wheel/tire combo...

[nicolas]

somehow by the look of those last 3 pics you know they are taken in Belgium, or at least very near to it !!!

Not really, it's around 900 km from Belgian border

really?




if i drive 900 km from the belgian border i DEMAND nice weather!  even to Norway 

Does it work in the opposite direction?
I'm about to drive 1300 km to Belgium and I'd prefer nice weather too.

no bring a bag full of nice weather!!

[rebel]

Well, rear tyres are finally in my garage. Firestone F560 165SR15 I almost can smell them burn
Wheels are on the way.

Still wonder what to put on the front. 145SR15 F560 would be best. But I cannot find them anywhere. I was thinkin about 165/65s and 155/70s.

What do you think?

[Chris W]

145 F560's here?

http://store.coker.com/search.php?mode=search&by_title=Y&by_shortdescr=Y&by_fulldescr=Y&substring=145R15&__utma=1.744754635.1210872096.1215475051.1215986270.6&__utmb=1.2.10.1215986270&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1215986270.6.6.utmcsr=google|utmccn=(organic)|utmcmd=organic|utmctr=coker%20tire&__utmv=-&__utmk=127303309

[rebel]

Wheels are finally in place.





I know a cal-looker should have a single color paintjob - the grey colour is a primer coating I did myself after some metalwork repairs and dechroming job... Sorry for pictre quality due to a mobile phone camera...

BTW: I've noticed, that the MWS Centerline replica are much lighter then theese 7inch cookie cutters I still have stashed under the stairs.
         I've always thought, that Porsche wheels should be light... 
BTW2: Anybody had problems with overheating brakes (stock drums) because of Centerline style wheels?
The wheels have no 'windows' and I've  noticed the heat from the brakes does not have any place to go.

[rebel]

The final wheel/tire combo is settled, I think.
Luckily, I've found a pair of TOYO 310 135x15 to match 165x15 Firestones in the back.
The classic tire setup is finally reached

[Rennsurfer]

Scored a set of 5½" & 4½" 356 wheels (chromies for you '70s/'80s people). Sand blasted all of the chrome off, painted them semi-gloss silver (very close to the factory Porsche/VW color), and got some new 145 SR15 tires up front and just used the Pirelli 195/65/15 tires that came on the rears. At first, I thought they were going to be too low of a profile. So far, I like 'em. When they wear out, I'll get something a little higher. But I'm digging on the wider tires all around. Used to have 165 SR15 & 135 SR15.







Been wanting to do this, like my '66 was, since I bought the car. Now I can take my time and get my BRM wheels looking perfect with no rush.

[Rick Meredith]

Looks good Mark!

[Speed-Randy]

what are you gonna do to your brm's mark?

[Rennsurfer]

But wait... there's MORE.

I've actually wanted to do this trick with nipple hubcaps and Wolfsburg porcelain crests since 1985. Finally got with the program and made it happen last week. Also put the bumpers back on the car. Really liking this.

[Speed-Randy]

almost gives it that salt flat racer look, looks good, not overbearing, "look at me" stuff, i think they call it, "subtle yet understated"

[Rennsurfer]

Thanks, DEEKS.



To answer your question, Randy, I'm going to get 145 SR15 tires for the fronts of the BRM wheels. Before that, I'll be doing more sand blasting to them. I've done 'em twice but I'm still not happy with how they look on the natural portions. This last time, for the Classic, I was stoked how the black inset portions turned out. Finally achieved the flat black sheen I was looking for. That, and I'm just simply burnt out on seeing 'em on my car. I've wanted a '67 with BRMs since high school... but it's time to move on and start a quiver of wheels for my car. I'll be on the hunt for other budget wheels for the future. Anything that's different, of course.

 

almost gives it that salt flat racer look, looks good, not overbearing, "look at me" stuff, i think they call it, "subtle yet understated"

Bingo! You nailed it right on, Randy. Funny that you mentioned that... Ben Salazar and I were talking, last night at Nick's, about overly polished/chromed wheels on Cal Lookers. He told me a great story about one of his friends. The guy put fully polished (or chromed) EMPI five spokes on his Looker in the old days. His Grandmother came out to see it. She said, "Don't like it. Looks like it's going to the prom." Later, the guy scored a set of BRMs. Next time she went out to see the car, "Much better. I like this... it looks mean, now."

