Seeing various AE86s, Celicas Cressidas at Toyotafest got our brain gears turning. We’ve asked you before about the coolest vintage barrel because Japanese racing alloys are an indelible part of the JNC culture. But not everyone can afford or find a set of wheels that can rival the cost of the car itself. So what about stock?
What’s the coolest OEM wheel?
Toyotaku have already discovered Toyota 14×7 Supra iron crosses and have been slapping them on every RWD Aichi sled known to man. It’s simple — the 4×114.3 bolt pattern is universal among old FR Yotas and they’re relatively easy to find. Plus, they’ve got that sharp, ninja star look straight from the factory. Just be careful to score them from the P-Types and not the lesser L-Types or JDM Soarers, which look the same but are only six inches wide.
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining or inspiring comment by next Monday will receive a toy. Click through to see the winner the last QotW, “What’s the greatest JNC of the 1980s?”
We got a lot of great responses, but one rises up, straight to the top, up to the challenge of its rivals. Tom Westmacott, you’re the eye of the tiger!
Nissan Silvia S13, March 1988
This car took the boxy styling that formed the signature of the Eighties, and refined it beautifully with smoothly chamfered edges that kept the overall boxy stance, just with an added sense of visual heft and grace through the slightly softened edges. Under the bonnet, the ultimate CA-series twin-cam turbo intercooled 1809cc engine – modern power in a traditional rear-drive layout. This being the tech-tastic eighties, the options list included choices such as a head-up display projected on the windscreen, rear wheel steering (HICAS), and a chilled glovebox for cold drinks. With it’s oh-so-eighties signature two-tone paint (the lime green two tone launch colour is still remembered in Japan today), it was the perfect car for young Japanese men both to attract the opposite sex and, of course, to attack the touge.
The Silvia went on to become the Mustang of bubble and post-bubble Japan, with huge numbers being sold, modified, and driven hard from Okinawa to Hokkaido. Unlike other eighties cars, the basic chassis was so good that it lasted until 2002, when the S15 model was ‘retired’ to avoid stealing sales from the brand new 350Z.
Omedetou! Your comment has earned you a rare Hot Wheels Super Speeders mystery pack Mazda RX-7!
Mitsubishi Starion Wheels. Similar design to those P-Type Supras, but soooo wide for OEM! My personal fave.
“Toyotaku have already discovered Toyota 14×7 Supra iron crosses and have been slapping them on every RWD Aichi sled known to man.”
I’ve seen them on a Toyota Van once…….ugly as sin. Not a great combo.
blasphemy! I’m crazy I guess, but I love these wheels on everything, Vans included
The ones you saw on a van are stock. they are 15″ rims but are about 6″ wide. They are more flat than the concaved 14″ x 7.5″ MA61’s. I believe they only came on the fully loaded butt ugly 80s toyota vans.
Doh, Jin has style, I concur with his mentioning of the Mitsubishi Starion widebody wheels. 16×8-10 front, 16×9+0 rear (?). Now those are a stout numbers for OEM wheels.
I love the Starlet’s wheels!
Beat me too it! I was gonna say starion wheels because they are amazing especially polished crime and I usually hate chrome.
Come to think of it, polished crime would be an interesting wheel finish…
Yeah I thought so too.
My bad kindle fire spell check………troll
No doubt the coolest OEM wheel design would have to be the 280zx Turbo “swastikas.” I’m not basing my opinion on sizes or offsets, but the design itself. I get really drawn in by the spokes. Sort of asymmetrical, all right angles and straight lines, undeniably 80’s. The inset black lines break up the chunkiness of the wide spokes and remind me of cheesy old sports car ads with tail lights streaking across the background.
I remember scouring eBay and Craiglist for a set when I had my S13 fastback, coming close to buying a couple times but the deals always fell through right at the last second due to previously undisclosed details on the part of the seller – in one case waiting to pick them up until he was done cooking meth for the day.
This might be a bit cliché, but I have to pitch the rotor-shaped wheel on the late-type 1st gen RX-7s. Here’s a photo: http://img5.blogs.yahoo.co.jp/ybi/1/d1/bc/ryou19951021/folder/378677/img_378677_9481363_1?1342977670
If you thought the various rotary motifs on the RX-8 were overt, these’re totally more in-your-face. They even have notches for the apex seals. When the car is moving, at each corner are these wheels mimicking what’s happening inside the engine. These were available on the higher grade cars at the time, but sadly were never made available in the US. This has to be one of the coolest OEM wheels out of the ’80s.
