Well, if you've trudged through all these pages of posts on wheels & tires, by now you know that you'd really LOVE to put a brand new roadworthy set of those fine grippy & period correct Dunlop SP57's on your 914 - & on your 60's-80's 911 & 912 too! Sooooo.......

Well if you've always wanted to re-shoe your concours baby, garage queen or really nice driver - or any 914 - in the OEM Dunlop SP57 Tires, here's a chance to weigh in on what they're worth to you, in order to try to interest Dunlop in doing a limited production run at their UK vintage tire plant.

Go here:
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...=115150&st=

Doowit!!!!


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I have a 75 Appearance group 1.8 with a set of Eppies (sp?) currently on the car.
I have the original rims that came with the car, and am begining to restore them.
I have been told that they came with Hub Caps. If so, does anyone have a picture or know where to buy an original set of hubcaps? If so, what is the price range?

Much appreciated.

Thank you!

Tom

Tom and Pat would know for sure, but I am 90% sure the 1975 steel wheel had no hubcaps.
First, are you sure they are the correct wheels for that car? Check with PCNA and get the Certificate of Authenticity. it should say which wheel option was on car when delivered. If it is an appearance group package, I would think it had Fuchs on it when delivered.
But, if for some reason it came with steel wheels, the later cars, 1973(?) an on had steel wheels with small center caps, not hubcaps or beauty rings. Like my avatar.
,

Steel '75 wheels did not have hubcaps, only a black plastic cap in the center and plastic covers on the lug bolt heads.

Tom -

PS ... I'm over in Orange & several here are around OC!
PCA has an informal Porsches & Doughnuts at Krispy Kreme parking lot at The Block shopping center in Orange off the 22 at State College/City Center exit every 3rd Sat. am 8:30-10-ish. PM or email to me if you're going to show up & I'll meet you there.

IIRC the 75 1.8 would've either been the steel "star mag look" wheels that RFoulds showed restored in his earlier post in this topic - no hub caps were used (70-72 had hub caps prior to the intro of the mag look steelies). By using the mag look steelie, they eliminated the need to include the extra 4 hubcap parts & saved costs, while giving customers a more desired wheel style (same look as on Super Beetles).

However, I thought that usually the Appearance Group included the optional allow wheels as part of the package, but that may have changed as they started decoupling options for more profit & to offset DM to $ exchange rate escalation.

The OO could've done an item delete on the alloy wheels to get a price break - if they were included in the App. Grp., or the dealer could've swapped out alloys for steelies on another customers car, and then either sold it at an adjusted/lower price without them (or maybe just not told the buyer they were "missing" - as they did with many 914's spare being swapped for a steelie without telling the customer.

Otherwise the orig. buyer had the option for upgrade to either Mahle 4-lug "Baby Gas Burner" alloys, Pedrini alloys (if still available in 74/75 when your 1.8 was originally sold), or the Fuchs 2L style alloys - at extra cost.

You should check your 914's original window sticker or dealer sales invoice from when it was originally sold new for what was included on it, or if you don't have that, then contact Porsche PCNA to get a COA which should list what was included if it had optional wheels beyond the App. Grp. If only App. Grp., then it will only list that & other 75 owners will need to chime in on what theirs' included.

You can look at other COAs from 75 MY at Jeff Bowlsby's website here -
http://bowlsby.net/914/Classic/WindowStickers.htm

FYI - 73-76 Wheel Options:

73-76 Mag Style Steel Wheels (standard fitment):
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73-76 Fuchs 2L 4-lug Alloy:
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73-76 Mahle 4-lug Alloy:
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73-74 -75? -76? Pedrini 4-lug Alloy:
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Note that the Fuchs & Mahles include the OE center caps to cover the hubs' grease caps (some call those "hub caps").

.

..... and .....

This was the wheel & hubcap look from 70-72 MYs:
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... Hey!!!! ..... I'm talking about the hub cap & wheels here - not the "Baby Moons"!

The App Grp for 1.7 & 1.8s came "standard" with either Pedrini or Mahle 4-lugs, but they could also order them with the Fuchs/App. Grp. set-up or have the dealer swap them (as Pat G. has related from when he bought his 72 914/4).

The 2.0's App Grp came with the 2L Fuchs - except the painted Mahles on 74 LEs, but the buyer could opt for Mahle or Pedrini instead.

BTW - joining PCA saves you something like $20 off the COA, & if you have the window sticker & send a copy to them - then PCNA will discount it more, so you save almost half of the $42 annual fee - plus PCA gets 20% off from dealers several times a year around SoCal (some dealers may do it always) - so there's the rest of the fee "saved"!

Anyone have a pic of the 73-76 Steelie's black center cap & lug caps they can post here for him? I don't have anything handy.