One of the best car stories I've heard in years!

HUGE thanks out to Brent Kooiman and Dave Rosique for providing me with a set of exact wheels that I wanted. You guys both rock and I'm proud to call you cats my close friends for almost three decades.

[GreenTom]

Tyre combo is a problem as always
I have two options in my garage waiting for my baby burners.
option 1:
front 155/80 R15 Veredestein sprint classic and rear 185/80 R15 Veredestein Sprint Classic
option 2:
front Coloway remoulded, newer used but in not so good shape 145/80 R15 and rear as abowe 185/80 R15 Veredesteins...
all tyres are stacked in my garage and I can't make my mind... I really pedantick so probobly Veredesteins will go all over...
rims are 5,5 genuine MAHLE baby burners.
what do You recon?

[wolfswest]

Fred,

I love it, looks nice!  It looks meaner with the T bars but you can change all the time, so no problem here.

How does the 145's change the driving pleasure?  In a good way I suppose but is it worth the trouble?

You went from 135's to 145's

I'm planning on going from 135's to 155/70.

I want to have FUN with my car, not shit in my pants if I see a corner comming...

Dem

[javabug]

Nice work, Mark.  I am gonna say I prefer the t-bars/no caps style, but the non-chrome caps are a neat look.  Probably seeing them in person would be even better.  How about the t-bars painted in the same silver as the wheels?

I once read somewhere that it's your car so do what makes you happy.   

[Nico86]

Lookin' good Mark !

[Rennsurfer]

Thank you, everyone. The car handles & stops way better now. To me, it was worth it.

[Bryan67]

Well i may not be very popular with this but I think it looked WAY better with the black and polished BRM`s, polished T bars and before you painted everything blue. Different is not always good.

[Zach Gomulka]

That blue car is AWESOME!!

[stealth67vw]

Scored a set of 5½" & 4½ 356 wheels (chromies for you '70s/'80s people). Sand blasted all of the chrome off, painted them semi-gloss silver (very close to the factory Porsche/VW color), and got some new 145 SR15 tires up front and just used the Pirelli 195/65/15 tires that came on the rears. At first, I thought they were going to be too low of a profile. So far, I like 'em. When they wear out, I'll get something a little higher. But I'm digging on the wider tires all around. Used to have 165 SR15 & 135 SR15.







Been wanting to do this, like my '66 was, since I bought the car. Now I can take my time and get my BRM wheels looking perfect with no rush.

Man, I'm McLovin this look. Very stealthy. I do prefer it sans hub caps.

[DKK Ted]

Nice mark, have you thought about using short axles out back? Also the T-Bars are cool, but maybe 1" shorter all around. Just a thought. Either way, the car looks very cool when I saw it at Nicks. I like your idea about the steel Porsche wheels, I'm kickiing it around.

[vwcab]

I like the new look Mark,very different.

[speedwell]

 

[Jim Ratto]

Hi Mark. I have to say I really REALLY like the new look(s), but my preference is the no hubcap look (though the car looks fantastic with the hubcaps too). I've been waiting for more cars to run the old "chromie" wheels (there I go making myself feel old again) which seem to have been forgotten about in the last 10-15 years. I LOVE the rear tires now on your '67, they fill the fenders perfectly. I myself run 195/65's on my '67, though on short axles (with fake BRMs it looks odd with bigger tires and long axles to me).
Now how about with bumpers (since you have the correct '67 stuff....flaunt it) but sans hubcaps? Try that. Get back to us. 

Looking good buddy.

[Rennsurfer]

Tyre combo is a problem as always
I have two options in my garage waiting for my baby burners.
option 1:
front 155/80 R15 Veredestein sprint classic and rear 185/80 R15 Veredestein Sprint Classic
option 2:
front Coloway remoulded, newer used but in not so good shape 145/80 R15 and rear as abowe 185/80 R15 Veredesteins...
all tyres are stacked in my garage and I can't make my mind... I really pedantick so probobly Veredesteins will go all over...
rims are 5,5 genuine MAHLE baby burners.
what do You recon?

