It's time for some more old school rimmage!
Sportmax 002:
Hot on the heels of the Konig Rewind rims (see New Old School Wheels - Part One) came the 002 from Sportmax which came in great sizes (7 or 8 inches wide with a +15 or 0 offset respectively in 15 or 16 inch diameters), a variety of colours (black, gold, gunmetal, silver and red) and a great design, albeit with a feature that brings positive and negative aspects - the double-drilled centres. Multiple PCDs (114.3mm and 100mm) mean a compromise in looks, but also brings the cost down...check on ebay.com for unbelievable prices. There's a downside to that bargain price though - Sportmax wheels have become a victim of their own success and have suffered image problems in some scenes (a BMW forum even has a 'say no to Sportmax' smiley!).
Sportmax 512:
Not an official line but it seems reasonable to assume that the 512 was intended as a replacement for the 002. It comes in the same sizes and colour combinations but with a slightly different design (less successful than the 002 in my opinion). As with the 002, these suffer from snobbery in some circles but if you're on a budget these offer fantastic value for money if you can get someone to ship them to you (from my experiences US sellers are reluctant to send these to the UK).
XXR 513:
A rebrand (Sportmax changed their name to XXR - perhaps to counteract the snobs?) and another new style sees Sportmax, sorry XXR on track for some more success with the Minilite/Superlite/Watanabe-esque 513 - interestingly the designers opted to leave off the fake split rim bolts this time - an improvement perhaps? Still in the same great sizes and colours...and remaining at a wallet-friendly price. In fact, I've got a set in my front room waiting for tyres as we speak!
SSR MkI:
Yep, one of the most desirable of the old school favourites is available new from SSR - the MkI. It's available in 12, 13, 14 and 15 inch sizes with widths from 4.5 to 9 inches. Their three piece construction means all sorts of offset configurations are available. PCD wise just about any four stud from 98mm to 114.3 is possible with five stud PCDs an option on the 15" only. Check www.more-japan.com for details on all SSR rims, but sit down before you look at the price!
SSR MkII:
My favourite Japanese wheel ever, available new? No need to pinch yourself, it's true! 13, 14 and 15 inchers are available in widths covering 6 to 9 inches in half-inch increments. The four spoke design limits the PCD to four stud only (100-114.3mm). Just to make sure that you haven't got the same rims as everyone else the MkII can be ordered in any one of nine different colours! Mini fans might be surprised that a very similar wheel - the FL-II is available in 6 or 6.5 x 10 sizes just for them.
SSR MkIII:
We had Konig B-bombs in the last instalment, but these babies are the originals. If you're willing to spend the money than you can be rollin' the real thing...sizes, bolt pattern and colour options are the same as the MKII above, it's just down to your personal preference to which style you'd go for I guess - a hard choice, but one I'd love to be in a position to make.
That's all for now scenesters...expect (finally!) some Hayashi action in part three and maybe some morsels from the Mooneyes range. Watch this space.
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