EDITED - DELETE

OK, I think there's a little confusion here.

Tom, 1.7 cars with app grp got wider non-styled steelies. Alloy wheels were an option above everything else. The 1.8 cars with app grp also did not recieve alloys as parts of the package. On 1.7's and 1.8's alloys were always an additional option, no matter which alloy.

The "star" type steelies did have a black dust cap. The earlier steelies did not, because they had a hubcap. Of course, all had bearing caps underneath.
Pat

Thanx for clarifying Pat.

Since for the 73 MY on the standard steel wheel was the 5.5" wide x 15" - so I was thinking that at least the 73 MY 1.7s had the alloys included in the App. Grp., but wasn't sure for 74-76, nor 70-72 since they still had the 15" x 4.5" steelies standard then. If I find where I got that idea, then I'll post the info. here.

In any case, as I & the others noted to "the other Tom from HB" above, he needs to verify with the window sticker, dealer invoice &/or COA what wheels were originally on his 75 1.8 & restore those, or resource the OE ones noted if that is not the ones he has.

Similarly, as I'd said here before, my 73 2.0 that I bought used in Dec. 75 had Rivieras & a steel spare when I got it - instead of the Fuchs 2L alloys it came with from the factory, so I had to research & verify that, then resource a set of Fuchs 2Ls. Sometimes POs or dealers just changed wheels from the OE fitment!

Yeah Tom, I've posted this previously (long time ago) but when I took delivery of my 72 the 73 2.0's were were just dribbling in. The dealer offered to swap my steelies for "takeoffs" from the 2.0's at a price, as I recall, of 200 bucks. I was at my limit at $4295 & really didn't like them that much at the time. Good deal then, but my originality would have been ruined. Many of the Porsche/Audi dealers of the day were sleezebags. Wait a minute, has that changed?
Pat

Yeah Pat, now they're just "Porsche" dealers, having dropped the "...+Audi"!

I had a chance to peruse the window stickers 73-76 on Jeff's site the other nite, and they all listed the 5.5x15 steel wheels under the Appearance Group if optioned on that 1.7 or 1.8. So they weren't included under Appearance Group for 1.7/1.8 - and IIRC not for some MY late-73 & for 74-76 2.0s either.

I think it was the Performance/Sport Group of options which had the sway bars F&R and Alloy wheels in the USA (Euro/RoW also added the H4 headlights to the Sport Group) that I was remembering would've been including the alloys.

In any case, an owner will need the Munroney widow sticker (or dealer invoice if it lists the options & groups) or a COA to confirm what was on the 914 originally, then hope that the PCNA staff read & interpreted the option codes correctly on the COA!

EDITED 3-24-12

They didn't use Monroney stickers in those days. In fact, the window sticker and dealer installed sticker was all hey had. They weren't regulated at all.

EDITED - DELETE

I cannot speak for Pat's 1972 purchase specifically, but the Monroney Label , or sticker, became a requirement of manufacturers to afix to new cars in the late 1950s. By the time 1970 rolled around, the manufacturer's window sticker was at least a decade old practice. The first new car that I purchased in the latter part of 1970, a 1971 Toyota Corolla, had the Monroney Sticker on the window.

EDITED - DELETE

Seeking some replacement tire advice - finally about to replace my 15-yr old Conti Contacts with some new rubber. They're not really worn as don't drive it too much any more (and never in rain or snow) but don't feel very safe driving on such old tires. Have '74 1.8L w/ Appearance Group and Fuchs alloys.
Looking at Conti ProContacts at 195SR65/15 and see very wide diversity of reviews. Only use it for occasional (<750 mi/yr), local driving - nothing hard or long, so looking for comfortable ride and good handling in dry weather and not too expensive. Not too worried about tire noise (who can hear the tires on these cars anyway?)
Would these be a good/fair choice? Other superior suggestions given the driving habits and not wanting to spend gobs of money?
Thanks!

I think Paul is correct. However, at the time I bought my 72, I lived in Kentucky. That state had a sales tax based on the window sticker, regardless of what you paid for the vehicle (same today? Don't know). So my window sticker was forciblt sent to the state of KY, where it probably resides today, to determine the sales tax on the 914. Never saw it after the day I bought the car! Mayube Ky changed subsequently because I have the window sticker from the '88 Audi 90 that I bought. Both cars purchased in Cincinnati, mind you. That's the way KY worked - maximize revenue. But this only applied to new vehicles.