I will add my vote for the Starion wheels. Look similar to the Toyota Supra P-Types but they are welded two-piece wheels instead of a one-piece cast wheel.
1973 Datsun B210 Sunny because they remind me of little bumble beehives. ;p
I have to agree with the Toyota Celica Supra wheels as a 4 lug wheel and Mitsubishi Starions as a 5 lug wheel, Awesome designs overall and killer sizes on the starion wheels..
The old 1st gen CRX Si phone dial type wheels is one of my favorites. They look so weird they’re cool.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Honda_Ballade_CR-X.jpg
I like the “double level” finned wheels that came on the JDM Toyota Soarer [JDM version of the original Western Market Lexus SC300 coupe] six cylinder turbo charged 2.5 liter with Torsen rear suspension. It only came on the six cylinder which with the turbo made more horsepower and torque than the V8 version.
I’d just like to add, in regards to the statement “Just be careful to score them from the P-Types and not the lesser L-Types or JDM Soarers, which look the same but are only 6.5-inch wide” that the L-Type/JDM version are 6 ” wide, not 6.5. I’d also note that they’re 15″ diameter as opposed to the 14’s of the P-Type rim.
Personally I prefer the 15″ version, to me the extra length of the spokes balances it out better.
Arigato, noted!
Slot mags!
http://i.imgur.com/NPsqMh.jpg?1
Found my set from a ’67 ford mustang.
which car came with these as a factory option?
None. They were sold on new cars though. Dealers would swap out the original steel wheels for aftermarket aluminum jobbers all the time.
so… not OEM. although i do agree they look great on most old cars regardless of their origin.
if this was applicable i would have said Appliance wheels that found their way onto a lot of S30 Zs or perhaps American Racing Libres on 510s.
I love the 5J-13 four-spoke steel wheels that came on early Celica and Corolla GTs:
Wheel on it’s own
Wheels on a 1973 Celica
Every time I see massive bling wheels on a classic car, I have to make a conscious effort to not judge the owner as a wanker. I blame Xzibit.
I’m proud to be rocking 13″ steelies 🙂
best one is a Supra 4 spoke like previously stated, otherwise i love CRX Buttons from back in the day for 4×100 lug pattern, they made them in 15″ for 1 year and im rocking those on my daily. for 5×114 i gotta go with Starion/Conquest 5 spokes. same as the supras but 1 more spoke
My pick would be the 1980’s Isuzu Impulse wheel. These wheels are strait out of the 80’s, and is the epitome of the 80’s. I have a link posted below for those who don’t know.
Ugly, maybe to some…but this screams cool. 12 square design, yes SQUARE. I cant say that they’ll look good on any other car but the Isuzu, but cool beans in my books.
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTAfArGeWD7rZgYHeXMEADUC1vZsTn4pFGPZqDq5O-H7m6w47mIYw
not that its an 80’s wheel but the nissan skyline r33 wheels would have to go to the top of the list for a 90s wheel.great stock fitment in a rays forged wheel straight from the factory.
if you wanna delve back into the 80’s i would be hard pressed to disagree with the rotor wheels from the sa22 fb’s
who else took the internals from theyre engine and used it to inspire wheels on the same car?!?
The 280zx iron cross wheels are pretty cool as well, and most ae86 alloys. Snowflakes, the pyramid ones, and the fins.
Cool oem wheels are just an abnormality. Jaguar, BMW, and Porsche have done it best over the years.
While the Supras are great and available in three different sizes, 14×6, 14×7 and for a very short time 15×6. I have to say that the best OEM wheel from the 80s is not a flashy chrome or alloy, but a lowly steel wheel. The MX73 spare wheel is a 15×7 steel wheel that looks just like the 13 or 14 inch stock wheel from any of the 70s and early 80s toyotas. They are a must if you want bigger rims, but want to keep a stock look. They can be widened without too much trouble. They take any color you want. They are not crazy expensive and not readily available, which makes them a bit cooler. Corolla guys want them for drift spares. I hoard them for my celicas.
5×114 has to be the starion, they are soo cool, people are trying to figure out 5 lug swaps just to run them. Heck, I am 5 lugging my MX72 just to run them as well. Again, multiple sizes 7,8 and 9 inches wide. Negative offset standard, which is opposite of most manufacturers at the time. They look good on anything they fit including domestic muscle.
Ford crown victoria !! 5 lug 16×7 🙂
Looks great in s13 or rx7 fc
Datsun B210 Honeycomb caps