Used 14" Z Wheels - Panasports

[Ron Earp]

I'm looking for some more 14" Z wheels. I know a lot of guys have gone to 15s and am hoping maybe to get a set of homeless 14" pieces. My intention is to use these as rain wheels so it is not necessary to have a really nice set. However, I do want to avoid those hubcentric wheel nuts if I can, but I'll take what I can get/find/buy inexpensively. Shoot me a PM or email at [email protected] with whatever you have. Thanks!

Ron

[x-ring]

Ron are you still using 12x1.25 wheel studs or is it changed to 1/2" or something?

[pballance]

If you get REAL desperate I have got some OEM Steelies :)

[JeffYoung]

You don't race in the rain?

[spawpoet]

We have two sets ron and we only plan on using one of them at most. I can email you pics if you like. They aren't showcar pretty but they are intact and decent. Don't know what they weigh, but they are alloy.

chris

[x-ring]

Ron are you still using 12x1.25 wheel studs or is it changed to 1/2" or something?

OK, reason I asked is that these are cheap, and pretty easy to find, but require an OEM mag wheel lug nut. Jerry Hooten led me to a set years ago, and IIRC I gave maybe $150. A little die grinder work on the inside center and you are good to go. If your studs are 1/2" there is no commercial lug nut that will fit properly. They are a little heavy, probably 18lbs/wheel.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/83-84-85-TOYOTA-CELICA-SUPRA-14-RIM-WHEEL-ONE_W0QQitemZ320234182268QQihZ011QQcategoryZ43954Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

That particular auction is a little high; notice no one has bid...

Here's what else I found. I had a set of these on a street car a few years back. The set I had used 'normal' shank mag wheel lug nuts. also kind of heavy, but at $260 for a new set of wheels...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/4-14-x-7-inch-American-Racing-Outlaw-II-Wheels_W0QQitemZ160223793384QQihZ006QQcategoryZ439 54QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Also, some used sets:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Nissan-vector-240-260-280-z-Datsun-rims-Wheels-Toyota_W0QQitemZ150230463641QQihZ005QQcategoryZ439 54QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Ugly, but cheap.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Nissan-wheels-240-260-280-z-Datsun-rims-Toyota-Alloy_W0QQitemZ150230706961QQihZ005QQcategoryZ4395 4QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Also ugly, but even cheaper.

[Ron Earp]

Ty, I have always liked the look of the Vector wheels, but those are a bit pricey for that condition and shipping. Thanks for putting those up though.

Chris, what do you have? Email me at [email protected].

As far as rain racing, well, I don't wanna but with the SE schedule as front loaded as it is in the Spring I don't know how to avoid it. While the weather patterns have been dry over the last three years, that shouldn't hold forever. I let the region keep my money for the rain race on Sunday I didn't run because I know they can use it, but I wouldn't mind giving a rain race a go with working wipers, rain tires, and a proper field - ITS, ITA, and IT7. I'd never try with with SRFs or SMs, that is insane.

[spawpoet]

Email sent. Is it really that bad racing in the rain? We haven't gotten that far yet, but my uncle's run his roadster in the rain several times without issue, and he can manage to spin on a dragstrip normally.

[pballance]

For a newbie, it is pretty ugly with a light rear end in a Z with a fair amount of torque. I ran in the rain in school on hard R-6's and it felt better than the Toyo's last weekend. On the out lap I almost went off coming out of 1 when i barely touched the go pedal. That was probably a good thing as it made me slow down a little more. As the track dried I realized I had a little more grip when I heard the Toyo's talking to me but it still felt terrible.

Maybe heavy rain would be different but I have had 3 sessions on a wet track and I have been tip toeing the whole time and that is with trying to soften the suspension as much as I could at the track.

[spawpoet]

For a newbie, it is pretty ugly with a light rear end in a Z with a fair amount of torque. I ran in the rain in school on hard R-6's and it felt better than the Toyo's last weekend. On the out lap I almost went off coming out of 1 when i barely touched the go pedal. That was probably a good thing as it made me slow down a little more. As the track dried I realized I had a little more grip when I heard the Toyo's talking to me but it still felt terrible.

Maybe heavy rain would be different but I have had 3 sessions on a wet track and I have been tip toeing the whole time and that is with trying to soften the suspension as much as I could at the track.


I guess that makes sense. I wasn't really thinking about what it'd be like in a z. My wet driving experience is all solo1 and solo 2 in a me-otter , but I would have been comfortable in that car in any conditions. The squirrels I had under the hood didn't have too much torque. The z i a bit more touchy. Tim drove the z in a PDX on a drying track with old kuhmos and did fine, but it really wasn't all that wet. When I was in HS I used to drive my 260 in the snow, but that was so long ago I don't really remember what it was like except that some of the snow would come splashing up through the holes I had in the floorboard.

[kthomas]

Never, ever, ever, drive your Z in the rain. It just makes them rust faster. Leave it under the tent, grab you a cola, lawnchair, and umbrella, and watch.

