Beautiful Watanabe's on ebay

[v12horse]

Here you guys go. If I could get these I would have a really hard time passing them up. Here is a nice set of watanabe's that will fit a Z very well. I want to see one of you guys buy them.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2470659981

[26th-Z]

The wheels appear to be a pair of 6.5 and a pair or 7.0? I just priced a set of new silver lug nuts at around $100 and center caps are available for Watanabes as well. This is the polished rim look I prefer with the spokes inside the rim as opposed to over the rim lip.

[Alfadog]

Ben, I think those would look really nice on your car.................. ;)

[v12horse]

They are very nice, and the 7j ones are the exact offset I would want if I were to buy a set. I think they would look good on my car too, but I am holding off on wheels at least till the end of the summer.

26th, those wheels look good too. Were those on ebay not too long ago? I like that style, but I too prefer the spokes inside the rim. This style in this auction were offered on the Datsun competition parts list. However, I am not sure what sizes were offfered or what year Nissan starting offering Watanabe's on their sports parts list. I do know that the only diameter size for the Watanabe's on the list were available in 14".

Anyways, it looks like these wheels will be going on a AE86. Those are quite neat cars too. I like the 4age powered ones with wats. Very nice. Are you into 86's Alfa?

Regards,

Ben

[Alfadog]

Hi Ben, yes those wheels would have been just perfect for you! How wide a rim can you fit on a Z without overfenders I wonder... 6.5" is a little thin I would have thought. Although the stock steel wheels are 5" aren't they? Do you know how wide the rims you have on atm are? 6" I would guess..

AE86's are awesome yeah! I think they're a little overrated and overpriced, though. I doubt I'd ever own one because of the cries of "OHH DORRIFFTUUUU HACHI ROKUUU" permeating the air as you drive it anywhere.

[Gav240z]

Those look magnificent wish they were in Australia and at that price

[280z]

check these out

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2470013188&category=43955

i think that they are 15x6.5

im sure you can snag them for cheaper than those watanabes. you could even polish them and pain the spokes just like those other wheels.

[v12horse]

I hear ya on the whole drift craze thing with the 86's. I think it is all because of Initial D. I loved that anime. It is because of boys like me that they have that reputation. Everytime I see one I think, 86 panda. hahahaha. They are great for autoX I hear.

My wheels are 14 by 5.5j. On the 75' 280 the steel wheels became 5.5j wide opposed to the earlier 5j so they could use the 195 tires safely. The watanabe site says that 7j with a +3 is optimal, but I have seen 7.5j under the wheel well of a z. It all depends on the tire width and offset of the wheel. 7j with a -9mm offset wrapped in 195s would be the lowest offset and the widest wheel I would go with just to be on the safe side. Does anyone know the exact numbers of how wide and what offset is the maximum to keep the tyres under with out flaring?

Ben

[v12horse]

Pansports are very different looking than Watanabe's. The nicest Panasport's are the 14 by 7J with the zero offset as you have Marc, but Pans and Wats are not from the same pea pod. I am not trying to bad mouth pans here because they are great wheels, I just prefer the look of the Watanabe's and I am a little bit of a purest because the watanabe's were on the Nissan sports option list and I will only put parts on my car that were offered by the factory.

[Alfadog]

Yep, to some Panasports/Minilites/Superlites/Watanabes all look the same. But to some (twisted sticklers such as you and me, Ben) it HAS to be Watanabe! Anything else is a compromise. I love the fact that the Watanabe is the great classic rim for these old cars, and the fact they were offered as a Nissan Sports Option makes them even cooler. They seem to drip with nostalgia...

Mmmm...

[v12horse]

I couldn't say it any better Alfa. Hehehe, I have seen that picture. Those are on Yahoo japan.

Ben

[HS30-H]

Originally posted by v12horse

I am a little bit of a purest because the watanabe's were on the Nissan sports option list and I will only put parts on my car that were offered by the factory.

Hi v12horse & Alfadog,

Sorry to nitpick, but the eight-spoke wheels on the 1970 Sports Option lists for the Z432-R were not actually made by R.S. Watanabe.

They were made by Kobe Seiko, and did not have any identifying marks on them whatsoever. They looked VERY similar to the classic Minilite and Watanabe shape, and were made from Magnesium.

First of all they were only offered in 8j x 14 size, but the later Sports Option lists for the HS30 and RS30 offered the same wheel in 10j x 14 size.

I am told that a few Nissan dealers in Japan actually sold R.S. Watanabe wheels in the early Seventies, and offered them in fitments for the first-generation Z.

The wheels in the Sports Option lists were made by Kobe Seiko, who also made the magnesium 432 wheels and the Works "Rally" mags used on the Factory rally cars.

Cheers!

Alan T.

( Nitpicking Dept. ):classic: