You'll be lucky if you get that in Soc Security from the Fed over 20 years. No, that was just for $2500 in a fund now. Hopefully, you're planning to invest more than that. You'll need it.

And Wake- If that ISN'T a lot, what is?

Kenchan- $2500 not a lot, imho? Hardly a humble opinion.

 

The basic consideration is-

How much budget is workable for wheels/tires?

Well if the wheels you really want are $500 each then it's gonna be easy to reach $2500-3000 per wheelset.

If you limit your selection of wheels to those in the $200 to $300 range then you will likely run under $2000 per set.

Wheels are somewhat durable if you take care of them. Tires will wear out.

Spending 10% of your total car value on wheels is easy and not that bad an investment considering-
They perform suspension duties
The tires perform traction, handling, accelerating and braking duties
They add a great deal to the overall appearance and uniqueness of your MINI

I have 5 or 6 sets of wheels, you don't want to know what my budget is.
But then again I have lots of upgrade $$$ in my MINI so it's still probably only 10% of the total value! Hah.

The other thing is getting wheels is fun. There's got to be some value in buying shoes for your baby that work and fit just right.

 

Just do it

 

LOL....ive thought of fuel savings, mushroom prevention, safety in rain, more comfortable ride....what else do you have?

 

Okay here is the rim....I get goose bumps when I see it .....*drool*

 

I know it I know....but since my car was $37,000+ then its not that bad right? 6.8%

 

Ive tried this method....and its not working LOL. I think I need to be physically restrained for a week...

 

Are you serious? It is thoughts like this why there are so many Americans in debt with out a dollar to their name. Lets save $2500 this year, and $2500 next year, and the year after that... Do that for the rest of your life and then run the math. Don't think of saving the $2500 as a one time thing. Do it again and again... And hopefully do not stop @ $2500... Think 10 times that amount a year...

 

LOL you know its funny, but someone tried to rip off the wheels on a 1980 Dodge Omni I had decades ago Police caught them half way and two of the wheels were already on the ground and my car was jacked up.

But let me be more clear....this may make things a bit more palatable...

Rims: $1,900
Tires: $575 Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 mounted and balanced
Shipping: Free
Lug Conversion Texas Speedworks with R26 nuts: $215
Grand Total: $2,690

 

Hey thanks for that amazing list! I think I have looked through most of those already But Itll be good for the next set of rims...J/K

 

I wouldn't attempt to talk you out of it.

$2500 might seem like a lot of money to one person, but a modest amount to another. Depends on your financial position in life.

Since I don't know you're financial position, how am I to say if it's wise or not of you ?

But, since you're asking to be talked out of it, maybe it's a safe assumption to say you are not in a favorable financial position at this point in your life.

 

look for some replicas.. just like im doing.. im in the same position as you.. really want gram lights.. but i realized there is so much more i can do with all that $$ so lookin for replicas.. but on the flip side.. say if u buy them for 2500 and u get bored of them in a year or 2 they will probably be worth .. lets say 1500? you can sell them and then youve only spent $1000 for its use.. many ways of lookin at it.. but u also have to be motivated to sell it..

 

My financial position is okay. I don't have money to blow though. But the money could be spent elsewhere...i.e. retirement, childs college education, vacation, continuing education....

Im still leaning towards the physical restraint method....heh

 

LE37T's were a special edition wheel, not made anymore. The TE37 is however. What size are you looking for? I can get you a good deal through a wholesaler for Rays.

16" TE37TA on my car

 

Those appear to be valid "needs" on that list. I'd say if you're weighing wheels with things like retirement and education, forget the pricey wheels.

But, of course, only you can prioritize your "needs" and "wants" in the end.

 

Hey are you in the DC metro area? I saw a car just like yours at the last DCMM breakfast but didnt get a chance to talk to you before you left. Your wheels really caught my eye.

The LE37T's are discontinued but there are sets available at various retailers if you look hard enough. Can your wholesaler beat $1900 shipped for LE37T rims?

 

yup...I was at DCMM. The wholesaler stopped selling LE37's quite a bit ago. I can ping him about it but if you have a vendor who has them in stock, buy them.

They are a super nice wheel....here are 18" LE37T's on my Subaru:

 

More like $5-6,000 would be a lot for a wheel setup. Some wheels even cost like $10,000 for the setup, and no I'm not talking about the ghetto ones with diamonds on them. $2,500 isn't too bad actually. A lot of wheels range in the $3,000-$4,000. Think iForged, HRE, DPE, Kinesis, etc...

And as for the Volks, pl4ypl4y, go for it they are sick.

 

even copies are hawt!! these were the winter beater wheels on our cabrio

 

If it weren't for Rota having more finishes, you wouldn't even be able to tell which are Volks and which are Rota Grids. +1 for Rota. Only one of the following sets is Volk.

 

Just because there's a $2000 wheel out there doesn't mean the $1000 ones are a bargain.

And I hardly see anything remarkable enough about these to blow nearly $2000 on a set. How are people able to read the brand when you're driving??

"imho"

 

Rota = cast and sort of light. Volk = forged and very light (12lbs for 16" TE37). Also...no Rota I've ever owned comes close to the quality in finishing/paint as the Volks. They are in different leagues and I'm not saying one is better than another given the pricepoints...I've owned several sets of both brands and will continue to do so (I like the plethora of colors Rota offers).

At the price Rota sells for....if you bend one...it's painless to replace in comparison to the Volks (which you likely wouldn't bend to begin with, but that's another thing entirely )

 

exactly.....there are the class of people who spend thier income and "invest" on what goes DOWN in value.....and then there are the class of people who spend thier income on "investments" that go UP in value.
.....where do you want to be, where do you want your kids to be.....It really does come down to these decisions that determine the future

 

this reminds me of an argument i always have with my gf.. she says that $700 is not alot for a purse.. and I say it is.. then she tells me how there are other purses out there for $3000.. to ME its pricey and ridiculous, but not to her.. so everyone has different levels of expensive.. what matters most is if its worth it to you.. if you have been working hard, feel like you have been doing well and have not rewarded yourself lately then maybe you can with these wheels.. its good to reward yourself every once in awhile as long as u deserve it

 

If you're going to spend the money go for some Bilstein shocks and get a lot more out of it :-)