My kingdom for Panasport C8-17! (G7-C8S)

[BenFenner]

This is true and I wish you the best of luck. Back when I had my bagged MINI, I spent months and months watching for a set of 17s to pop up because I thought it'd be the perfect wheel for my needs. I never did find a set, sadly.

I'll let you know if I see anything.

Did you know they sell a 1-piece 17" wheel in MINI and Z3 fitment in Japan?
The Z3 fitment is for non-Ms though, so a no go for me. They are popular though, and pop up for sale often. If only...

http://www.panasport.jp/product/formulaone_c8fe.html

[BenFenner]

Msg me dude if you are 100% serious about ordering a brand new set.

I work for a Japanese wheels and parts importer, so can have our Japan guy approach them directly.

I am 100% serious.

I have been in contact with Apt. 9 Wheels / Mastermind just recently and they seem optimistic. If this ends up falling through, you will be my next contact for sure. Thank you for your offer. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Rally]

That would be helpful if I could find a set of 17" for sale ANYWHERE in the world.

This is true and I wish you the best of luck. Back when I had my bagged MINI, I spent months and months watching for a set of 17s to pop up because I thought it'd be the perfect wheel for my needs. I never did find a set, sadly.

I'll let you know if I see anything.

[180roman]

Msg me dude if you are 100% serious about ordering a brand new set.

I work for a Japanese wheels and parts importer, so can have our Japan guy approach them directly.

[Dane083]

Importmonster.com.au, it's where I buy most of my wheels, again they ship to Aus but may help with shipping to USA.

[Jlyons617]

You could try Jesse Streeter. Or 180Roman on here. He lives in Aus and he finds all sorts of wheels on Yahoo Japan.

[BenFenner]

http://i.imgur.com/6KjhHRY.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/eik4cJb.jpg

Pretty close to me.

No offense, but the only thing those two wheels have in common, is that they both have 8 spokes. Watanabe wheels really are a completely different design, and not a look I'm considering at this time. Yes, I am being that picky.

I wonder if you could machine Konig Rewinds?

Konig Rewinds are a Watanabe RS knock-off. Again, not the look I'm going for. If this were a different vehicle I'd consider them, but not for this car.

[BenFenner]

Mastermind, a sponsor and site supporter here, offers this option and they bring in shipments fairly regularly because they are a large import company that deals directly through Japan.

Mastermindna.com

Thanks for the tip. I will look into it.

You simply send them a link to the auction that you are interested in and they handle everything else from bidding, shipping within japan, and shipping here to the US.

That would be helpful if I could find a set of 17" for sale ANYWHERE in the world.

Be sure that you are using パナスポーツ when searching the auction sites.

More good tips, thanks.

Grab some 16s and step them up to 17s. Step lips are a more classic look and would work well with panasport centers.

Not gunna work for me. The brake clearance is tight with 17" as it is. I'd be in real trouble stepping them up. I'm also worried the 16" sets are already stepped up from 15" as delivered from Panasport.
I agree the stepped look is good usually and if you look at the image in the first post even the 17" has a half-step already.

[Jlyons617]

Pretty close to me.


I wonder if you could machine Konig Rewinds?

[BenFenner]

Have you talked to Watanabe? The RS-8's are 3 piece and I've seen 17 inch versions. If i'm correct VR motoring had a custom set of 5x120 for sale a couple years back.

Watanabe doesn't make a Minilite knock-off.

[Rally]

Edit: I've sent an e-mail to Rennstall just now. We'll see what they say. I'd still like to know who else provides this type of service.

Mastermind, a sponsor and site supporter here, offers this option and they bring in shipments fairly regularly because they are a large import company that deals directly through Japan. I use them for wheels and it's easy and affordable. Just brought a set of wheels over for my Mini. You simply send them a link to the auction that you are interested in and they handle everything else from bidding, shipping within japan, and shipping here to the US.

Mastermindna.com

Be sure that you are using パナスポーツ when searching the auction sites.

Grab some 16s and step them up to 17s. Step lips are a more classic look and would work well with panasport centers.

Just two wheels, but you get the idea:

http://page21.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/j287826092

[Jlyons617]

Have you talked to Watanabe? The RS-8's are 3 piece and I've seen 17 inch versions. If i'm correct VR motoring had a custom set of 5x120 for sale a couple years back.

[BenFenner]

Bump for anyone with better ideas.

[BenFenner]

Keeping these records for myself. This chronicles my attempts to build Panasport C8-17 copies using 1-piece cast wheels machined down as alternative centers.


Kyle, I looked through the thread you linked (which was a great link by the way) and from it found Ehrlich Wheelworks on the US East coast who will turn 1-piece wheels into 3-piece wheels. I have sent them an inquiry on Facebook about the feasibility of my request and if a 15" or 16" center would be best to start from.
They said 16" would be best.
They need to know the wheel face diameter, which might be hard to get without buying the wheels first.

I'm told there is a user on this forum who is more active on m3forum named Floss who also does this work.
Same goes for a user Icana4dit. I need to reach out to them.

I've been told to avoid Vince DeLuca and spinfab.net

[BenFenner]

Keeping these records for myself. This chronicles my attempts to buy genuine Panasport C8-17 wheels.


