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

[BenFenner]

Front Panasport wheel test fitment | Album

The front wheels were always going to be tight. I did my best to spec what I thought would fit, based on known best offset and Panaport's notoriously poor brake caliper clearance. I'm hoping to see the wheel clear the strut tower with enough room for a meaty tire setup, and hoping to see the spokes clear the stock sliding calipers loaded with brand new pads. I believe I've already done a good job of self-clearancing the outer fender liner with the previous wheel/tire setup, so I don't expect any issues there.

As you can see in the pictures, the strut clearance is good, but tire clearance will be very tight. The caliper clearance looks to be ~2mm from the pictures, but the calipers actually rub the spokes a little bit. I'll have to file down the caliper ribs a little bit.

Pics:

[BenFenner]

Install Panasport wheel valve stems | Album

By now I'd sold my previous set of wheels/tires and shipped them off, so it's time to get the new set up and running, so to speak.

The first thing is to get the valve stems (provided by Panasport) installed. They shipped in some crazy order, so reference the final layout pic for the correct order. You'll also see a picture of a tiny dent in one of the rims. It must have happened during assembly or shipping. I'm not too worried about it. No doubt the first track day will cause more damage than that.

Pics:

[BenFenner]

Weigh, mount, and balance Nitto NT05 tires on Panasport wheels | Album

Finally the wheels meet their tires. The wife's Beetle couldn't hold them all at once, so I did two trips. This helped prevent me from hovering over the techs, as I was extremely nervous about these being out of my hands. They've done great work in the past with their touch-less machines, and this time was no different. I made sure to tip graciously.

I also got the weights for the tires, and for the wheel/tire combos. I've had this debate a few times, and this is my second set of data showing that once filled, a wheel/tire combo will logically gain weight because of the pressurized air fill (this is how most pressurized tanks are filled, by weight, after all). Well, and also because of the balance weights. This set shows a much smaller weight gain than the last 15" set I measured (they gained ~2 lbs.), so now I'm not sure what to believe.

For reference, my previous wheel/tire set which was very close in spec, weighed a total of 44.0 lbs. for the fronts, and 48.2 lbs. for the rears. So I've gained some rotational mass (~3 pounds each—yes I realize pounds aren't a unit of mass).
This is not typically my MO, I know. That just goes to show how much I'm willing to give up for these wheels I guess.

And for even more reference, the factory front/rear weights were 42.8/45.6 lbs. when I measured. (The factory setup is obviously much narrower than what I run now.)


Weights:
255-40-17 front tire | 26.4 pounds
315-35-17 rear tire | 31.4 pounds

17" × 8.5" front wheel with valve stem | 19.6 pounds (from previous post)
17" × 10.5" rear wheel with valve stem | 20.0 pounds (from previous post)

Front wheel/tire combo (without air) | 46.0 pounds
Rear wheel/tire combo (without air) | 51.4 pounds

Front wheel/tire combo (with air and balance weights) | 46.8 pounds
Rear wheel/tire combo (with air and balance weights) | 51.8 pounds


Pics:

[BenFenner]

Clean and protect Panasport wheels, paint tire lettering | Album

There's a look I'm going for, and even though it's a bit ricey, I'm allowing this one for myself. I'd say I've earned it.
I looked into a handful of ways to get the painted tire letter look, and they all seem to have their pros and cons. For now, I settled on modeling paint.
This will end up being a poor solution, so look for those updates in the future.

Along with painting the tire letters, I also tried some paint protection on the wheels in hopes they would be easier to clean in the future. Brake dust and dirty wheels are my nemesis, and I have no time to keep after them.
This will end up being a pretty pointless exercise as well, so look for those long-term impressions in the future.


Supplies:
$42.99 | CarPro DLux Plastic&Wheel Coating | Amazon
$1.99 | Testors Enamel 1/4 Oz Bottle Gloss White | Amazon
$3.94 | Testors Nylon Paint Brush, Set of 3 | Amazon
$9.79 | Purple Power Industrial Strength Degreaser | Amazon
$7.00 | Swan Isopropyl Alcohol, 99%, Pint, 16 OZ | Amazon


Pics:

[BenFenner]

Install new Panasport wheels and Nitto NT05 tires | Album

Finally the pictures everyone's been waiting for.
I couldn't be happier. The look is exactly what I was going for. The fitment is perfect. There is traction for days. The balance is perfect on the street. It has some peculiarities on the track, but generally is also amazing there.
Finally my absolute favorite set of wheels on my absolute favorite car. It was worth the wait.

Pics:

[BenFenner]

Thanks it for now for the albums. I'll have much more soon. Not trying to spam everyone, so let me know if you want to see more.

[The Sneaker Whore]

Dope. This thread was a roller-coaster. Looks great man!

[BenFenner]

Thanks! It was a journey for sure. I'm glad to be on this side of it.

[BenFenner]

Still got'm.

Album