I'm building a 72 240Z for road racing. It has coilovers with sectioned strut tubes and camber and caster adjustment. Iv'e been looking at some 16x8 rotas and 15x10 kaisers but I don't know the best wheel and tire combo. I'm hoping there's someone with practical experience to get me setup for racing.
First, we need pics of this project.
Second, define "roadracing"
-Are you doing actual wheel-to-wheel racing, in a certain class? If so, your wheel size could very well be dictated by the rules.
-Are you just doing some track day stuff? If so, then you are free to do whatever you wish.
Third, think about the types of tires you plan on running. Think about both size, cost, and availability. You don't want to grab a wheel that requires some oddball tire size that nobody offers. If you're doing just track day stuff, you can run anything from sreet tires to typical track tires like the RA-1 or Hoosiers. Those tires don't have a huge selection of sizes in the 15 and 16" offerings. So plan accordingly.
Chris H.
libres or copies - there is nothing else....go with the CM wheels they used.
Thanks for the reply. Chris, I'll get some photos as soon as I get the struts back from the machine shop. but basicly the front is a stock control arm with adjustible bushings.I 'm fabricating adjustible caster arms for them. I purchased the coilover/camber plate setup from MotersportAuto and sectioned the stut tubes according to directions for the shorter honda struts (1 11/16"). i matched the rear tubes to the front with shorter struts from the original front end. I had originaly purchased a set of Illuminas prior to commiting to the coilovers. I have a composite body that is 4-5" wider on each side so fender clearance isn't an issue. If it is I can modify them further. The rear is using modified stock A-arms with Rod ends so I can adjust toe. The coilovers and camber plates are used here also. As far as the racing up here in Alaska we race on street courses and old air fields. It will be wheel to wheel and are classes are limited to 2 IT and 2Gt classes. The GT classes are full race cars with stock or tube chassis with less than 2600cc or under1500cc (forced induction) of displacement,GTU, and GTX which is open to any modification in chassis and engine. I will be running this class as my motor is a highly modified 280 with an E31 head and triple Mikunis. The dominant cars are tube frame 911s using carburated 3.4 litre flat sixes. They will have 100+ hp on me so handling will be critical. But I'm doing this for fun and advertising for my customizing shop so winning against the odds would just be icing on the cake.
Minilites.
I think the 15x10 kaisers will be the fastest. I'd rather be fast than look good.
class rules are of course limiting factors, not sure of the setup but Greg Ira recently proved the s30 can be competetive in EP
personally I'm and autocrosser, and my S30 started with 14x7's as a challange car in the $2003, 4 and 5 challenge before swaping to 15x7 keizers and finally 17x11 and 17x12 CCW's (which I think looks cool 
) but sometimes I wish I had stuck to the 16x10's that the fp guy's run
evildky, nice Z, a little rough on the outside but looks pretty straight and solid. I'm a longtime lover of early Z's since I bought my first one new in 74'. I've owned 12 since and still have 5. But the one I'me working on now is by far the best. It is going to be a show car to promote my shop during the upcoming show season but will be an on track car after the new wears off. So I'm doing my best to make it as good under neath as it will be on the outside. You mention that the FP guys are using 16X10 on their cars. Do you know a source or manufacturer name? Up here in Alaska we are isolated from current info that is probably more available through connections down where you guys are. Heck I'm 200 miles from the only large city in this end of the state and road racing is small up here. Most popular is drag racing and dirt circle track. Closest dirt track is about 10 miles away and brings in20 to 30 cars every Sat. night. But closest drag track is 250 miles away, still it brings in a solid field on Sat. for imports and 100+ cars on Sun. Road racers only get three or four 2-day weekends a year. Solo racing has regular events but I don't know much about them. They are an SCCA organization and I intend to make closer contact once the Z is finished so I can get some track time. But I'm going on too much and need to get some paint on the neon out in the shop so I can get back on the Z, 8 1/2 weeks left to the first show. I'd appreciate any info that anyone can give me.Thanks
Panasports!
Tom Holts carTom Holt runs Real Racing Wheels, but any of the custome manufacturers should be able to make something similar to your spec, I think Keizer is now makign llarger diameters, I'm not sure if CCW makes them that small? Jongbloed? and I'm sure many others
and no my car isn't pretty, but it is fast, er was, currently in pieces (lots of frus repair)
evildky, I looked at Holts' car, nice ride, His is set up alot like what my car is working toward. Mine is pretty rough right now as you will see when grassroots gets the images up. My bodywork is a bit more radical but I design composite body work as one of my services so it goes with my business to push the standard. Those 16X10 rims look like a good fit for the chassis so I've been looking up web sites for manufactures that have been suggested to me. Got to make a choice soon, my build schedule has body and paint starting in two weeks. Next week I've got a friend coming in to put the new harness and instruments in. A trade-out for custom paint on one of his motorcycles. But i still have to get the brakes sorted and the interior finished, get a fire control system and many other details. I better go get to work. Thanks for the info.
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