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+--- Forum: 6 - Brakes / Wheels / Tyres (http://www.deloreans.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=18)
+--- Thread: OEM looking larger alloys (/showthread.php?tid=1749)
OEM looking larger alloys - Chris Hawes - 23 Jul 2008
I hope Welmoed doesn't mind me posting here what was briefly touched on in the recent new club magazine.
To summarise, Welmoed is spearheading a project to enlarge the stock DeLorean wheel from 14" (front) and 15" (rear) to 16" and 17" respectively. The tyres used are a lower profile so the actual diameter of the wheels remain unchanged.
The advantages/reasons behind the project can be found here:-
http://www.deloreancarprojects.com/Cust ... smain.html
He needs 100 owners to say 'yes' and he'll go ahead...
Not all of the vendors have been approached yet...
The deadline for entering the program is August 16th, after which date he will determine whether the project will be started or cancelled. Regardless of its outcome, he will produce prototype wheels for testing purposes. If the project fails through lack of interest, there will be only two cars in the entire world having the new wheels...
- Outatime - 23 Jul 2008
Sounds very interesting... but it's difficult to say yes as the price is still an unknown....
Anyone know what kind of price we will be looking at?
- Chris Hawes - 23 Jul 2008
The Edit facility is missing again so I'll add this new addition here:-
The price is in the detailed 'pack' provided in the link above. It is around the same as a stock DeLorean OEM wheel (£250 per wheel).
To put it into context what Welmoed is aiming to achieve; If we were to do this here in the UK with this supplier:- www.rimstock.co.uk they would on average wreck 20 prototypes and make the tooling for the final castings before achieving a small order of say just 5 sets of wheels, hence a minimum outlay cost of £40,000 due to the massive amount of development. A multi spoke wheel design like the DeLorean's is inherently stronger than a say five spoke but it also requires a lot of work in the design. The minimum order requirement that Welmoed discusses will be down to the similarly high development costs to justify the amount of work required. After all, once you have perfected the casting it is easy and relatively low cost to produce as many as required.
Welmoed has placed a detailed Q&A section also at the link in the email above.
- steve.s - 25 Jul 2008
hi
i don't want to upset anyone, but personally i don't think the D's alloys can be improved.
they fit the car, as original.
like you would not put TSW's on a TR6 or an e type would you?
we go back to the new D's advertised.
do we want the car because it is twenty something year old with its history
and as J D intended, and of course everyone loves it and bttf
i certainly do.
- steve.s - 25 Jul 2008
hi
i am also not convinced that the handling will noticably change.
we are talking 80's chassis. my shocks are original, as are the springs etc.
if i wanted performance i would buy an R32 skyline gtr for £4k.
as far as i know we have no shortage of stock wheels, as in the states i would estimate 5 cars ish are broken each year?, and like SpecialT and others normally have a set for sale.
the standard wheels will take a few different tyres, but i can't remeber which.
- bozzzydmc - 25 Jul 2008
I admire him for the effort he is going to to produce these , personally I think these look great. Plus the price is spot on too paid more than that for 15" ones on another car a few years back.
So whats stopping me buying a set ? Well if I had aftermarket wheels and needed an origional looking set then i would go for these in a flash, but seeing as mine have new tyres and have been refinished, i cant really justify paying out this amount of money.
I hope he can get commitment on the 100 sets, but something tells me its a tall order. But fingers crossed.
- Rich Hanlon - 25 Jul 2008
Likewise. All the best in his endeavours, but I've got four perfectly good wheels thanks...
Outside Delorean circles, no-one would know the difference anyway - perhaps that's the whole point! It's an old car, it drives more like a classic car than a performance car. Look on it as a Grand Tourer rather than a sports car and you'll get along just fine.
- Bandit - 25 Jul 2008
I rekon' they could be a great option for the 'new' re-manufactured cars at DMCH, thats where they'd be most at home.
- NickT - 25 Jul 2008
Bandit Wrote:I rekon' they could be a great option for the 'new' re-manufactured cars at DMCH, thats where they'd be most at home.
I wonder when we will see one of the "New" Deloreans ?
NickT