15x6 wheels?

[prc87]

Feedback from experienced owners please!
I'm considering buying an apparently mint Giallo Ocra 1750GTV, and am thinking of fitting 195/60 or 185/65 tyres onto 15x6 Superlites to smarten it up a bit. (Tyre size to preserve stock rolling diameter.)

Keen to receive feedback regarding ride/handling/steering quality please.

Also, comparison against 14x6 with 185/70??

Many thanks!

[AndrewO]

Hi Peter,

I'm not that experienced but am happy to offer an opinion.

There are two considerations:

1. If it is really mint then it might be an idea to try and keep it that way.

2. Personally there is a slight difference in ride with the different sizes but probably not much more than if you changed aspect on the same rim size and less than if you put good quality tyres in the stock size. (Unless you are going to go against the clock but it doesn't seem like you will.) There are also too many other issues to worry about such as the springs and dampers you have, how worn are all the bushes etc. All of the factors you mentioned are personal preference so ride will be harsher, handling better and steering heavier. Some will compalin they lose their "vintage" feel and others (like me) say they are fun cars so they should do just that (and sound great) as long as you can put up with the compromises. So just buy what you like. It's your car, go for it and enjoy it (but keep the originals).

Have fun.

Andrew

[Zunige]

Your GTV was originally fitted with 14 x 5.5 wheels. Upgrading to 14 x 6 wheels is common. Essentially a 14 x 6 wheel with a 185/70 tire is a stock configuration. The biggest issue with that size is that the better tires are simply not available in a 185/70 size. (At least not in the U.S.A., and I do realize that you are in NZ.) That said, tires made today are simply much better that those made 25+ years ago, so this comparison is relative to what would be considered most desirable. On the 14 x 6 rim, you can fit a 195 tire, or even a 205 tire. With the 195 you may or may not be able to tell that maneuvering in a parking lot feels a tad heavier. With a 205 tire on the 14 in. rim, you will be able to feel the difference when parking, but not anything that would really make you regret the upgrade. (Most people adjust to this very quickly and it isn’t an issue.) With both wider tires (and better tire choices) fitted to a stock weight wheel, you will be able to tell that you have a “grippier” set-up, and you will notice a handling improvement.

If you go with the 15 in. lighter wheels, and the size choices you are describing, you will notice an even greater improvement in handling. The lighter 15 in. wheels and wider tires are a very nice set-up, in my opinion. A 185 mm tire on a 15 x 6 in. wheel seems narrow to be me. Alfas that came with an OEM 15 in. wheel had a 195 mm tire as stock. The only drawback with going from a 14 in. to a 15 in. wheel, on a car with a stock suspension, is that the ride will be a little stiffer. Much depends on your particular level of comfort. The choices that you are describing however, are all well within a street spec, so it’s hard to see how you could go wrong even with the most “extreme” of your choices: 15 in. wheel with 195 mm wide tire.

Best regards,

[gtv27]

I have run 15x6 on my 2000GTV with 195/60 and 195/55 (to get a better quality tyre, small gearing difference only). Either size is likely to be a world of difference better than any 185/70 tyre you could fit. If you want to stick with 14x6, you can fit a 195/65 (stock gearing) or a 195/60 (shorter gearing). Performance Superlites are available in both sizes and look hot on 105s.

[prc87]

Thanks for your replies. Given your feedback, I'm probably going to run with 15x6 fitted with 195/60 tyres. First things first though - need to buy the car! I'm off to see it later this week - will let you know how I get on (my wife has already vetoed the car - "Giallo Ocra, yuck!"). Time will tell.