Pagodas on 15 inch Bundts?

[lurtch]

Hello All,

It is time for new tires on my 230SL and I am thinking about changing over to a larger wheel to get a lower profile tire.

My car has 14 inch Bundts on it now and though they are a little too intricate for my tastes (and hard to clean) I am still quite pleased with  the way they look on the car.

I have had three sources tell me that the larger Bundts work well and will fit correctly on our cars.

Questions:  Would anyone care to comment on this idea?  those of you who have them installed, would you recommend this change?

They sure look good on the car in the attached photos - - -


Thanks for any inputs - - -

Larry in CA

[cabrioletturbo]

From a purist angle, maybe not the right idea. From the practicality angle - sounds great.
The car in the photo does look low at the front.

[ja17]

Finding a set of the 15" bundt alloys can be a challenge. I think this is a good looking alternative to 14" tires and wheels.

[Benz Dr.]

If you can even find them, expect to pay a lot for them.

[hauser]

The car in the photo does look low at the front.

The car looking low in the front has nothing to do with the size of the wheels.  If that were the case the back would look low as well.

I've switched to 15" wheels and am very happy.  The car rides better, is more stable at high speeds and just plain looks better!  The alloy bundts are available from the classic center about 2K per set.

[Raymond]

As long as the outside diameter of the wheel doesn't exceed the original, you'll be fine.  There is no doubt that the 15's will ride better and there are more tire options available. The slightly shorter sidewalls will improve cornering.  I did this on my Bimmer E30 and the improvement was dramatic!

Fernando, your car has wheel covers.  So that means that your 15" rims are steel, correct?  Wouldn't those be less expensive than bundt alloys and easier to find used?  I like the look of the wheel covers better than the bundts but that is personal preference.  The bundt wheel would be lighter by several pounds per rim and that would make a difference in shock performance.

[hauser]

Ray prices are almost the same once you add it all up.  As for alloy vs steel with hubcaps I really like the vintage look of the hubcaps.  I just happen to have a set of both so I can change the look of the car whenever the mood or task suits me.

[UJJ]

Larry, was nice to meet you at PUB
I agree with your idea and I plan to do the same conversion.
Since my family (daughter and grandchildren) live in Germany, they searched for those wheels in Germany.
They found a set of 15" Bundt wheels which I will pick up during the holidays while I am visiting.
They are from a W 126 and seem to be in good shape.
The seller wants Euro 650 for the 4 piece set. Hopefully they are as good as described.
I do think that finding them in the US might be difficult.
Urban