I can't explain it, but I have never, ever liked the 914 2.0 Fuchs with painted insets.

This is just my personal opinion. I appreciate the design of the wheel as. Nice original anodizing is very cool, no paint please. Fully polished is very OK though.

I know some dealers even painted them with black insets so as to look more like a "real Porsche" wheel. To me this just adds to the "hey c'mon I'm a Porsche too with a chip on my shoulder" attitude. To me it just has the trying too hard look. Probably not fair, but that's my .02.

These wheel were designed specifically for the 914, no other car. As such I think they are a beautiful wheel without paint, and say 914 like no other wheel.

Again, this is just my opinion, so save the flames and state how you feel and not why you think I'm blah blah blah.

It's not stock, it's not CW, but it's so gorgeous when they're fully polished. I don't like chrome on a car, I like it on it's wheels. If you were 6 yrs old in 1969 & had Hot Wheels you understand.

I voted for stock annodized finish.
If I was to paint my wheels at all, it would be all black in the center with a polished lip.

I never thought or heard that they were trying to be like real Porsche wheels. I had them for 7 years in California. I think it was the Germans last attempt at showing the Iron Cross. That is what they look like. Oh they look bitchen when they are turning slow!

Stock 2.0 fuchs are my fav as well. It would be nice to get a set in 15 x 6's, or 15 x 6.5. Has anyone tried?

shiny

I like them either all black on the inside and a polished lip or fully polished. I don't like the black in the back with the 4 polished spokes and lip, but I do like it on the 5 spoke 911 fuchs, better than chrome or all black. I don't know why?

Oh well, you know what they say about opinions and A$$ holes....

"I see a shiny wheel and I want to paint it balck!" Mick Jagger

Mahles with polished lip and the raised edges, aluminum inset or black inset.
I like Fuchs with original finish but probably because they are soooo rare I respect the fact.

I love the look of the black insets. But I don't know that I am going to do that with mine. I might, but its low down my list of priorities. For the moment I'll just leave them stock.

Zach

I like the stock look. The wheels that are "going to" become my street wheels (any year now!!) were cleaned up and the raised parts polished. The recessed parts still have the milky anodized finish.

--DD

I guess unconscious snobbery prevails here: because the aftermarket Fuchs have black inserts, why take bona fide Fuchs and paint them to look aftermarket?

And making the wheel look like a windmill 911 style is like putting a hood ornament when the cars did not come with hood ornaments.

Hey, what about this poll: how many with black backgrounds on the Fuchs also have a hood ornament?

It's really a matter of preference; I'm for keeping the cars on the road and whatever makes the owner happy.

Paul

it looks cool when the rattle can paint chips off and the silver shows thru. i don't mind a little patina on the stock finish.

k

What's funny about all this is that the reproduction version comes with the black paint. I think of them as quasi-oem. It's like back in the 80's there were probably more 914s with rear reflectors than without.

There's so many sets out there with painted backs, I originally thought that was OEM, until I read otherwise on this website.

Mine are painted with black backs. I'm not a CW, but I'd rather they were true OEM.

the polished ones look very nice, if done well.

especially considering the time and labor to do it right, you would just be better off to buy the aftermarket rims and enjoy.

The fully-polished look is nice, but this is a time where I side with the CWs and say that real Fuchs look best in stock treatment.

I say polish 'em

What I've always disliked about the 2.0 fuchs is how flat they are. I think that is the reason I like 5 lug fuchs but not 4 lug. The 5 lug ones have more depth to the raised vs. recessed parts.

So while I don't really LIKE the 2.0 fuchs, I like them more with the recesses painted black because it gives the illusion of more depth than there really is.

Stock. As with someone above, I also thought the black insert ones were OEM originally, given the abundance of them in the 80s (along with the reflectors and hood crests.)

As an aside, dare I say that Riverias are starting to grow on me? (not that I'd get rid of my 2.0 alloys, but maybe an extra set of NICE ones would be cool. . . .)

Personally, I don;t like the 914 fuchs at all, but fully polished is the least of the evils. I much prefer the pedrinis or Mahles. I even like my "
Dan Gurney westerns better than fuchs. 5 lug fuchs is a completly different story. Yep. opinions are like assholes.

Guess I'm all alone here, I dig the black inserts on original 2 liter fuchs. I don't like the VW aftermarket type though.

