Originally Posted by Macca

Nik. These appear real to me. The have the correct markings (SM etc). I owned a set of rears which I sold to the UK a number of years ago. On the face of it these look like a great deal as they would sell for twice that at least in the UK. Only issue I found was by the time I had them refurbished and the freight I made no money. I looked at these wheels stripped down with a magnesium specialist who did some magnesium weld work on the ones I had (which had damaged lips). My view on these wheels and subsequent research would indicate these are suitable only really for someone with a 964RS to restore originality. They would probably be best kept aside and not as everyday wheels. Magnesium is more brittle than typical alloys used in wheels. It requires special preparation with an etching primer as the raw magnesium oxidises very fast once exposed to air (cosmetic). More alarmingly the magnesium matrix gets compromised over time with vibration and knocks. My weld guy was convinced if I xrayed the wheel I would find it questionably unsuitable for use. Curious I got in touch with a few wheel experts. Even when restoring a 917 the wheels are xrayed and almost always found to be compromised. Many with the budget have mag centres replicated in alloy for road/track use. High magnesium compound alloys were used in motor racing where budgets are generous and mag centers can be replaced regularly during the season. Most experts stated that modern race wheels can now be made with lightweight alloys and new processes almost as light as their magnesium counterparts but with much higher durability. Forged wheels are a demonstration of this although still made to a price for the retail market.

If a 964 owner with design 90 wheels on this board was looking for a cup 1 alloy (OEM) upgrade I would suggest that at this price these wheels are still very worthwhile checking out. I would advise they have them spun to make sure they are true (first sign of an issue is if they are significantly out). If they are then they should be fine for a road car. Its a strong design wheel so even age related structural compromise due to magnesium crystallization on these wheels shouldn't cause a significant issue for moderate daily use. The light weight will immediately be telegraphed through the steering and its a great way to reduce un-sprung weight....