Hi guys. My ignorance might be showing here but in order to ugrade to a bolt pattern that allows for the installation of a different (read more popular) size wheel, couldn't the original hubs be drilled in a different bolt circle diameter? Then you could install a plethora of 16 or even 17 and 18 inch rims ya? For myself I wouldn't be concerned with excess offset as I could do something with the fenders to cover the tires. Just a thought

Not sure I did this so.... I'm not sure you know but the Porsche 5 bolt wheels are on the same bolt circle as the 4 bolt wheels. I drilled my own to 5 bolt. I'm sure someone knows where you can purchase a set of pre-drilled hubs and rotors.

Thanks for the welcome, I'm finding my way around here slowly.

Yes I did discover the bolt circle for both the 4 hole and 5 hole wheels is the same, 130mm I believe. But, as an example it appears that a 100mm bolt circle is quite popular. Why not drill the hubs for a 4 x 100mm wheel? 30 mm is more than an inch...perhaps there would be an interferance of some sort on the back of the hub if this reduction in bolt circle was attempted? I don't have a pic of the back of a hub handy.

well, you can. Problem is on 73 and later you have hub centric in the front. Not all wheels will fit. You may end up turning the hub or wheel to make it work.

and don't forget to match offsets... you could spend a ton of cash on spacers.

Thanks guys, just knowing there are options is good. I had to turn a set of Toyota wheels to install them on my Neon so I am following here.
Just kind of counting the cost of building up a car, the 5 lug conversions can get a little pricey so I was wondering if I needed to add a couple thousand to the budget.

no.
I have accumulated all my 5 lug parts for under 700, M-struts, spacers, wheels everything needed. you have to shop around to do it cheap, but it can be done....

and the #1 guy to talk to is Eric Shea at PMB Performance, on this site.

IF you can do the work, and want to cheap out like i did, It cost me about 200 bucks to do the conversion. I drilled the rear hubs/rotors, and you will need rear wheel bearings cause they kinda explode taking them out usually. Drill the front rotors, and turn them to fit the porsche wheels if need be. I picked up 16" dials for 100 bucks on CL. I ended up needing spacers, the rears a bout for 89.00 for good ones, the fronts I made cause I had material and time. It's all about collecting parts as you go.

true, I chose to do the 911 front end route, not just drill and tap, because i wanted the bigger brakes

The switch to the Porsche bolt pattern is the way to go, IMO and IME. Drilling the fronts is a less expensive way to do it, and it works. BTW, you've mis-used the term "upgrade". What you meant is you want to go to a "different" bolt pattern, which is (at best) just a change. There is no improvement here, it's just different. In fact, given the problems you would encounter finding and/or adapting new wheels of an odd bolt pattern makes anything other than a 5x130 conversion a "downgrade". Just so you know, there may not even be enough clearance on the hubs/rotors to go to, say, a 4x100.

If you do choose to change the pattern, any drilling/tapping, and pressing of studs should be done by a competent machinist on a vertical mill with an indexing head. Anything less is just playing around, and errors could result in anything from irritating to fatal................

The Cap'n

Listen to the krusty one. If your off with your dimensions, all hell will break loose, literally. I had a bridgeport with a rotary table and a Leblonde Servo Shift lathe available to me to do it, otherwise I would never have tried.