ble2011

If I was to buy new wheels, I would go with these fuch copy's in the RSR finish.
https://www.zuffenhaus.us/cgi-bin/co...ion&key=st-613

Holger3.2

Buying copies for 1,000 bucks more than the original?

Emmanuel

Just bought a set of 18" from Otto Fuchs himself, they are awesome, super light and really good quality. Took 3 days to ship from Germany! I have couple of photos in my album.
Why buy a copy when you can have the TUV approved original which means the offset is same as original. I got 18" since I wanted the new Michelins Pilot SS which are superior to the PS2s' and not available in 17". They also make a 17" in the correct offset for the 993 and 964. These wheels are really nice and anodized instead of painted. Polished face are also available. And outside the EEC, no VAT tax.

To me, an air cooled 911 must have Fuchs!

Regards.

993KT

Those 18" looks great! I stand corrected. The zuffenhaus wheels are more vintage looking, but the high price and "not for street use" troubles me.

They do have the correct offset for the front 17" but I think a lot of people put spacers for the front because they look better especially when the car is lowered. That's why I am waiting for the 8x17".

Holger3.2

all there, what are you waiting for?

ET52 should be doable for the front ... ?!

Emmanuel

Don't forget, take 19% of the price off for the Vat which is only applicable in Europe. Freight from Germany to LA was about $380 for the set of four. I think the cost is quite reasonable for the quality of these wheels. 911s are very sensitive to wheel offset so I think putting spacers up front may really upset the balance of the car.
Also these wheels are forged not cast which make them lighter and much stronger than cast wheels.
E

http://www.fuchsfelge.de/index.php?id=336&L=1

Kika

That was certainly the mentality 20-30 years ago, I am not sure it is still true as casting processes have improved a lot. I think the difference between cast and forged wheels has declined substantially over the years and is not the same selling point as it was in the 80s.

993KT

The 8X17" is listed but they don't have the approval yet. If you try to order them, the website gives you a warning. I've contacted them already. The ET52 offset should be perfect, because that's the same as the 8X18" fronts.

Shipping is 380 euro I'm afraid, and it pretty much neutralize the tax saving. They are definitely not cheap but I think the price is right for the quality and weight.

I might go with the Conti tires instead of the PS2's. The PS2 are surely better, but I wonder if they are that noticeable on the street.

Emmanuel

Sorry I meant 380 euros which makes it closer to $500. As far as cast vs forged, although it is true casting processes have improved, forging is still the way to go. I believe forged wheels are still mandatory in racing, correct me if I am wrong. I am always weary about after market stuff which is supposed to be much better than factory, but most of the time, it's the other way around. It's difficult to beat factory engineers. Whenever I put aftermarket wheels on my cars over the years, handling was affected negatively, I am not talking cheap wheels, but BBS or Momos for example. Aftermarket mufflers, same thing, on a Ford you may see a performance increase but on a Porsche or Ferrari you will probably loose power. I put a set of Tubi mufflers on my 997 and although the sound was awesome, I swear the car was slower.
I believe the reason why Porsche stopped using Fuchs wheels was very probably for cost reason and nothing else.
E

Holger3.2

That's the point! Remember in the 964 / 933 times, Porsche was running down the drain and very close to bankcrupcy... They didn't even have money for a proper CEO, so they had to get a cheap 'in-house' guy. Wedekind was his name .......
As everybody knows, this guy brought Porsche back on track but he also introduced Toyota manufacturing style to the plant. with the 996, the 911 got suddenly a mass product and solid craftsmanship and quality of supplier materials had to step down a little .....

forged vis casting, the easiest answer you will find in the weight.
And in relation to the registration... for Fuchs in Germany, its just a matter of time ...
for the rest of the world ... what registration???
Holger

Kika

A number of the factory Porsche Wheels are made by BBS, for example the MY02s.

While I generally agree that it is difficult to beat the factory engineers with regards to performance, I would not agree that just because the factory didn't do it, it is second rate. The Factory has to balance performance, cost and manufacturability, as well as market to a fairly broad range of needs.

I can't imagine that the engineers win every single time a cost vs. performance decision has come up.

Ed Hughes

There haven't been any "originals" made for many years. Yes, I know the Fuchs name is out there again, yada, yada-I still stand by my statement.

The repros from Zuffenhaus or Jeff Alton are of the highest quality, and cannot be mistaken for the cast knock-offs from asia. I do believe they have TUV, and are so light, they need a tire mounted to keep them from floating away.

They are also made in 3 PC, with blind fasteners that allow for repair, if needed at some point. This also allows different offsets, as needed.

Emmanuel

I was talking about TUV approval without which the wheels are not allowed on the road in most European countries. I also believe in case of an accident, the insurance would not pay!

Ed Hughes

I'm aware of what TUV approval is.

Holger3.2

That happened not even for 'spaceshuttle' decisions.

The last time that happened at Porsche was when they build the 917 with F. Piech in charge. That resulted in the decision that Porsche family members are not anymore allowed in the executive board.