I thought it might be interesting to show the many wheels that have graced GNAT since new....

As delivered...



1st set ... still have these




1st showy set..loved em and hated em. Always afraid of damage and what a biotch to clean. There is the groove where the center meets the rim section. A brake dust magnet. Sold



In a fit of stupidity I bought these...never mounted them on the car. When sold 3 of 4 were still sealed in original shipping box. They now grace a Hot Orange Convertible and look great on that car.



Needed something for everyday use so I picked up these. Funny, I have no full car photos with this wheel on it. Pretty much a nondescript everyday wheel for me.



Had some fun with these, thought I was gonna get something better so sold em, then the property tax bill arrived...so much for the new great thing... So far my favorites and I miss them...At least I got first right to buy em back.



BTW, that Hot Orange vert in the above pic now has the Minilites pictured above.

Somewhere along the way I picked up these as a spare set of track wheels. Didn't have any pictures, had to screen cap this one from the website of the guy that takes pics at track days.



Then we have these, not my favorites but we all make mistakes. Now sold and about to be shipped out.



Went to pick up the replacements today and the wrong bolt pattern was delivered. The correct ones will be on Monday.

Also found a killer deal on ebay for some wheels that are not all your typical ebay quality wheels. Had to buy them. Stay tuned as GNAT gets some showy 18's.

Oh yeah, there is also a set of webspokes in the garage disassembled. I've polished one rim section so far and have 3 left to go. The centers are getting a custom paint job.

 

best set were the original ones!
Here go my 1st set of aftermarket rims...

 

OH MY GOD! You DO have a wheel fetish!!! WOWzERS!

 

Nice collection Can't wait to get the RC's mounted on my car, I think it'll look good. Look forward to seeing your new set.

 

What was the 1st showy set? Looks good to me!

 

Hey Gnat, I am on my 6th set in 2 years or so-not sure i have pics of the car with all of them, but nothing makes it seem new to me than a different set of wheels!!

 

I feel your joy Gnatster.

On my 2002 Cooper S I had 5 sets at wheels (all at the same time). and on my 2005 Cooper S I have had 5 sets of wheels in just over a year of owner ship ( 2 sets have been x lites)

 

I should probably add that I keep 3-5 sets of wheels around all the time. 2 road sets, 2 track sets and often one set under construction/destruction.

Then there are the 7 sets of tires...

3rd Picture...Fikse Mach V

2nd Showy set was the BBS LM with centers painted body color, picture 6.

 

I'd buy back the blue BBS wheels. I always thought they looked realy sweet on your car.

 

Get the LMs back! It's just not right.

 

whats the difference between track rims and road rims?

 

Track wheels will generally have R compounds on them that aren't steet legal and road wheels will have street tires with a high wear rating. You don't want to be on the track with street tires and you can't switch the tires onto new wheels at the track, so you get a set for each applications. The wheels themselves could be used for either application.

 

Wheels-
Track: usually wider rims but still light and often forged but not always. Lighter weight not as good for daily street use, risk for damage from potholes especially if used with lower sidewall tires. 7 to 8+ rim width common. Sometimes less offset is helpful matched with extra wide tires and spacers for clearance.
Street: can be less wide from 6.5 to 7.5" and weight is not as big a factor for daily use. Less weight is helpful but not required. Usually a wheel design that is easy to clean or comes in a color or design that you like is desireable. Tires need not be excessively wide and narrow tires will do well for inclement weather and lower rolling resitance and less weight.
Many street rims are alloy cast- strong enough, moderate weight, lower cost, sometimes many choices of finishes.

Tires-
For track or competition: R compound is softest and come with either autocross (very soft) or track (slightly firm but still soft) rubber. Not for street use since damage to tires is risky and tires wear fast. Extreme or Max Performance Summer tires also possible to run on track and will also work for street use but will tend to wear out faster about 12-18 months.

For street: you can use summer tires or all season tires (if there is any snow) in sizes that are better for a balance of comfort and handling. Higher sidewalls like 50 or 55 series reduce damage to the rims from potholes but usually will work for 15" and 16" rims. 17" rims work with 45 series tires. Usually Ultra High Performance tires are good for handling and wear at a reasonable rate with moderate prices.

 

In my case it's the tires mounted.

Street - Summer type tire*

Track - R Comps

*Just for the heck of it I've been running Nitto NT-01 on the street. Talk about sticky..loads of fun. However, it's cold out, below 50ish, or raining, the MINI is garage bound. I'd not do this on a daily driver unless you want to move into the tire shop. They don't last long.

 

very nice collection, for a very nice car!
My Mini's first aftermarket rims are sitting in the garage awaiting warmer weather. Can't wait!

 

Funny, out of all the ones you showed, I like these the best. Guess that's why I wanted to buy them.

Can't wait to see the 18s you have coming!

 

I'm on set # 11 in less than two years and 16k miles of ownership. At most, I keep two sets around though, not like Nathan :p

 

Yes, you CAN run track rubber on the street but many of the better tires are expensive about $200+ each so you want to be careful to extend the life of them or at least not cut the tread or risk a flat by driving on the street. Also note that some track tires come with hardly any tread so any wet weather is going to be hazardous.

I run Extreme Performance Summer tires on the track/autocross and street and they work fine but at 180 treadwear they aren't going to last too long.
Very good for both wet and dry handling though.

 

For those of you keeping score at home....

 

HE SHOOTS HE SCORES!!!!!!!!!!

 

I love the Fikses.

The LMs are great too, but the coloured centers obscure the detail.

 

Looks sharp. I can hardly wait until warm weather. I have nt01s for the street, but didnt get them on until oct. I hope to have the car back out inside of 3 weeks. I can hardly wait to run that rubber in summer tho. Beecher Im also starting to dig into wheels. I cant decide wha i want tho, 949s or 15 ultraleggera in charcoal.

 

I considered those...I think I'm going to get 15" TDR's...they'll fit over JCW brakes (as will the OZ, not sure about 949's).

 

RS M? Looks good!

 

whats the first set of all black ones?