First contacted Keith at Averill Racing Stuff for a quote to purchase Panasport wheels in 2012 as his web site is the only Panasport dealer showing C8-17 wheels as even existing. Two years of specification negotiations and Yen-to-Dollar fluctuations lead finally to a purchase order (I gave up on getting the specs I wanted and just accepted the specs they gave me). Eventually the order was was canceled, initially with a comment about how they were worried about mounting tires to these specifications, and then finally just saying Panasport no longer ships C8 wheels to the US.

Thinking I might have better luck spec-ing these things out somewhere else (I was not aware at the time that every dealer in North America is hamstrung by the same issue) I contacted another Panasport dealer that I can't remember the name of right now so I won't make any guesses. The owner kept me on the phone for almost an hour telling me every way possible that I didn't want nor deserve Panasport wheels and I should rethink my goals, etc. etc.
It was completely ridiculous.

During those two years when specifications were difficult to come by, I also had Ruth from Spruell Motorsport attempt to get some information about Panasport's three different C8 wheel centers. They have an "AA" design, a "BB" design, and a "CC" design. I think they differ only in back pad spacing going from the thin "AA" to the thickest "CC" but I never got solid confirmation on this. I think they vary in thickness by 6mm between each center, used to adjust brake clearance and fine tune offset.

I had a Japanese friend of a friend who lives in Canada call Panasport Japan directly to try to get the specs about the three different wheel centers. He spoke with the president of Panasport and was told that Mas in California was his brother, and the only person who can talk specs to those in North America. This buddy of mine remarked on how odd their conversation was. He said it was extremely discourteous that a Japanese native would act this way to a potential customer.

After speaking with Mas in CA over the phone in English and getting nowhere I had another Japanese speaking friend of mine who lives in Mexico draft an e-mail in Japanese to Mas to try to get the specs about the wheel centers. I was given a one sentence reply in English saying that this information is not for end users. The buddy of mine mentioned how extremely odd this kind of reply was coming from a Japanese born individual. After I was finally refused the ability to purchase these wheels, this friend of mine mentioned that Panasport may be very worried that I will sue them if the wheels don't fit and because they have never supplied for my chassis before they are reluctant to take orders for it.

I also contacted Rob from Z-Car Garage twice. He seems to sell the most C8-17 wheels in the US and seems to have sold some very recently. First I tried to confirm the back pad spacing theory. Rob was very nice and enthusiastic when first talking to him. After he contacted Mas in California he called me back and was very cold and distant with me. He told me to deal only with Keith at Averill Racing Stuff as that was my first dealer contact. I have since been told that Panasport is VERY good at encouraging and maintaining their dealer network (which I can appreciate). I called Rob again very recently to try to see if Panasport really was no longer shipping C8 wheels to the US. He was reluctant to discuss the issue with me, but did say he orders them 5 sets at a time, and his last shipment was 6 months ago.

In the past few days I found an old post from 2004 on a 911 forum (I think) where someone mentioned Tom Bishop from Auto Sport Gallery sourced them their C8 wheels. I called to see if he's still selling Panasport wheels, and while he doesn't sell many wheels at all anymore he said he still was in good standing with Mas from Panasport on the West coast so he offered to take my specs via e-mail and either try to get an order through or get the real story on why I'm being refused purchase. I told him all about my story and he wasn't turned off by the whole thing, which was a nice change of pace.


Just now the buddy in Mexico found this site that sells new Panasports in Japan: http://www.hirano-tire.co.jp/pana/pana8.htm
If I could find someone in Japan to order them and ship them to me I might be in luck. Easier said than done I'm sure.
He says www.tenso.com will do it, but I can't really navigate the site without knowing Japanese. =(

I've asked Skidmarks Wheel & Tire via Facebook if they've ever come across these wheels.
They said they go for 16" and smaller since that's what their customers buy. With a deposit they would look for a 17" set of G7-C8S for me. Waiting to see what kind of deposit they want.

Rennstall said via e-mail they'd look into the possibility of finding these wheels used.

I've asked Elite JDM via Facebook if they've ever come across these wheels and if they'd be willing to keep an eye out for some.
They replied "havent seen any in years"

I've been speaking with Apt. 9 Wheels / Mastermind on Facebook and they seem encouraging. They want to talk over the phone about the details.
We've spoken on the phone now and they seem very helpful and enthusiastic about the idea. They claim they don't have to go through the US distributor and can order from Panasport directly in Japan and ship the wheels over themselves. They are looking into the possibility of getting the wheels new and to my desired specs. I am expecting an e-mail back from them in a few days.

Latest word from Rajeet Dalal (at Apt. 9 Wheels / Mastermind) this week is that they've contacted Panasport of Japan and with my desired specs were given multiple options to choose from. I'd given them windows of allowable offsets for the front and rear of +35-40mm offset for the front and +10-20mm offset for the rear. Using the "CC" wheel center with the most brake clearance up front, I have the option of +33 and +39 offset. I chose +39 to make sure I can add a spacer to clear the brakes if I need to. For the rear it sounds like they spec'd the "AA" (standard) wheel center which I've been fighting to try to get for the rears and is one of the main reasons the original negotiations took so long. They have the options of +10, +13, +17, and +20 for the rear. I chose the +10 option. If I want to go more aggressive I can later. Having the wheel centers is the most important to me at this point. I'm waiting on an e-mail from Rajeet with all of the specs and proposed options. They are also waiting to hear from Panasport for an ETA before they take payment. I might finally be getting these things!

I got a quote from Rajeet Dalal and all looks good. They have taken my credit card info (today is 2014-06-17) and the order is going in. I'm being told to expect 13-16 weeks for shipment. Now, the waiting game.