944/968 Cup 1 wheels wanted 17"

[9er]

Looking for a set of Repro Cup 1 wheels in 17".

Thanks in advance.

[Buchanan Automotive]

Just some food for thought you might find interesting / handy , over the last 21+ years ( but less in the last 5 years ) we have come across lots of "copy " / imitation / fake Porsche Cup1 & Cup 2 wheels in 17" dia , mostly the front offsets of these fake / copies are 52mm Offset ( ET )  , which is not that bad for a 944S2 or 968 or a 951 ( 87>) that is NON M030 , meaning small front brakes & the smaller stub axles ( spindles in USA speak ) that were designed for 55mm ET , so 52 ET was not shockingly bad but it does throw out the front suspension scrub radius by a total of 3mm per side = 6 mm in total  , which means the 968 / S2 / 951 Non M030 will tram track a bit & this is a bit annoying on a trip .

But thats not the worst of it , the reason we do not see these copies much any more is that most of them have gone to be recycled as something else ( thrown out ) , meaning they buckle & twist in their spokes in relation to rim on hitting decent size potholes etc ( this is not fixable ) & they flat spot( sometimes can be re rolled ) their rims a lot more easily than the Genuine Porsche 17" cup wheels do 

The copy Porsche cup 1 & 2 wheels are notorious for balancing issues , meaning vibrations at speed , and thats because of the quality of the manufacture ( built to a very cheap price new )mixed in with the hugh weight of these things
 

We were throwing out at least two to three sets a year from customers cars , mainly from being twisted / buckled or just cracked , hence why ( thank God ) we do not have to see these copies as much any more 

But even thats not the worst of it , the incredible weight of these wheels , you have to pick one ( try to ) to believe it , the front 17" copy in Cup 1 style is about 11.5 KG  & the rear Cup 1 copy is about 12.9 KG ( THATS HEAVY ) and the one thing a sports car does not need is Unsprung Weight .

Google up} excess unsprung weight for performance / sports cars 

The last thing worth remembering is when buying 2nd hand wheels , we usually get better results ( quality of product ) if the wheels in question are Genuine Porsche .

Thats why Porsche used Fuchs forged wheels for decades , very very very strong & very light & even their 15" dia and 16" dia cast wheels were strong & very light , like the famous 15" dia cooky cutters on the early 944 series ( they weigh almost nothing & strong ) , even the standard 16" dia " design 90 " cast wheels on the 944S2 & the 5 spoke 16" dia cast wheels on the 968 ( standard 968 ) were reasonable light & very very strong

Last November we had a customer at work with a 1990 951 Non M030 that had a set of Cup 2 copies / fakes & these were so bent , 3 or the 4 rimes were so twisted they were outright dangerous , so I asked him to have a look at the Fuchsfelge web site ( the USA one is more comprehensive ) & I pointed him to the Fuchsfelge ( Fuchs of Germany ) 17" X 7 X ET 55  ( fronts )    & 17" X 9 X ET 55 ( rear )   Satin Black with anodised lip 
There is a Fuchsfelge agent / importer in Melb Victoria & it worked out cheaper & much quicker to but them from them , I let the owner deal with the purchase etc & his 951 looks fantastic with these new Forged / Anodised wheels , not to mention , no more vibrations while driving & a massive Unsprung Weight saving = better handling

The front Fuchs wheels weigh = 7.5KG , the same size Cup 1 copy / fake = 11.5KG 
The rear Fuchs wheels weigh = 7.9KG  , the same size Cup 1 copy / fake  = 12.9 KG 

And because they are NEW , I know that these wheels can be trusted & being Forged they are VERY hard to bend ( extremely strong )& will always be with good money 2nd hand , not so the junk copies/fakes

Important note } We will not let any of our customers go anywhere near the track ( even with semi road "R" spec tyres ) on Copy Fake Cup 1 or Cup 2 wheels , we nearly lost a 944S2 about 5 or 6 years ago that had "R" specs on a set of Copy / Fake Cup 2's & it was only luck ( for the owner / driver ) that he was loosing tyre pressure when he came in from a 4 lap session , took the wheel off to find the puncture , well we found it OK , nice big crack appearing where one of the 5 spokes made contact with the rim on the inside , this wheel was preparing to seperate its spokes from the rim , meaning this car would of rolled over when it let go while cornering , this happens with junk wheels 

Note 2 }  With 944S2's & 951's( 87>) & 968  that have the Non M030 stub axles , meaning 55 front ET , the Fuchsfelge wheels I mentioned above are a perfect fit in every way 

Regards
Bruce Buchanan
Buchanan Automotive

[9er]

Very good information Bruce, thanks.

 

Apart from the Italian( Mille Miglia) and the German (Borbet)

There is now a Swiss manufacturer of Replicas (Maxilite)

these meet the strict TUV standards and are lighter than the weights that you are quoting.

[Timm]

Just in case you are interested, I have a set of genuine 16inch Fuchs for sale, which as Bruce mentions are an extremely light and strong wheel.