Hi, folks, I'm looking for some opinions on the origins of the wheels that are on my 1972 240Z. These were on it when I bought it, and I'm about certain that they are from a later date and different vehicle. I've looked around for quite some time to try to put an identity to them, but have had no success.

They are marked "Nissan" - "5 1/2-JJx1435" - "M83" - "40300 W1510"

I really did not care for them very much at the beginning, but they have grown on me to the point where I just may polish them up and keep them on the car! There are others that I like much better, but there are other things in line for my paycheck that take priority (kid, wife, house, pets, cam replacement, paint job.... you know the list...).

Pictures are attached.

And please don't bust a gut laughing at the tires.... I know that the Hercules P175/75R14 have gotta go. But, they were on her when the she took custody of me (and my bank account). They were new, so I figured I may as well run some tread off of them (and I have, with great fun). Leads me to the next question: What size tires can I put on her to max out the tread I get on the road and not get any interference from the vehicle (rubs, thumps, bumps, body damage, etc.), and make no mods to the car? My use will be about 40% pleasure driving, and 60% "spirited" back-road touring as I live in a rural Pennsylvania area with mostly two-lane back roads with lots of tight curves, lots of hills, and great combinations of both....so handling is important. And, I'd like to maintain some accuracy with my speedometer, too. The last time I paid attention to tires was a long time ago, when I sold them back in the mid-seventies, and I put on a set of 185X14 Michelin "X" on my first Z (or maybe they were 175X14's - can't quite remember - old/damaged brain cells at work where that info is stored, and things have changed so much that that info isn't good anymore anyway). I sold Semperit brand at the time but preferred the Michelin X by far. So, what do you think about a tire size that will fit on these 14" rims? Tire ratings, and brand name suggestions are more than welcome, too!

I've searched the archives and found lots of information available, but it just didn't quite give me the answers to the questions that I end up having. Your help and suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

John

1972 HLS30 84646 Mfg 5/72

I believe those are early 80s factory maxima wheels.

Will

I believe those are early 80s factory maxima wheels.

Will

http://www.ix-qu.de/info/mazda_XYX/geschichte/verwandte/std_1981_Datsun_810_Maxima-.jpg

On a 5.5" wide Maxima wheel like those, and desiring to get the height close to stock for proper speedo calibration, go with 195/70-14, or 205/65-14 (if you can find something you like in that size).

Yup. Maxima for sure. They actualy don't look all that bad. Definitely different.

My thanks to you Will, Arne, Mike, and Enigma! You guys figured that out in a matter of minutes, complete with pictures. I should have asked a year ago!

I'll also be looking around for some 195/70-14, or 205/65-14 tires.

I greatly appreciate your help with this. The new tire sizes remain a mystery to me.

I think that I'll do some polishing on the wheels, contrast them a bit by painting the recessed areas black, and hit them with a coat of clear coat.