My love for expensive wheels rivals many women’s love of designer shoes. I am not kidding. I promise you I will own an expensive set of wheels before I own my first pair of true designer shoes.
Shoes and wheels?
Yes, I just spoke of shoes and wheels. We all know wheels are basically shoes for cars, right? So it kinda works.
When I say designer shoes, I mean the likes of Louboutins, Blahniks, Miu Miu, etc. For the poor guys who have no idea what I’m talking about, I’m referencing shoes costing $600+. Uh-huh, ouch. A very expensive habit to have. Thankfully, I’m convinced I cannot afford it. I’m probably right anyhow. I like designer stuff too much anyhow as is.
And when I speak of expensive wheels, you better know what I’m talking about. A nice set of Volks, BBS’, Works, Advans, etc. Just as designer clothing spurs people to create knock-offs, so do “designer” wheels. I mean, that’s why everyone knocks Rotas, right? (Which, personally, I don’t have a problem with… Unless you’re trying to act like they’re real.)
Why I’m in the wheel market
I’m extremely content with my black Enkei RPF1′s on the Miata. I absolutely love love love those wheels. We also have silver RPF1′s on the S2000, which I also love love love. However…. I’m continually shopping for wheels for my 240SX. When I took on the project, I did so much differently than my “budget” Miata build — I knew I would spare no expense for the car.
Really, I ought to break that all down for you… But that’s another topic for another day.
Instead, I’ll share some of the wheels I think would fit my 240SX well. Mind you, I’m not looking for her in her current state, which is mostly stock outside and red color. Hopefully later on this year we’ll see the Silvia front-end conversion, and she’ll be my Sil-Eighty this year. I then plan on painting her Midnight Purple Pearl, Nissan color code LP2.
I need to share that because I’m picking out wheels that will work with this eventual color, not necessarily the red she is right now. Really, though, the wheels will go with red anyhow… I never thought I’d like gold on red, but since the set she’s rocking right now, I’ve really come to like it.
This is what Midnight Purple Pearl looks like.... <3
Lusting for…
Anyhow, here’s the part you were all waiting for (or skipping to): What wheels am I looking at getting?
1. Work VS-XX, 17″, gold — Right now, this is the set I’m 99% sure I’m buying.
I am completely in love with these wheels...
2. Volk TE-37, 16 or 17″, white — I want these in addition to the gold VS-XX’s. I will become a wheel whore because of this.
I've wanted these wheels for a long, long time.
3. Advan RS, 17″, gold — Yes, I like multi-spoke wheels… Okay?!
Definitely a nice set to have in a collection. 
4. SSR Professor MS1 R, 16 or 17″, gold — Doubt these come as a shocker on the list…
Multi-spoke + gold = happy car girl!
Which to save for?!
As I said before, I’m about 99% sure I’m going to be getting the gold VS-XX’s first. When I first came across the picture, I thought I was gonna die. I’m thinking of going 17″, because that opens up a huge host of wheel choices. Sadly, some seem to come in 18′s as the smallest! But nope, 17″ is as big as I will go. Right now she’s rockin’ 15×8′s. The 17′s she came with were awful, but that was the fault of the wheels themselves I think.
Luckily, I’m not after a practical track set up. In fact, this is really as much of a show car build as I ever want to do… I want her to look damn good, but be pretty damn quick too. I figure the right offset combined with the right alignment will give us a wicked stance, whether she gets 16′s or 17′s in the end.
So, which is your favorite set of the four? What wheels would you buy if you had the money? Mind you, it’s going to take me a good few months of solid saving to afford one set of these wheels, but it’s totally worth it, don’t you think?
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Its so funny that you poted all these wheels cause these were the EXACT wheels I wanted to buy but could not afford. My my how minds think alike. Id say go for the work wheels cause its kind of interesting and new to see on a miata.
Lol! These are my dreams.
Actually, these are the wheels I’m entertaining for the 240, since she needs to go up in wheel size to sit the way I want her to now. (Without destroying the intercooler anyhow.)
For the Miata, I was thinking Work Equips… I’ve seen those done before and I really like the styling. Most wheels don’t come small enough, she’s gotta stay 15′s. Depending on what I look into, either new wheels or her RPF1′s would become dedicated race wheels.
I was looking for work VS-XX’s but I couldn’t find any that would work on my car. FWD fail yet again lol.
I like the purple you chose and the Work VS-XX win gold will just pop. All of that on a Sil-80, it will look sik.
GO IMPACT BLUE! In this case Impact Purple.(if you watch Initial D you’ll get the joke)
You have great taste in wheels. The VS-XX are excellent. Absolutely. And the 240 would look hot with them.
As for me:
1) 14″ concave TE-37s. Silver, I think.
2) Hayashi Streets – (15×7 +10ish)
3) SSR Reverse Mesh – 14s or 15s, low offset.
4) 15″ SSR MKIIIs would be hot. But the whole not fitting over 1.8 brakes without spacers makes me sad.
and I totally understand expensive shoes. I bought the wife a pair of Manolos for Christmas a couple years ago.
Awww, maybe you should take the hint…
J/k!
Of course I watch it!! Lol. I originally wanted to paint the car blue, but then I found Midnight Purple Pearl and… Well, I’m a sucker for a good shade of purple. (Hello, purple Corbeau harness in the Miata.
)
Hopefully she’ll come together. The SR20′s being a pain…. Different turbo, different issues… -Sigh-
Why, thank you.
I do kind of wish I had RPF1′s like yours, but it was tire choices (or lack thereof) that led me to 15′s for the Miata in the first place.
I’ll have to look into more for her when I get the 240 settled. I think once I go expensive it would be hard to go back, lol. Kinda like expensive shoes, and I wish my hubby would buy me some, but he just doesn’t get it no matter how much I try to explain. :/ (Something I’ll just have to do myself!)
SHHHH. This is my first fwd, next will be awd. There has been a set of rpf1′s for sale on a local message board for months 18′s though and I don’t want to pay 18″ tire size money lol.
Lol, definitely reasonable. Largest size we’ll have on any car we’ve got right now are 17′s. (And we buy reasonably priced Kumho’s, haha.) I wasn’t sure about going from 15′s to 17′s for the 240, but with how she’s been sitting on 15′s I have to say she could probably pull off 17′s with the right offset no problem. (I think we’re doing the 5 lug conversion too, so that’ll have to come first.)
These wheels come out soon! You might wanna check them out.
http://enkei.com/pf01.html
more info on our blog.
http://blog.enkei.com/?s=pf01&x=0&y=0
You definitely have my attention!!
I think those in the right color would be an awesome second set of wheels for the Miata…. (If there are enough track days, I’m thinking about a set of dedicated racing wheels. Just not sure if my RPF1′s would remain her DD wheels or race ones!)