Advice on wheels

Hi,
  My first post here.  I got the car back from being restored a couple of months ago, so I thought it was about time I showed it off.
  Plus I want some advice on my wheels, I'm not sure I still like the wheels which I fitted to it when I bought it.  They used to look good when the bodywork was bad but now...  I'm not so sure.





Opinions??  They are 18" wheels and think they look a bit to big. Not sure whether to go for something like the classic alpina wheel or mabey the BBS wheels.

More pics here: http://www.qvrefurb.co.uk/gallery_car.asp?carId=64&ListT ype=2

rpmatt - lovely looking car you have there.

I like the Alpina's a lot with a black car, and maybe 17's rather than 18's.  However, yours are failry close, and they look good too.  I agree that if you could lower it a little, the absence of tyre you have there might look more comfortable.  It doesn't want much, but they do look like they need to fill the arch a little more.

Enjoy your car tough, and you'll get round to stuff like that!  Mind you, who wants to take anice old car out when the roads are as crappy as they are now!?

Yep, it looks like a roller skate with those rims on.
Old 6 Series don't seem to like big rims with really
wide rubber as the chassis (Eighties E28 5 Series)
was designed for 14 inch rims with 195 rubber. Even
the Metrics are a bit crap.
Anything aftermarket apart from Alpina/Hartge looks
crap and the 17 inch Alpina copies look terrible.
To start with, I'd say a set of 6.5x15 inch BBS cross
spokes from an E34 or E32 (87-95) with 225/60
rubber would look good, give you plenty of grip and a
nice compliant ride.
If you want to borrow a set to try, I have about 20 of
them in my garage! I'm off M1 J29 - if you want, come
up, bolt a set on, drive the car and take some pics. I
might be tempted to flog you a set of four but to be
honest I keep them as 'stock' for my old E32. These
days you'll get a really mint set for about 150 quid
with excellent rubber although I've bought sets for as
little as �30
These rims look great on a 6 Series and are the right
period = eightiestastic!

Car looks really good - but I agree that the 19"ers are not quite right.

17" Alpinas look / work best to me - but then I am biased.  See what you think...

I go with the view of either buying genuine BMW rims or Alpina/Hartge rims. I am also a believer of having rims that fit in with the period of the car.

My personal preference is a set of Alpina's. Black centred ones for the chrome bumper cars and smooth centred for the highlines. Or 750/850 BBS wheels in either 16" or 17". Don't think bigger wheels then 17" look any better and they certainly will ride worse.

Think Bruceys idea of shadow black wheels is very interesting.

James

hey there, you 6 is looking great - but I agree the 18" look a little on the big side. Wheels are always a very personal thing though, so in the end you just need to find what you think looks right, for what you are willing to pay.

Are you planning to put the stripes back on the car? I would guess not. That can change the look alot.

I think James's post was spot on - a nice set of genuine alpina 17" (flat type) is what your car would get if it were mine.

And as per Drew's post, my 6 still has its original 14" BBS Mahle wheels - but I do have a set of 16s in the garage awaiting refurb, that are exactly the same cross spoke pattern.

Good luck, and tell us what you decide!

Hey Rpmmat, I've had a mess about, and this is what your car might look like with 17" Alpina wheels...

 

Jimbob wrote: Hey Rpmmat, I've had a mess about, and this is what your car might look like with 17" Alpina wheels...

good job! a 1" drop and it hits the spot.....

cheers

 

Thanks for the input, lowering this car might be a problem with these wheels on as I dont think theres room at the front so i  might go for a set of 17's, I did have have some Alpinas from my old 3 series, but they were 4 stud plus they were hte BK replicas which got damaged if youso much as looked at them.
 Might try and swap the wheels I got. As for having black rims, these are supposed to be "Hyper Black", but it only looks that way in certain types of light. 
And Jimbob, great photoshop work there, can you now photoshop away the stonechips I've picked up since the car was finished, I cry every time i drive it as the paintjob will only ever get worse.

By the way, there are now a set a wings for sale on ebay.  These are early style ones without indicator holes.  Get in quick.

Hi, nice car...here is a link to a photo of mine...it is currently on 17 in bbs split rims from an e31 8 series.  They style of the wheels is great...only slight down side is that the rear rim is huge...some think that is looks fantastic, some think that it would be better with two wheels the same the fronts.  Wheels are due a refurb by the way... if you like the style then e39 split rims are ideal also but you will need hub rings because the diameter of the central hub is slightly smaller on the later cars.  Just so that you know I have 265/40 17s on the back and 235/45 17s on the front with no clearance problems and fantastic ride/handling compared to the (brand new) Michelin TRXs that are now in my garagehttp://uk.msnusers.com/huwsbmw