Tom, that's a tough call without seeing the tire combos on the car. I was considering going to something really different up front in the way of tire size. But what happens, sometimes, is that the tire heights/profiles don't look right together. Just be careful when choosing the profiles... otherwise, the front may look too tall compared to the back. Sorry if that doesn't make much sense. At the end of the day... it's your car, so do what you think is best. I'm guessing that the 145/80 would be the lower overall height out of the two front sizes that you've posted. Although it would be really cool to have the wider 155 contact patch on the road. When John Rayburn went to a 155, I really liked it. But since I ended up with 4½" wheels up front, I opted for the 145 because I didn't want my sidewalls bubbling out. VERY cool that you have real Mahle wheels! Can't wait to see them. Please post up the pics when you get 'em on your car, Tom.

Thanks for all of the posts, everyone. Honesty... I really thought that no one would like it when I went to Nick's that night. I was very surprised to find out otherwise.

Ted, I've already owned cars with short axles and I really don't have any desire to ever go back. As for the t-bars, I agree with you about shortening them. But I'm not going to because of how far my exhaust tips stick out past the rear apron. If I had a muffler like everyone else... yes.

Jim, I'm going to keep the 65 profile on the backs. Didn't think they'd be high enough for me. But when I got 'em on the car and looked at it from different angles, I was okay with it. And yes... the cool thing about these cars is that I can, on any day, remove the hubcaps and leave it that way with the bumpers like your suggestion.

I'm just stoked to have another set of 356 wheels. Even though this is my first non-Porsche factory set... I really dig 'em.

Well i may not be very popular with this but I think it looked WAY better with the black and polished BRM`s, polished T bars and before you painted everything blue. Different is not always good.

Bryan, I fully respect your opinion because we all have one. Thanks. But, I've never seen a Zenith Blue Cal Looker with any of that stuff painted then or now. My t-bars were black when I got them. So I sand blasted & painted 'em. Haven't had polished t-bars since I took 'em off of my '66 in 1980 or '81. (can't remember; I'm old) And I wanted my BRMs to look different than the rest. I couldn't look at my car another day like that. Hence the changes. So in my world... different is good. Especially if someone else thinks otherwise. When I hear/read that... I know that I'm on the right track.

At any rate, now that the outside is done, time to move onto upgrading the brakes, engine & transmission.

[Dave Rosique]

Looks really good Mark.

I like the silver wheels... takes me back to my 356 days. I've always liked the 356 wheel painted, but the painted hubcap is a nice twist... sort of an RS / standard Beetle mix.

I'm with Jim... full bumpers / no hubcaps... just for kicks

~Dave

[Rennsurfer]

Looks really good Mark.

I like the silver wheels... takes me back to my 356 days. I've always liked the 356 wheel painted, but the painted hubcap is a nice twist... sort of an RS / standard Beetle mix.

I'm with Jim... full bumpers / no hubcaps... just for kicks

~Dave

Thanks, Dave. You're half of the reason this came to fruition. And just for you and Jim... I'll remove the caps for the next get together.

 

[The Ideaman]

My firesuit is on but,  I like the painted wheels. The painted nipples look like total ass to me.  Really cheapens them, IMHO.  Nice try, but off the mark.

[Shubee2 (DSK)]

Sorry Mark But I Agree With Luke it looks like you got one to many cans of MEXI Chrome I like the Wheels without caps on a 67 I have always thought 67's looked like shit with Porsche caps I think its the stand up headlights  its like putting porsche caps on a Late Model (Funky)  my Vote would be T Bar's and a Single Quite Pack Muffler and no caps you are mixing to many Styles together or Full Bumpers and Keep Your Pee Shooter Exhaust    just my 2 cents

[Rennsurfer]

Whew! I was starting to worry that everyone liked my car. I'm actually glad that a few of ya don't. Means that I'm on the right track. Luke, in pictures, I suppose that you're right about the silver looking too bright/chrome-like. But that's largely due to my flash, I'm sure. I used the same shade of silver paint that the Porsche factory did. The reason I opted to paint the caps is simple. I hate shiny wheels and prefer 'em dulled down. To me, shiny wheels cheapens the character of the wheel. But... to each their own, yes?

 

Gary, I've had more S&S, Phoenix, and FourTuned exhaust systems than most people. I'm so over the single muffler thing. Which is why I'm doing this car the exact way I've been wanting to do one since 1985. Far from a pea-shooter exhaust... but it's all good.

Carry on. Let's see some other wheel/tire combos.

[Bryan67]

Maybe with either short axles or 4.5 wheels on the rear and chrome hucaps (Porsche emblems would be better) and change the blue parts back to chrome......