Thanks Cionide. I'm still looking but I have a much better idea of what I want and where to look for it thanks to you and other members. 17x8 +40 +/- offset with a single bolt pattern.

 

Thanks for posting those pics. Your wheels look great and so does your car. The Kosei's are still on my short list but I'm still looking for my perfect wheel.

 

Here's your perfect wheel Fred, the Buddy Club P1 Racing P2 Plus wheel, available in Gunmetal @ 17x7.5:
http://www.hopupracing.com/noname19.html



They're silver on this Super White, but I think you'd want them in Gunmetal for your NBM:
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/sho...121290&page=20

 

Thanks! Those look great! I went to the Buddy Club site and they list them in gold, gunmetal, SBC and hyper silver but have no decent photos. I think I like SBC best but can't be sure from the thumbnail photo. Not sure wth "SBC" is either. Any idea on the weight? The only reference I found was a site that said 21 lbs but I'm hoping that's not accurate.

I did find some photos of them in gunmetal and didn't like them at all. They look like steelies with chrome trim rings, IMO. Not diggin' the oversized lip with the matte gunmetal finish.

http://www.clubxb.com/forums/f4/fs-f...-p1-31399.html

 

run dunlop direzza

 

I hadn't seen the SBC ("special color"), but yea it looks the best by far. Give them a call to confirm color, weight, size & offset.

Buddy Club USA
709 E. Cedar St.
Ontario, CA 91761
909-923-9188. Cedar St.
Ontario, CA 91761
(909) 923-9188 - FAX (909) 923-9108

 

Thanks Cory. I haven't decided on tires yet but if I decide to go with chewing gum soft summer tires, I'll keep those in mind. Truthfully, I'll probably compromise on grip and get something that will last for 30k miles.

Hey Cionide, I figured out what "SBC" stands for... Special Brilliant Coating. It's the closest thing to chrome without being chrome. It often looks like black chrome but sometimes more silver. It's something that I'd have to see in person or in some really good photos before committing to it. Not a fan of chrome wheels. I'm looking more for a glossy hyper-black like Enkei has.

What think you of these? Enkei GTC01 in hyper black

 

The Buddy Club SBC certainly doesn't look like the traditional bright mirror silver polished chrome to me. I still think you should call them, and see if they have any distributors in your area where you could see them in person. If I didn't already have wheels, I would be searching these out myself.

BTW, the GTC-01 is a nice looking wheel, just not my style.

 

Yeah, my description of SBC wasn't very good. It seems more like a very high gloss paint than chrome. No paint can ever match the silver mirror shine of chrome. I was hoping to get Enkei's because Dezod carried them and I wanted to bundle them with some other things but I can't find any Enkei wheels that I really like. The HB EV5 in 17x8 would be perfect, if they made it...

I'll keep looking at Buddy Club but it appears that they have limited distribution in the US. It's hard to even find any decent photos of them. I'm beginning to see what you mean about multi-spoke wheels on the box. The GTC01 is a beautiful wheel and looks great on certain cars but does look a bit out of place on the box.

 

It's not so much the multi-spoke, it's just that super bright silver against the deep rich color of the NBM that looks like too much contrast. I do especially like the dark bronze finish of the Work CR-KAI multi-spokes that Cory has on his BCM xB, another deep rich body paint color. It's all about complimentary style & finish, not just one or the other. Glad to see you're taking the time to find what you feel meets both criteria for you; which is what will make you happiest in the long run.

 

You just illustrated exactly what is making this decision so hard for me. The GTC01's pictured above on the NBM XB are hyper-black yet in this one particular photo, they appear bright silver. In other photos on other cars, they are clearly not even close to bright silver. If I shop locally, the selection is very limited. If I shop on-line, it's almost impossible to see what they really look like in person.

Unfortunately what I'm finding is that every time I find a wheel that I really like, it's either not available in the size I want or the color/finish or it costs too much or is discontinued...

Another GTC01 photo for comparison:

 

5Zigen has a new color, "HMC" Hyper-Metallic-Chrome? Looks just like what others call SBC. I like em but they're a bit spendy at $300 each.





BTW, will 17x8.5" +38 fit in front with 235-45-17 rubber and TRD springs? No rubbing at all?

I also forgot to mention that Buddy Club P1 Racing II Plus wheels are discontinued. There is some stock left in 18" and 19". Also discontinued are ASA JH8 and several other wheels that I was ready to buy. TSW Volcanos are very nice but only 17x7 and weight unknown. I'll probably end up compromising on 17x7 since the selection of 17x8 is more limited and typically cost ~$100 more per wheel.

 

Opinions? MSW Type 16 Titanium Mirror finish 17x8" +40, 22.5Lbs






I've seen these before but dismissed them due to the weight. I could pair them with General UHP's at 21lbs each for a combined weight of 43.5lbs per corner.

 

The MSW Type 16 looks like it would go nicely with NBM, but as we've discussed, pictures can be deceiving.

As to your earlier question; I've seen somebody on here running 18x8.5 +35 with 235/40 tires, on TRD springs, who said "no rubbing", so you should be fine if you want to go 17x8.5 +38 with 235/45 tires.

 

Thanks Cionide. I'm not crazy about the MSW 16s but they are a single bolt pattern, similar to hyper black, 17x8 +40 and only $126 ea. The guy at Tire Rack has seen them in person and described them as high gloss dark silver, very similar to most hyper black wheels. I just ordered them with TPMS sensors and 235-45-17 General Exclaim UHPs.

It's a compromise solution but the other wheels I liked would have cost more than the wheel/tire/TPMS package I bought. I'll post some pics when I get them. Thanks again for all your help.

 

You're welcome, glad to see you found something you like. It took me more than a year to decide, but I was waiting to wear out the OEM tires, so I had the time. Looking forward to seeing pics that might actually do justice to the wheel finish.

 

I hope I like them. I'm still a bit worried about the "mirror" part in the finish name and the taller sidewalls of 235-45 vs 225-45 rubber. I'll know next week.

 

Just an FYI:
The stock 205/55-16 sidewall you've been riding on is 4.44" (calculated)
The 235/45-17 sidewall height is 4.16" (calculated)
The 225/45-17 sidewall height is 3.98" (calculated)
You're gonna be fine.

 

I suppose so. It's just that I think 18's look the best on the box and 17's have a bit too much sidewall for my taste. Oh well, if appearance was my main concern I'd be sporting 19s and bagged. I'm sure I'll appreciate that extra sidewall when commuting on NY Ave in DC.

 

Can't wait to see pics