Besides, if you buy really nice rain tires and mount them on a really nice set of wheels, it will never rain again on your race.

I'm not kidding.

[JeffYoung]

Amen bro. Steve Parrish and I have determined that the proper rain set up for relatively high torque, rwd, dinosaur ITS cars is on a set of 4 jackstands.

Of course, like you said, I have encouraged Ron to buy rain tires in order to keep the evil rain spirits away.

[Ron Earp]

Besides, if you buy really nice rain tires and mount them on a really nice set of wheels, it will never rain again on your race.
I'm not kidding.

Mine can't rust, the persistently leaky rear main seal rust proofs the chassis quite well.

If I buy a set of crappy wheels and semi-rotten rain tires will it be effective in keeping away the rain?

[JeffYoung]

New Hoosier rains would be better.

I thought you had a set of dirt stockers in the trailer?

[spawpoet]

Never, ever, ever, drive your Z in the rain. It just makes them rust faster. Leave it under the tent, grab you a cola, lawnchair, and umbrella, and watch.

Besides, if you buy really nice rain tires and mount them on a really nice set of wheels, it will never rain again on your race.

I'm not kidding.


Z's rust??????? I thought those holes in the floorboard were put there by the engineers at Nissan Motor Corp. for manual braking assistance.

[pballance]

Amen bro. Steve Parrish and I have determined that the proper rain set up for relatively high torque, rwd, dinosaur ITS cars is on a set of 4 jackstands.

Of course, like you said, I have encouraged Ron to buy rain tires in order to keep the evil rain spirits away.

Now that I have been signed off, I will use this setup for rain races!:happy204:

[Ron Earp]

I thought you had a set of dirt stockers in the trailer?

I think those Dirt Stockers were said to be 10 years old when we bought the car three years ago. I don't know if I want to do 100mph on those things!!

However, we should have left them in the trailer. Maybe they would have warded off rain.

[spawpoet]

Ron, My uncle has some unused hoosiers rains from his EP roadster that are a couple years old, but not as old as yours. He was going to ebay them as he may not run anymore. Im not sure if they are IT legal, but will get back to you with what type hoosiers they are along w size if you are looking for a rain tire that isn't an RA-1.

chris

[Hotshoe]

[quote=JeffYoung;263160] New Hoosier rains would be better.[quote]

For some reason my car loves the rain. And the new Hoosier rains ..... are the ticket.

Just call me "The Rain Man":cool:

.......LOL........

..... Rickey Thompson / NC Region Driver of the Year

[Ron Earp]

[quote=JeffYoung;263160] New Hoosier rains would be better.[quote]

For some reason my car loves the rain. And the new Hoosier rains ..... are the ticket.


Dang. This rain theory must not be true.

Rickey has nice new Hoosier rain tires, yet, his owning them doesn't ward off the rain when I'm at the same track he is at.

So how's me spending $800 for a set of rain tires going to ward off the rain at the track? :blink:

[Parrish57]

Rickey has nice new Hoosier rain tires, yet, his owning them doesn't ward off the rain when I'm at the same track he is at.

So how's me spending $800 for a set of rain tires going to ward off the rain at the track? :blink:

Rickey T and Rick Harbaugh were both out there doing rain dances. We need you to buy the rains to counter those crazies! It's a matter of multiples.

p.s. I have a set of very old 14" Panasports with some full tread Toyos on them that I will sell. pm me if you are interested......

[Ron Earp]

Hey Steve,

Wish I'd seen that, I just bought a set of turbo wheels last week. I'd like to have had the Panasports because they'd match all my others. I still might be interested in buying them, shoot me a price in email [email protected] and I'll let Jeffrey know about them too.

On a unrelated note, you guys are ok on sound I'm sure and don't run a muffler, correct? Jeff said my sound readings were really low at CMP, like 89 dB or something similar. If that is the case I need to ditch my muffler as it might be muffling (is that a verb?) too much. It is a straight though design but it must be cutting back a lot more than I thought.

R

[Parrish57]

Hey Steve,

On a unrelated note, you guys are ok on sound I'm sure and don't run a muffler, correct? Jeff said my sound readings were really low at CMP, like 89 dB or something similar. If that is the case I need to ditch my muffler as it might be muffling (is that a verb?) too much. It is a straight though design but it must be cutting back a lot more than I thought.

R

Yeah, Ron... I run my exhaust out the right side unrestricted and usually get sound readings in the 95 to 97 range. I'm sure that if they put the sound meter on the right side of the track I'd be going home.

[Ron Earp]

Mine goes right side too, but it is really quiet I suppose. I've always brought a clamp on tip (never used it) that could be used to change direction a bit if I didn't pass. I'm going to pull that muffler then and see if it helps any.

R

[ITS5GB]

I think the 14" wheels that a GSLSE RX7 will fit your car also(4x114.3?). You might check that avenue as it may give you more options. And I think the 14" Toyota wheels fit also as I had rains for my GSLSE mounted to those. I do know the guy that bought my car has 3 sets of Panasports as that is what I sold him.