3.2 Carrera 15 or 16 inch wheels?

[Julian Thompson]

Im having my 3.2 restored at the moment and there was a comment that maybe the car came as new on 16 inch wheels, not the 15 inch ones it has one. It’s a 1985 Sport with 915 gearbox.

Does anyone know?

Thanks

[Discombobulate]

As far as I am aware you could have both on an 85.

[kith]

My understanding was that 15" were standard and 16" came with the Sport pack, which also included the front and rear spoilers.

[GT Two]

I think the impact bumper cars look superb on 15” fuchs.

15 vs 16”

[Julian Thompson]

This is the car with the tail removed as it was when I bought it. I did love the clean look but decided to go for full ‘80’s and reinstate the oem wing after it’s finished. Those 15’s seem to have been on the car for a very long time, looking at historic pictures of it in the file, so I wondered if they were oem.

[Julian Thompson]

GT Two said:

I think the impact bumper cars look superb on 15” fuchs.

15 vs 16”

Great photo a little unfair as the 16 car is running a circuit ride height. (Looks like Brands Hatch?)

[Orangecurry]

Julian Thompson said:

Im having my 3.2 restored at the moment and there was a comment that maybe the car came as new on 16 inch wheels, not the 15 inch ones it has one. It’s a 1985 Sport with 915 gearbox.

Does anyone know?

I do not; but I would include the tedious factor of what size tyres are available today... and by that I mean a decent choice of modern rubber.

My 3.2 Supersport came on 16", and the rear tyres are a pain to source.

[Julian Thompson]

Orangecurry said:

Julian Thompson said:

Im having my 3.2 restored at the moment and there was a comment that maybe the car came as new on 16 inch wheels, not the 15 inch ones it has one. It’s a 1985 Sport with 915 gearbox.

Does anyone know?

I do not; but I would include the tedious factor of what size tyres are available today... and by that I mean a decent choice of modern rubber.

My 3.2 Supersport came on 16", and the rear tyres are a pain to source.

Do you have any pictures of it on those wheels? Although I suppose that is a wide body version so will presumably have the wide tyres off the turbo?

[Orangecurry]

Yes true it had 9J rears. I simply meant whatever sizes you need, check they are available today, 15s vs 16s.

I doubt any of the photos would help you? As you point out, these Fuchs are deeper dish.

[mlsporsche]

This is the factory spec on your car, as you can see it came out of Stuttgart with 15" forged wheels


Vehicle Identification No.
WP0ZZZ91ZGS101636
Model
Carrera Coupe
911
Date of production
13.12.1985
Year
1986
Sales type
911331
Engine Code
93020
Transmission Code
G91572
Axle drive
5S
Equipment
VN
Roof color
P5
Carpet color code
5FV
Exterior color / Paint Code
P5 /
Seat combination no.
ATH
Number of Z-Orders
0
PR Number
Attribute

Description
058
Impact absorbers, front and rear
261
Door mirror - flat - passenger's side,
electrically adjustable and heatable
330
341
Central locking system
401
Light-alloy rims, forged
15-inch
425
Rear window wiper
437
Comfort seat, left,
electrically adjustable
473
With front spoiler and rear spoiler
650
Electrical sliding roof

[996Targa]

I had a 1985 3.2 with sport package and 16" wheels from 1993 to 2004.

The new cost in September 1985 was:

Car 25,507

Extras
LSD 529
Passenger door mirror 123
Locking wheel nuts 41
Central locking 222
Leather front and rear seats 744
Sports seats 239

Total 27,406

No mention of the 16" wheels as extras. According to the sales brochure, standard wheels were 15" telephone dial wheels and the forged 15 or 16" wheels were extra.

There was a UK standard specification which included the sunroof and a few other things but I can't recall what they were.

[supersport]

Whilst the large 16" 245 x 45 x 16 rears of the turbo / Supersport are a limited choice they are not hard to get.

