Just wonder if this could have been a '76 dealer installed option? I don't see a manufacturer on the rim; however, clearly the tire is old and the "Spirit of America" wheel center would also fit that Bicentennial year.

Click to view attachment

What is the date code on the tire?

That wheel is aftermarket ...

I know the wheel is aftermarket; I have read on here many times that dealers often changed out wheels for Rivieras and other wheels.

Date code is 157...so it's probably at least from 1987

I don't think it's valuable... just curious

Edit: oops, you already know its AM. I highly doubt it was a dealership option.


That is an American Eagle wheel (as Andy said) aftermarket copy of the EMPI two piece 8 spoke.

Could it be? Sure.
Any way to know? Nope.
Would it matter?

Just curious if anyone else has seen wheels other than Rivieras and the Dan Gurney wheels on these cars when new. It doesn't matter...just adding to my 914 knowledge base.

Hey Bill,

Dealers being dealers & in it for a profit, they'd get you any wheel/tire combo you wanted - as well as the ole dealer theft of your alloy spare for steelie for their own pure profit resale!

I know that Downtown LA, Circle (Long Beach), Rusnak (LA/South Bay) & Chick Iverson (Newport Beach) Porsche+Audi all had "relationships" with a nearby tire & wheel place to get them for their customers - at a mark-up over what you could drive over & get yourself of course. They did so for 911/912 etc. back then too.

Today they only want to sell the Porsche branded stuff for the most part it seems, & may be limited by PCNA/Porsche AG to that only.

I know at least one buddy back then who go his 75 1.8L with the original Minilites (not AE) as a swap for the steelies it came from the factory with, but the most popular aftermarket wheel swap by far were the 5 spoke Rivieras, since the 5-spoke mag look on all cars was the thing in the 60'ss-70's.

The wheels on my 73 2L were swapped with 4 Rivs & a steelie spare for the PO when they bought it new in Nov. `72 (which I didn't mind at the time I bought it Dec. 75 - but now wish I had the 5 Fuchs 2L new).

With the early 73 MY when they switched over to the hub-centric wheel hubs up front - on production up through Dec 72, there were quite a few improperly assembled at Karmann with the flat Pedrini, Mahle &/or Fuchs 2L wheels with p/n's ending in -00 that lacked the groove for the the hub-centric lip, which is found on the -01 p/n ones. So Porsche had to issue a couple of NHSTA Recalls on the wheels (BO for the Fuchs & another for the other 2 cast alloy wheels) to inspect them for all 5 being the correct -01 hub-centric wheel parts.

So for 6-8 months in 1972 this was a boon for the dealers, because they could "offer" another cheaper aftermarket wheel to the buyer (4 + a steel spare), and then exchange the -00 alloys for -01 ones & sell those at a profit.

Plus more often than not they never returned the -00 wheels & sold those too for 100% profit, so you'll see a few -00 Fuchs 2L & Pedrini or Mahle wheels around today - many of which had the hub-centric grooved machined in after the fact by the buyer or subsequent owner.

Of course the Pedrini -00 was around for the 70-72 My & was correct for the early non-hub-centric 914/4's - but any -01 with the groove will fit either 914 hub.

Click to view attachment
^--- my note there should say post-1972 MY or for `73 MY onward BTW

.

probably more than you ever wanted to know!

Its probable a 1987 tire. the last "135" to sell on the west coast was right around 1990. That was a popular set up on the front of the lowered bugs. I had ordered that tire at Super Shops only to have them magically disappear on delivery to the store? rat bastards

anyway that even looks like the later version of the 8 spoke but it would be in the right era.



jcl

That date could be 1977, 1987 or 1997. No way to tell. It was made during the 15th week of whatever year. After 2000 they used a 4 digit code.