Newbie finally signing up...but with bad alloy news :(

K

kieran

Member
Hi everyone,

Read the forum for a while and had my Z4 2.5si about a year and a half now and LOVE it. Pictures below....

6129-large-3.jpg


6129-large-8.jpg


6129-large-1.jpg


6129-large-2.jpg


...but...my alloys are not a good way.

IMAG0198.jpg


These alloys were according to the dealer when I bought it, brand new...they said they took off the old standard SE alloys and put these on, and they used to look great. However, after this winter, they have corroded to hell. I've been rubbish and not exactly looked after them massively well, but I have had cars with alloys all my life and never had a set do this. I of course called up the garage when I started to notice this and find out what was going on and they of course denied all knowledge and said that they didn't put them on and they are the original BMW alloys...which I find hard to believe.

Does anyone recognise these alloys? Are they BMW originals? Any help much appreciated

Thanks,
Kieran
 
They are replicas mate and they are diamond cut and lacquered, this is a common issue for genuine wheels which have this finish and take a lot of maintainsnce

They are ten a penny wheels which you'd be better off swapping them with OEM style 108s if you wanna look after them or something like mv2s if you dont
 
Welcome to the Forum :thumbsup:

These are BMW Style 167 - the original BMW version came with the small ///M badge situated in the centre at the end of one of the spokes. As Jamie-Z4 says they look to be replicas. If you bought the car from a BMW dealer and they have sold you these as original BMW fitment then you have a good case for a claim. In any event diamond cut and laquered wheels are not easy to maintain in a British (can I say that...... :P ) climate even if they are BMW OEM.

http://felgenkatalog.auto-treff.com/ - page 8
 
Thanks Jamie, thanks Alan.

I suspect you are right and they could well be reproductions...I doubt a Z4 SE came with these on in a past life...bet it had crappy 16s on and they put on some flash repos to sell it to old muggins here. Oh well.

Found this thread here Alan that confirms your recognition of them as 167s...good spot.

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=465749

Anyone reckon there is anything I can do to sort that corrosion in terms of re-alloying them or something or are they a lost cause?

Thanks again,
Kieran
 
Give these guys a call http://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk - they're not necessarily cheap but they would be able to refurb them. Failing a refurb keep/sell them as a winter set and get some OEM.
 
As above they are reps and were never fitted to a Z4 from factory or even a BMW accessory.

MV2's don't suit the Z4 IMO and are a bugger to clean. 108's are the way to go, just keep them protected.
 
Half Colin said:
Give these guys a call http://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk - they're not necessarily cheap but they would be able to refurb them. Failing a refurb keep/sell them as a winter set and get some OEM.
Click to expand...

I used these guys at their Leeds depot last month for a refurb of the wheels on my wife's 325 (curb rash .....not me!). One day turnaround - dropped off at 8am picked up at 5pm. Stunning job and perfect finish. 1 year guarantee on the finish (powder coated). Guy was there asking about wheels on his M3 which had a diamond cut finish (OEM). They can do this but at a one week turnaround. Normal powder coat was £350 ish for a set of 4 18"/19" wheels but a diamond cut was about £100 per wheel! OUCH.... . Guy in the workshop didn't recommend going for a diamond cut finish due to durability in the UK climate but suggested a light silver finish on the normally exposed/diamond cut areas with original finish on the remainder - would last and look OK. They also do a 'flash chrome' finish which on the 167s would look awesome - not as chavvy as it sounds and gives a stunning finish. If there is a depot near you take a look as they have all of the various finishes on display mostly on BMW wheels.

http://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk/File/contact.php
 
Thankfully I'm only 25 minutes away from TWS in Birmingham, so I'll have to drop in there and see what they have to say. Thanks for the recommendations.

If the quote is reasonable and they think they can do it, I'll wait until after Winter and get them done.

I love my car...the alloys just make me soooo sad and make me not want to clean it as it makes the alloys look even worse! Gah!
 
Good news :)

Finally took the plunge to fixed my wheels.

Before:

IMAG0198.jpg


After

IMG_20121024_083834.jpg


Took them to the Birmingham branch of The Wheel Specialist and they did a great job on them. They look like new wheels! £300 for a set of 4, beats buying a whole new set.

Cheers for all your advice everyone.
 
They look lovely - great job :thumbsup:

A set of new shiny silver bolts would finish them off perfectly :wink:
 
Yeah, I could do with a new set of bolts. But what I really need to do is sort out those horrible faded BMW centre caps. I had a little look earlier and it's not clear to me how them come out. I'm guessing I can get some new ones?
 
New caps and some M badges would look great...

Also put some tyre black gel on to complete the look..
 
They are a snap fit and push out easily from the back. Be sure you get the correct diameter replacements.
 
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