TRADING FOR WHEELS
I said in an earlier post that my total wheel and tire budget for this build will be only $50 or less. This is how I did it.
I bought set of of Enkei rims for the 2017 Challenge Miata for $50. These ones.....
I also picked up a set of Center-Line wheels for $80........
I was holding both sets "in reserve" in case I couldn't find a wider set. I wanted wider (like 10" wide) so I can run some serious meat under the Corolla, 275 or 295 Hohos. I have purchased two different sets of 15x10 wheels, one set of Ford pattern chrome wheels that weigh a ton, and a set of Wide-5 circle track rims. In both cases my hope had been that I could cut the centers away from the hoops and weld in some standard steelie centers from a set of 15x6 wheels I picked up free. I used to do this kind of thing 30 years ago to get cheap autocross wheels, Chrysler K-car centers welded to GM 14x7 hoops . They worked well on my VW GTI.
However (reality intervention again) what I didn't know is that wide steel wheels have a greater drop in the middle to aid tire installation and the 15x6 centers are too large a diameter for the 15x10 hoops. So, those sets of 15x10s got sold on to others.
One night I'm searching FB Marketplace for "slicks" and an ad pops up for a young fellow selling four Diamond Racing 15x8 steelies with two street tires and two M&H Racemaster 24x8x15 slicks for $400. Not Challenge friendly, but he did say "or trade for some street rims". I immediately look at his profile and he's a 20ish young man with a flat brim cap and a Honda Civic. So I stereotype the guy and start looking for cheap 17x8s to possibly buy and trade him. Then I message and ask if he's looking for 17s. No, Michigan roads being what they are, he wanted 15s to have some tire sidewall for protection from the potholes. Well, those I have and I send him pictures of both sets. I'm gently trying to steer him to the Enkeis as $50 budget hits are better than $80 hits, but either would be good deal. He tells me he has an offer of some Rotas (no model given) and I suggest a three way trade if I can't get the slicks. It's my bedtime, so I tell him to think on it and I'm going to bed. The next morning there's a reply, he doesn't want to get involved in a three way deal, he wants the Center-Lines and then he adds "I can sweeten the deal with a little cash". I have no idea why he offered that, unless he happened to look up the price of current forged Center-Lines and realized how pricey a new set is. So a deal was made and he traded the Diamonds and slicks,plus $100 for the set of wheels I had bought for $80. I got these...
plus the M&Hs for a budget hit of zero dollars and the $80 recoup.
A few weeks later , another ad pops up while searching for "15x10". Young fellow has 5 Bassett 15x10 steel wheels, two with some Maxxis 245/45/15 tires for $400 or trade for street wheels. He ends up taking the Enkeis to use on his NA Miata. He didn't like how it rode , given the weight of the tire and wheel combo and the fact that it was lowered with only 1.5 inches of ground clearance. So that set is what is in the pictures of the Corolla (on the rear) and are $50 for a set of five wheels, less whatever I might be able to sell the Maxxis tires for.