There was a point in time that I liked the painted recesses, but my taste has changed over the years. Personally, I love the 5 lug fuchs but also appreciate the "uniqueness" and orgiginality of the stock 2ltrs. If I wasn't going 5 lug, I would go with restored and re-anodized 2ltr fuchs--No paint, not polished at all. However, if the anodizing on your fuchs is discolored etc, and your'e not going to restore them back, then I suppose it doesn't really matter what you do...it's your car.

i refinished mine in the driveway, one sunny afternoon. painted the paddles black. and i loved the look.

(see my blog for pics)


then after touching them up every couple of months I stripped them and went with full polish. no more touchup

i voted full polish

I'll vote for completely polished although I did see a set that had the outside lip polished and the center powdercoated a darker grey. i thought about doing that but opted for fully polished.

I like the keep yourself happy catagory!......
Polished or all black Riv's

<---------- Factory look with anodizing looks great...

either stock anodized finish, polished raised petals and lips or fully polished. No paint anywhere....

I already have two sets of steel wheels, early and late, as well as a set of Fooks, I think I need about 4 more sets of wheels, maybe 5 and then I will be happy. Wait, no, now I need another set of Fuchs that are polished, and a set that are painted body colour, no maybe blue for my yellow car. What can I say, I haven't been overexposed to them so I like the Fuchs in all forms, they are a beautiful wheel.

The only way you can ruin a set of Fuchs is to chrome them. Not because of the look but because they are very difficult to restore to original. Chroming results in hydrogen embrittlement of alloy wheels. Both ruining the base alloy, composition and material surface. Everything else can be restored. It's all in the eye of the beholder. AL.

not really stock since I didnt have them anodized.

polished??? ganster rapper bling machines only need apply!

stock anodized is my preferance

now if your talking spinners, bling, bling

Yes, I know, opinions, opinions, opinions...

BUT, when the wheels are painted or treated to enhance the fact that it is an even wheel design (the center looks like a cross), it causes the wheel to look static and unattractive.

This is common practice in car wheel design as an uneven spoke design leads the eye to movement, where as an even design (2 or 4 as higher numbers tend not to matter as much) looks static, or at least always uneven. I had heard this a few times in school, but it was recently reinforced by that old curmudgeon (but style car designer guru) Bob Cumberford.

SO, to me, 4 bolt fuchs are the least attractive of the 914 wheels, followed by Pedrinis, then steelies (with chrome hubcap), then 4 bolt Mahles, then gasburner Mahles, then 5 bold fuchs. (worst to best)

And if you have to have fuchs, polish them so that all 8 spokes look the same.

Yes, I know, opinions, opinions, opinions...

I know it will cause a lot of anguish to many but I plan to use Phoenix Red Fuchs on my LE Creamsicle as a tribute the Japanese SL version. One because I can and two I worry about the 35+ years fatigue on the cast Mahle wheels versus the forged Fuch.

Send them to Al Reed and be done. My wheels before the 3.2.

Nice Michael!

I can't believe this thread is still alive!

I like my 4 lugs polished.

I think if there would be a way to anodize the wheels while also increasing the contrast between the raised part and the back part without painting them black, this would be the best scenario. I like the way the wheels look, but they need more contrast.

Oh and Mark, I think painting them Red for your car will look awesome.


They look really cool with these Porsche crest center caps also:
http://www.914international.com/gallery/914/home.htm

Polished wins

Fully polish,mask the raised areas, bead blast the recessed areas, then anodize.

chrome steelys the only way to go

The ones with the dome hubcap right? I like those but I love Pedrinis more.. Oh and for the Fuchs they should be stock IMO.. Like my dad always says "It came from the factory like that for a reason, SO DON'T go screwing around with it.." haha

Has anyone powder coated their fuchs with chrome and clear coat?

I like the yellow cars with painted wheels!

Wow, resurrecting old threads has become quite a common occurrence these days. I had other plans for my car from the moment I bought it, but it still looked pretty darn nice like this I think

Don't think I'd change a thing on that Jon! NICE!!

I have had both original and black background. Personally I think they are a tad boring stock and look better with the black, kinda 911 like. I prefer Mahle wheels because of the race look. Polished Fuchs to me look good on a custom bug, but too gangster on a 914.

Interesting to see the names of all the old posters who aren't around any more.

I still want to get mine powder coated black with a silver lip, but have not done it for years now and probably won't. Too many other irons in the fire.
Zach

nothing like a stock set of snowflakes on a silver 914. black paint just looks stupid. my 1.7 is this way, stock. black vinyl on the sails. black targa top.