In 1974 I bought a '70 911E Sporto from a fellow in Tennesse. The hydro struts were collapsed, so he reported the sales value to KY as $1500. That's what I paid sales tax on. Speed forward.....to 1992. Bought my 73 911T from a friend in Ohio. Though it had no problems, we agreed that the RSR F&R bumpers detracted from it's taxable value. As in the first case, The market value was reduced. I paid taxes based on a $4600 value assigned by the original owner. In both cases I paid way more than the stated value by the seller. My feeling in all cases is that Kentucky sales tax should be based on the sales value - period. I was robbed on the 914, but made out on the 911's. Every other car that I bought new I was ripped off on. Every other used car (924) I made out on. Maybe it just works out over the long run!
Pat

Top 3 tires I would look at are:
Kumho KR2, $72 each. Great tire for the price. very grippy
Bridgestone Pole Position, RE960AS, $85, sticky, good treadwear rating
DunlopSP60, $72, old school look good treadwear.

also, just saw Sumitomo HTR200 on sale at Tirerack for $68. great deal!

If you're looking for the vintage look & size, Lucas, Coker, etc. still sell the Michelin XZX 165SR15 which are a good balance of handling & mileage, also Kumho & Bridgestone/Firestone sell a 165SR15 are similar & less pricey.

So, I have eight wheels for a 914. One set of four lug Fuchs with black paint on them and one shiny set of other ones that are gas burners I think, also with black paint. Am I correct in thinking neither is factory spec? Of the two sets I prefer the Fuchs. How best can I restore them to new, or should I ask that question in another thread?
Many thanks
Richard

Richard - either or both could be painted factory wheels, so pull one or all & check for part nos. in the cupped insets in the back for ones starting with 914-xxx-xxx-01.

Fuchs 2Ls would be correct for your 73 2L, unless you have a Certificate of Authenticity or original window sticker &/or dealer sales invoice stating it had opted for the Mahle baby-gas-burners. If no Porsche 914 p/n, then they're repros.

Here's a pic of the Fuchs p/n on backside -
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Here's the proper OE finish on Fuchs 2L's -
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Mahle 4-lugs were painted silver -
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There are more & better pix of these earlier in this thread.

Cheers Again!
Tom
///////

Finding it a bit tricky to find my post and reply to Tom's helpful comments about identifying the 2L Fuchs. But this is a note of thanks. I'll be taking a look when I go to the garage where the car is stored.

What would someone suggest I use to get the paint off and bring the wheels back to looking new?

Assuming you're taking it to bare metal to refinish either/both - try acetone, soak a few minutes, then patience & a soft touch with a soft-ish cotton rag (Q-tips in corners), may take several times depending on how the surface was prepped, paint coats, etc., but it will take it to bare metal with minimum damage to the surface.

Then assess what need be done to restore the semi-polished/satin background under anodized finish on the Fuchs @ls, or to prep & repaint silver on the Mahle 4-lugs.

If you were here in the US, I'd just suggest sending them to Al Reid in Anaheim CA or Weideman Wheels in Oroville CA, who both do a superb job on factory finish wheel restos!

PS - you're welcome, & just use the page number boxes at the top or bottom left of the posts to go back/fwd through the pages of posts to find your/other old posts.

Richard,

It depends on the year of your 914. Fuchs are good for any year after '72. Gas burners were 914-6 wheels. Yours appear to be Mahles, which will work with most early & later 914's. Gas burners were magnesium 5 bolt Mahles.
Pat

Pat, some folks refer to the 4-lug Mahles as "Baby Gas-burners" & I think that's what he meant.

His is the black 914 2.0 in the pix on the previous page here, & is a now pranged/deceased 73 from which he's using parts to transform his 72 1.7 to a 2.0 look-alike - per his comments at another topic in O&H on bumpers.

He's in the UK, so 914s are more scarce there & harder to buy another 73 2L or repair his pranged one, although I suggested looking into that option too.

Last two that were available from Porsche. 74 + style steel wheel. Date code of 1/80 on them.

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Wow! Interesting that the backs are not black as most of our originally equipped wheels are. In refurbishing mine, I would have preferred to finish them as yours are.

Randy did you try the wurth silver to see how well it matched? I thought you made mention you went with a white/silver? I was surprised they didn't have black on them too.

I use Wurth Silver Alloy on modern Porsche and BMW wheels. Its a perfect match for Boxster/Cayman/911 OE wheels, but it s little too gray for the 914 steelies. Although it produces a very nice look, its not the OE finish.

The Wurth White Alloy is actually very silver, a brighter silver than the grayer Silver Alloy. Since I had perfect OE spare to guide me, I went with the White Alloy, which was a perfect match.

I sprayed the satin black on backside first, then the White Alloy on the face to duplicate the slight overspray on the backside of wheel.

I was lucky enough to speak to a guy who worked at Porsche factory during the early 70's and he described how the wheels looked when they arrived from VW. It matched the spare I had, he even described the "sloppy job" of spraying that produced the overspray on the backside.