Continental stopped making them a few years back, but there are other choices, the crazy expensive Pirelli re-makes of the originals, some sane Pirellis, Toyo and some cheaper brands.

A lot of people put the narrower 16s on which might be easier to get.

[Jamie Summers]

I'm sure I ran 255s on my 9J rears - you could go even bigger potentially if that's what's available.

[Geneve]

IIRC, most UK 3.2 Carrera SEs will have 6&7 x16 Fuchs.
For 1989 this was 6&8 x16 Fuchs, but with the same 205&225 tyres.

Some may have had the 9” Turbo rears on wider tyres, but these serve no benefit to the NA cars - just adding power sapping unsprung weight and worsening the natural understeer.

A popular trick, especially for track use, was to fit the 15” wheels with suitable lower rolling radius tyre sizes.
This is/was an effective, non invasive, way of lowering the car and gearing, and it provided a wider choice of ‘track’ tyres.

Non-SE models had the 15” ‘Teledials’ on the Carrera - ‘cookie-cutters’ on the previous SC models.

[Gio G]

The 15” Teledials are quite rare on early 80’s models. All being replaced with upgraded Fuchs, which for me makes it look like every other 911 of its period.

I loved our old car on Teledials and often get comments on how great they looked. Ours had a some spacers fitted to feel out the arches..



G

[Julian Thompson]

mlsporsche said:

This is the factory spec on your car, as you can see it came out of Stuttgart with 15" forged wheels


Vehicle Identification No.
WP0ZZZ91ZGS101636
Model
Carrera Coupe
911
Date of production
13.12.1985
Year
1986
Sales type
911331
Engine Code
93020
Transmission Code
G91572
Axle drive
5S
Equipment
VN
Roof color
P5
Carpet color code
5FV
Exterior color / Paint Code
P5 /
Seat combination no.
ATH
Number of Z-Orders
0
PR Number
Attribute

Description
058
Impact absorbers, front and rear
261
Door mirror - flat - passenger's side,
electrically adjustable and heatable
330
341
Central locking system
401
Light-alloy rims, forged
15-inch
425
Rear window wiper
437
Comfort seat, left,
electrically adjustable
473
With front spoiler and rear spoiler
650
Electrical sliding roof

That’s awesome, thank you!!!

[Julian Thompson]

Orangecurry said:

Yes true it had 9J rears. I simply meant whatever sizes you need, check they are available today, 15s vs 16s.

I doubt any of the photos would help you? As you point out, these Fuchs are deeper dish.

Looks great that on those wheels

[EVO575]

Mine on 15s. I like the high sidewall look.

[LongstoneTyres]

The good news these days is there are good tyres for 15" or 16" wheels.

For the 15" wheels there are the original CN36 tyres with 165R15 for the early cars, 185/70R15 CN36 for the post '68 cars and they even do the 215/60R15 CN36 that they started fitting on the RS and Carrera in 1936. Then there is the P7. we are out of the 205/50R15 P7 for now, but they will be back. there is the 225/50R15 P7 and the 285/40R15 p7 for the crazy wide wheels.

The 16" P7 are available too. 205/55R16 P7, 225/50R16 P7 and 245/45R16 P7

Don't fall into the mistake of thinking modern tyres are better for these cars. modern tyres are better for modern cars and don't suit old car geometry. that is why Porsche asked Pirelli to make these tyres again, so these cars could again drive the way they should. these Pirelli Collezione tyres have all the relavbent benefits of modern quality control and compounds. However importantly they have a carcass design suited exactly to your car, that suits yuour chassis better than anything else.

Porsche themselves have tested these tyres and homologated them with the N.

They are available through specialist Pirelli Collezione distributors. However we do also supply the trade.

[ChrisW.]

It's very useful to have this direct feedback

I fitted a set of MXV's (from yourselves) to my '73 2.4S and do feel on the motorway that the car wanders a little. I have had the geo checked and all was to spec so I wonder if it's simply a characteristic of the higher profile and older design of tyre ?