19" x 11 Porsche Carrera wheels with GT Flares, Will they fit the rear Options

[Nacho]

Hi everyone

I can get a really good deal on some Carrera wheels. I was wondering if they would fit my 914 project with GT flares? Rears are 19" x 11. Front 19" x 8.5

Thanks

[horizontally-opposed]

It's not the wheel diameter you need to think about—it's the tire's outer diameter, and Mc McMark is exactly right: Your car will end up sitting higher off the ground, and a +4 conversion (15-inch to 19-inch) is probably 1-3 steps too far due to the tire diameter.

For years, Porsche tires had an OD that, with few exceptions, remained very similar—whether it was a 185/70R15, 215/60R15, 205/55R16, 225/40R18, etc. Then came the move to 19-inch tires with the 997 and 20s with the 991—and the OD has been growing with the cars.

A 914 on 15-inch wheels with 165/80R15s has a tire OD of 25.5 inches.
A 997.2 Carrera on 19-inch wheels has a tire OD of 25.5 (front) and 26 inches (rear).
A 991.2 Carrera on 19-inch wheels has a tire OD of 26.4 (front) and 26.9 inches (rear).

So...997 19s will raise your 914 0.5 inch, while 991 19s will raise it an inch. Yes, you can lower the car to try to make up for that, but you have to go an effective inch lower in the suspension settings to achieve the same height on a 15, 16, 17, or 18 with factory tire sizes. You might be able to go ultra-ultra low profile on the tires, but that may be a recipe for other disasters, like bent or broken wheels. The tire sidewall will also be "squarer" on a 19-inch tire due to its super-low profile. That could create additional clearance issues. Bottom line, whatever the deal on the 19s is, you'll spend the savings trying to adapt them to the car. And tires won't be cheap...