a Fuchs expert. This may be the cheapest option. The downside is I don't have an extra set of wheels in the meantime and I'd have to wait about 4wk or more,
2. Order some replicas while the originals are being refinished, or
3. Buy a new set of Fuchs and sell the old ones (in very good condition, minus some mild rashes)
At this stage I'm leaning towards buying a new set. For one, the wheels I have aren't the originals so I don't see it as adding any inherent value to the car. My other question is, if I were to order a new set, is there any benefit to order from Porsche/Suncoast just to have the part number on it versus directly from Fuchfelge or Pelican. The price difference for the entire set would be around $1,700. They are identical, are they not?
While the Fuchsfelge wheels are made by the original company (I have a set on my 930 right now), I'm not sure they're the exact same thing you'd get if you order from a Porsche dealer. My Fuchsfelge wheels don't have Porsche part numbers on the backs of them, for example. That doesn't bother me, as I still own the Fuchs that originally came with the car. I bought the Fuchsfelge wheels from All Star Tire in Long Beach about 1.5 yrs ago, for about $2700+tax. If you go with a Porsche part, then also check pricing at the dealer in Portland/Beaverton. They're usually cheaper than any other place I can find stuff with Porsche part numbers on them.
OP,
A couple of thoughts and opinions from me:
1. Chrome wheels are IMO hideous, so I appreciate you wanting to get rid of them!
2. Refinishing to OEM look will cost you ~$1200 +/-; I recently had my 72 wheels redone by "the guy" in So-Cal.
3. Since you have a turbo-look car, you can go with wider wheels in OEM appearance for a pretty "tough" stance.
On my 930 I ordered Fiske (Fuchs) 9"/11" X 17" and ended with Front: 235/40X17 (you can also fit 245) and Rear: 315/35X17. At the time, the Fikse/Fuchs were forge multi-piece wheels with hidden fasteners/polished lip/black centers and looked the part.
4. If you are going non-OEM, consider cheap cast wheels versus forge wheels.
5. Don't forget to decide about tires before you buy wheels. Tire selection in 15/16 and to a lesser degree 17 are limited.
You can look in the 911 Turbo forum for more information.
Good luck.
Yeah, that's crazy. I'm sure that's what the market will bear for "new" Fuchs. But were they that much when I needed a set of wheels just 1.5 yrs ago, I would have passed on them.
I also have a set of the Fikse Fuchs (Zuchs). They look a lot better in filling out the wheel wells, and tire selection is mildly better in 17" sizes. But they're also ridiculously expensive now (like almost $8K a set?). Those were another set of wheels I bought when they first came out, so they were much, much cheaper when produced by Zuffenhaus.
While the Fuchsfelge wheels are made by the original company (I have a set on my 930 right now), I'm not sure they're the exact same thing you'd get if you order from a Porsche dealer. My Fuchsfelge wheels don't have Porsche part numbers on the backs of them, for example. That doesn't bother me, as I still own the Fuchs that originally came with the car. I bought the Fuchsfelge wheels from All Star Tire in Long Beach about 1.5 yrs ago, for about $2700+tax. If you go with a Porsche part, then also check pricing at the dealer in Portland/Beaverton. They're usually cheaper than any other place I can find stuff with Porsche part numbers on them.
I'll give them a call too. As far as I understood, the only difference between the Fuchsfelge and Porsche wheel is the Porsche part number in the back. Anyone know any different?
While the Fuchsfelge wheels are made by the original company (I have a set on my 930 right now), I'm not sure they're the exact same thing you'd get if you order from a Porsche dealer. My Fuchsfelge wheels don't have Porsche part numbers on the backs of them, for example. That doesn't bother me, as I still own the Fuchs that originally came with the car. I bought the Fuchsfelge wheels from All Star Tire in Long Beach about 1.5 yrs ago, for about $2700+tax. If you go with a Porsche part, then also check pricing at the dealer in Portland/Beaverton. They're usually cheaper than any other place I can find stuff with Porsche part numbers on them.
Noah,
Were you ever right about Beaverton. A set of authentic Porsche numbered Fuchs is $1100 cheaper than the listing price other dealerships give.
OP,
A couple of thoughts and opinions from me:
1. Chrome wheels are IMO hideous, so I appreciate you wanting to get rid of them!
2. Refinishing to OEM look will cost you ~$1200 +/-; I recently had my 72 wheels redone by "the guy" in So-Cal.
3. Since you have a turbo-look car, you can go with wider wheels in OEM appearance for a pretty "tough" stance.
On my 930 I ordered Fiske (Fuchs) 9"/11" X 17" and ended with Front: 235/40X17 (you can also fit 245) and Rear: 315/35X17. At the time, the Fikse/Fuchs were forge multi-piece wheels with hidden fasteners/polished lip/black centers and looked the part.
4. If you are going non-OEM, consider cheap cast wheels versus forge wheels.
5. Don't forget to decide about tires before you buy wheels. Tire selection in 15/16" and to a lesser degree 17 are limited.
This bears reiterating, IMO. FWIW, I have the period BBS 7/9x16s and love the look. But if I were in a position to replaced them, I'd go 17s in a heartbeat, without pause ...and yes the Fuchs aesthetic. It's already tough to find 16s in the right size in a good "sport" compound, 17s are easier (but who knows for how much longer?), and they will look great. I personally don't like 18s on the G-body cars, but if you do that opens up a lot more tire options.
If you want truly stock sized tires, Bridgestone Potenza Sports are a new option in 205/55 R16 & 245/45 R16. I just installed a set on my '85 3.2 about 300 miles ago, and they seem like a great summer street performance tire so far. Quiet, predictable and grippy. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...=Potenza+Sport
Also, as far as dealers with reasonable parts pricing, consider Marin (https://www.porschemarinparts.com/). I've found they generally beat the big online dealers, price-wise.
PS: Re Fuchs, I have both: new factory Porsche part #s Fuchs and a set of originals from the '80s. The anodized finish on the new ones is absolutely perfect and they weigh the same or slightly less than the originals. Very happy.
Last edited by quickxotica; 09-10-2021 at 02:49 AM.
03-18-2021, 06:55 PM
Fuchs Wheels - New or Refinish
