OEM 16" wheels on the NC

Rob · Postby **Rob** » Tue Jul 05, 2016 11:44 am

What would the pros and cons be of the OEM 16" NC wheels from Mazda?

I have some of each in mind, but don't want to skew the answers to what I think by saying upfront.

MattR · Postby **MattR** » Tue Jul 05, 2016 12:58 pm

Pros - they fit.....

Cons - some may not think they are pretty enough or wide enough

JBT · Postby **JBT** » Tue Jul 05, 2016 7:58 pm

I had a set for track use. Same width as the 17".

I think the range of 16" tyres might be limited and may be more expensive than 17".

PAU61L · Postby **PAU61L** » Wed Jul 06, 2016 8:55 am

Big advantage of 16 wheels is the larger tyre sidewall, and it's ability to soak up some of bumps and lumps of our wonderful roads, have considered doing this myself, Paul

Sailor · Postby **Sailor** » Wed Jul 06, 2016 12:06 pm

PAU61L wrote:Big advantage of 16 wheels is the larger tyre sidewall, and it's ability to soak up some of bumps and lumps of our wonderful roads, have considered doing this myself, Paul

Or you could go for a wider 17" with a wider tyre that'll give you the additional sidewall height.

But hey if you really want 16" then look around for a good set of 16 X 8 FD rims and get the best of both worlds...and they're cheap!

Lokiel · Postby **Lokiel** » Wed Jul 06, 2016 12:55 pm

- wrong lug nut pattern (4 vs 5)

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JBT · Postby **JBT** » Wed Jul 06, 2016 1:50 pm

Lokiel wrote:- wrong lug nut pattern (4 vs 5)

FD RX-7 wheels are 5 stud and fit the NC.

Rob · Postby **Rob** » Thu Jul 07, 2016 2:20 pm

Thanks for the replies, fellas. My reasons for thinking about doing it were, essentially, 1) Change the look of the car (get rid of the wagon wheel look) and 2) Wheels with larger sidewalls (spot on, Paul).

I also noticed MX5 Parts in the UK will knock these wheels down for 70 quid each (ex VAT), or about $120 a pop.

But... when you factor in postage, they get pretty exxy. About $1120 to land four here... and being over $1000 that would mean import duties... and that's before we even put any rubber on them.

So what seem like perfect, cheap, 16" wheels on the face of it soon become heaps more expensive than many wheel and tyre deals out there -- and wheels that look more interesting as well.

Those FD RX-7 wheels could be the go. Some of them have more of an old-school look which I don't mind, either. At their age, however, I'm wondering how easy it would be to get a good, cheap set?

Charlie Brown · Postby **Charlie Brown** » Thu Jul 07, 2016 10:56 pm

I've been running the 16x8 RX7 rims on my NC for years as my track rims.
There are two types. The early series that cracked and the later series that I have, with stronger spokes.
Cost me $300 for the set.
If you want to look at them come to Eastern Creek on Sunday for the Supersprint event.

Lokiel · Postby **Lokiel** » Thu Jul 07, 2016 11:31 pm

JBT wrote:
Lokiel wrote:- wrong lug nut pattern (4 vs 5)

FD RX-7 wheels are 5 stud and fit the NC.

I must be getting dyslexic or read it too fast, I thought I read "ND" rather than "FD" in Sailor's post (either that or I need to clean that smudge off my monitor)

Rob · Postby **Rob** » Sat Jul 09, 2016 12:58 pm

Charlie Brown wrote:If you want to look at them come to Eastern Creek on Sunday for the Supersprint event.

Thanks but, alas, I'll unlikely be out there; I might not even make my local Macarthur Cars & Coffee which is on the same day.

But I've noted down you have them. Will get in touch if there's an opportunity in the future where I think we might crossover.