SSR: Old School Wheels are New Again

Let’s say you have almost finished restoring your vintage JDM ride, you have the blueprinted motor, you have the multiple carbs, and you need wheels to suit. Sure, there are lots of second hand old school wheels available on Yahoo Auctions in Japan, but unless they are 100% mint, they will look poor compared to your $10,000 paint job….and if you need a custom offset to really stretch the rubber and get the rim edges exactly where you want them, then that’s a lot harder to find second hand.

Sure, Watanabes are always available new, but what if you want something different? …well then you might be in for a long period of searching.

But search no more. JDM wheel manufacturer Speed Star Racing (SSR) went bust a couple of years ago, and was bought out by JDM suspension company Tanabe. The good news is that the old school MkI, MkII and MkIII wheels from the 1970s SSR lineup are now back on the market. They look cool and appropriate on pretty much any old school JDM car, and are available in crazy dished vintage sizes like 14×8.5 with a zero offset…or how about 13×8 with a -1 offset anyone?

A true 3 piece wheel, the centres are available in a wide range of colours, including red, orange, black, gold, yellow and even blue! Vintage-style centre caps are also optional at a small additional cost. These SSRs come with a flat-faced seat for the wheelnut (ie a Toyota wheelnut) but a few extra bucks and SSR will manufacture your wheels with a conventional taper seat.

Can you picture a set of these on your ride? I know I can!