Alternatives to totally custom wheels on my Esprit?

[DrieStone]

I have an 1983 Lotus Esprit. From about '82-'87 they used a 5x120 bolt pattern which is nice because there are several cars that use the same bolt pattern (BMW especially). The issue is that the rear brakes on the Esprit are inboard (i.e. the rotor and caliper are actually mounted to the transmission side of the axle). It keeps the unsprung weight that much lower, it also means that the offset in the rear of the car is ET-20. The front is ET+23.

The car comes with 1 piece BBS basketweave wheels, which are nice. 7" up front and 8" wide out back. The problem is that I can't get performance tires in sizes anywhere close to what I need (195/60R15 front, and a massive 235/60R15 in the rear).

So I'm moving up to a 17" wheel. I've looked at most custom manufacturers and they're either insanely expensive, don't offer the large negative offset, or just aren't very attractive.

My current plan is to use the BBS RC090 2 piece basketweave from the E39 which comes as a set 17x8 with a ET20. It also bears some resemblance to the stock wheels so I won't be changing the style of the car too much. These are perfect for my front, not so much for the rear. I saw one person who cut the rim and turned it into a 3 piece with a custom built lip.

So I have one wheel currently in my possession which I've measured up to see how the math works. The "lip" of the RC090 is 2 inches. If I can stretch that to 4 inches I'll have a 17x10 wheel with ET-8 offset which should be perfect.

I like the idea of cutting the rim as a sort of DIY solution, especially since I only need to do it to the rear wheels. I suppose the other option would be to send them out and get someone to stretch the whole barrel 2", but since the stretch needs to be the visible face, I can't imagine that this will come out looking all that great.

I'm trying to figure out if the diameter of the bolt holes for the 3 piece BBS wheels is the same as the 2 piece, or if I have to go totally custom. Has anyone else done this? Does anyone have the measurement between the bolt holes? I've measured the diameter of the mounting bolts on the RC090 to be 371.

If I need a 4" custom lip, is there a good company to talk to about it?

[Zic]

the RC are different than the RS/RF/etc etc 3piece faces.
Contacting wokke.de is a great option, he can build you what ever you want.



Those lips look much better than the normal ones, as far as i know he cut the old lips of the barrels and reused the barrel. tho wokke will also get you barrels. So you can use your imagination and do what ever spec you want.

[Zic]

[Byron]

An even cheaper way to do it would be to flip the rear barrels so that the lip is on the inside. This would still only be a 8" wheel, but the offset would be much closer to where you need it.

[DrieStone]

An even cheaper way to do it would be to flip the rear barrels so that the lip is on the inside. This would still only be a 8" wheel, but the offset would be much closer to where you need it.

That was my original intent, but the offset would be far too extreme. Actually it's not the offset I'm concerned about, but how far out the wheel would sit. It would be almost 2" too far out.

I'll admit that I'm cheap without much of a budget, but that just won't fly. I don't exactly have the option for cutting and folding fenders.

[illmatic37]

x2 on wokke's wheels. Top of the line refinishing.
Or, if you like the look of the rc090's, the RS's are similar, and 3 piece so they can be customized to your needed offset and width, lip etc. if you pick up a set in the diameter you want you can order inner barrels and or lips to achieve the offset and width you need.