Getting ready to order Wats. Need opinions

[Collectindust24]

Okay, I'm getting ready to order my Watanabes. I've decided to pay the extra loot for the optional magnesium color. Now, I can't make my mind between machined lip or not. It's an additional $25 per wheel. I guess at $560 per wheel, another $25 isn't that much. I just can't make up my mind. The polished lip are pretty, but the all one color wheels look tough and menacing. The car will be either green or DARK burgundy.

[xray]

Polished lip...definitely.

Where are you ordering from?

[Collectindust24]

Probably either wheelchoice or Takumi Project.

[Victor Laury]

Mas at Takumi has my vote of confidence. If that means anything. As far as which, I think the traditional non machined lip is the look for wats. After all, your buying them for their old-school appearance, might aswell stick with that theme.

[pimp1911]

What dimensions are you getting? 15x? or 16x?

[ZSaint]

I have a set of Panasports. I like the looks but want to polish the lip. These are machine polished but they will look much better with a high gloss lip, IMHO!

[Arne]

I vote for the painted lip. Wats don't look right to me if they have polished lips. I love the wheels on v12horse's car, for example. See:

http://classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20106

[ZSaint]

Painted wheels look a little like NASCAR to me. Z's do not have much bling-bling on them. I see them needing a little brightness in the wheel lip area. To each his own.

[v12horse]

Thanks Arne for the kudos. Polished lips and painted lips both look nice. I prefer the wheel fully painted, but it is all preference. To each is his own like Zsaint said.

-Ben

p.s. Get all gunmetal wheels. nudge nudge.

p.p.s. Zsaint, your car is beautiful. All that hard work paid off in dividends.

[ron carter]

The machined lip on a darker car will stand out better and look better. Although on most cars I prefer Wats. painted, this is the exception to the rule.

[Alfadog]

Ron's on the money! If you leave all the chrome trim, then the polished lip will bring it all together nicely - especially on a darker car.

The "look" is for all-painted though. Depends if you want to go more "correct" or for appearance. Of course, it is up to you.

I opted for polished lip, as on the C110 I think it needs it. But on a Z............ I wouldn't know what to choose with a car your colour. Difficult choice!

[Collectindust24]

It's making me crazy! I'm going with 16x8.5 front and 16x9.5 rear with ZG flares. They're a lot of loot, so I have to be sure on my decision. I guess if I get the all painted ones and grow tired of them, I can always get the lip polished at a later date.

[ZSaint]

Thanks for the nice comment. A friend hooked up the E-brake on my Z in Bremerton. (What a job to hook up 'Vette calipers to Datsun cables) I drove it in the rain for 4 hours. Then after being there for 3 days it rained all the way back to Salem. This pic was taken with the car very dirty. Now it is really filthy, under and over. I just bought a power washer to take care of the bottomside. What we do for a clean car!

I agree with the premise that dark cars look better with a polished lip. I think white, yellow, silver look good with black wheels.

[bpilati]

MSA isn't selling the Panasport gunmetal with polished lip anymore. So I'm going with Konig Rewinds (gunmetal with polished lip and inner ring). They fit my budget better and I've been assured of their quality. Bridgestone or Kuhmo tires.

[Arne]

MSA isn't selling the Panasport gunmetal with polished lip anymore. So I'm going with Konig Rewinds (gunmetal with polished lip and inner ring). They fit my budget better and I've been assured of their quality. Bridgestone or Kuhmo tires.

Bryan, it may not matter to you but were you aware that the Konig center caps won't fit on the front of 240Z's? The 240Z bearing cap sticks out too far for the short Konig caps. I think they'll work on 280Z hubs, which will fit on a 240Z if you change to the 280Z rotor as well.

[xray]

MSA isn't selling the Panasport gunmetal with polished lip anymore. So I'm going with Konig Rewinds (gunmetal with polished lip and inner ring). They fit my budget better and I've been assured of their quality. Bridgestone or Kuhmo tires.

Bryan:
I was on the phone with MSA about a week ago, and asked them what the story with Panasports was. The rep replied that while they only sold the metal poished ones, they could get them coated (gunmetal et al.) for an extra fee and some extra time to get it done. Don't know if it would be cheaper to have them powdercoated where you are or have MSA get it done, but from my conversation with them recently it sounds like they can do it if you're willing to pay...

[ron carter]

Panasports are available in gunmetal, I guess that MSA is not offering them anymore. You can order them thru Les Cannaday at Classic Datsun
760-940-6365.

I ordered and received a set from Les for my 510 project.

R