He is now a partner or manager at an indie Porsche shop here in the desert and has been a source of good info for my project todate.

That's great information. And a fantastic resource to have. If you could walk me through the entire process, that would be great. I might end up refinishing 2 used ones to match the nos ones. The original wheels and tires are going into storage. What sandpaper grit, polish, etc. did you use to get such a nice end result? Thanks. Oh.. what tires did you end up going with?

For Tires, I went with the Vredesteins, purchased from Coker Tires.

The wheel process was simple. I had a body shop media blast and then prime them for me. Thye did an excellent job, and all 4 wheels was only $100.



Next, I sprayed the backside with 3 light coats of Wurth Satin Black, being careful to get as little of the black on the face side, to avoid any uneven buildup when I spray the face. I smoothed out any small runs or debri on backside with 0000 steel wool.



Then, I cleaned the face again with a very light 0000 steel wool, and sprayed 4 light coats of Wurth White Alloy. Between each coat, I lightly rubbed them with 00 steel wool, just enough to smooth out any imperfection.



After final coat, I slowly smoothed it with more 0000 steel wool, and checked the backsides to be sure there was just enough of the overspray look. All 4 wheels looked just like the spare.




At that point, I was tempted to spray clearcoat on them, but since the OE didn't have clear, I resisted. Instead, they got a light buff with "3M Perfect-it" light hand rubbing compound, and a finish polish with 3M glaze.



After that, I checked that the Vredesteins had no blemishes, cleaned them with a very mild soap and water to avoid stains, and then had the tire shop very carefully mount then on the wheels.


Thats it!

Perfect end result. With the steel wool, do you use any kind of compound with it?

No, just the steel wool. and I forgot, after steel wool, blow them with compressed air and wipe with tack cloth again.

rubbing compound and glaze were applied with a micro fiber cloth.

x

Here's a little tip on spray painting wheels; Buy a cheap "Lazy Susan" or, for lack of a better term, a "turntable", that is big enough to support a wheel. That way you can spin the wheel and keep the paint source (rattle can or spray gun) stationary. Your paint job will come out much more even and reduce the risk of runs. Also, to prevent scratching, mount the tire BEFORE your put the final finish on the face. Yeah, I know it requires more taping to prevent overspray but, there's no touch up required. This was a tip I got from a professional Porsche restorer.

Dave

Thanks Dave. I encountered that issue once I had the tires mounted. 3 out of 4 isn't bad I suppose. One when they balanced it, got scratched up and needed to be resprayed. See you at the Aircooled event!

Here I go with wheels again. Different car. 1971.
Any chance a chromed, steel wheel with hub caps was an option?

PM Pat G, he can give you the lowdown & probably ID those wheels.

he did indeed an early year dealer installed option

For the Wurth White Alloy paint, are you talking about a rattle can? A quick look on the web and I could not find the paint by the quart or gallon...

Paul

Correct. Rattle can it is.

[/quote]

Correct. Rattle can it is.
[/quote]

Thanks for the reply!

Paul

I'm no expert and I am restoring my first 914. I have factory fuchs but I have so many different lug nuts that I don't know what is correct for these fuchs.

What length is the correct for front and rear?

Do I have to install the black plastic lug nut covers that I have?

correct length is 38mm, and......

I'd keep the black plastic lug nut covers, but I don't use them myself, and....



Paul

After full cleaning the chrome wheels, I noticed that they had a painted finish on the back side. Apparently to inhibit rust and corrosion. So I scrubbed them with 0000 steel wool and sprayed 3 coats of Wyeth white alloy (silver) to duplicate the factory finish.
Now on to polishing the face side, then mounting Vredesteins.

And here is the now cleaned and polished chrome wheel and hubcap.

When you say "factory finish" I'm assuming you mean the factory manufacturer of the wheels, since the Porsche factory did not supply chromed steel wheels for 4 cylinder 914's. Just want others to know that chrome wheels were a dealer add-on or accessory outside of the dealer. I'm not denigrating chromies - my 914 has had them for years.

Now, it looks as though you and I may have the same wheels. If so, they should be stamped "Made in Brazil" and have a stylized stamped "W". Honestly don't remember who the manufacturer was, but mine are chromed on both sides, not painted. Suspect the prior owner had a reason to paint the backsides. They look nice & you've done a great job.

But everyone - remember, these wheels are not Porsche factory wheels. They were made for VW by a company in Brazil. I've always liked them though.
Pat

How does one know the difference between the 914 5.5 factory slotted steel wheels and other VW and aftermarket similar wheels? Any markings on them to look for??

Does anyone have a photo of a factory fitted Optional 5.5x15 slotted steel wheel with the centres painted black under the hub cap(as factory)?

Another original unused steel (4.5") spare ...with tireClick to view attachment