15 July 2005. Blog entry by Bimmerman.

A friend of mine knew I was looking for wheels and informed me that his friend has a set of BMW M-Parallel wheels for sale. I wasn't really interested because they were 18-inch but was persuaded to consider them as they come with Michelin Pilot Sport tyres with only about 3000 highway miles into them. When I saw the wheels, the rear tyres were much wider than what iI'm comfortable with - 235/40/18 in front and 265/35/18 in the rear. I knew then that I wasn't going to buy those. Other than that, the wheels looked to be in decent condition - with just kerb marks on a couple of them. It seems he had them taken off just a few weeks back together with the Bilstein sport suspensions after his wife complained about the harsh ride. He passed the car to his wife after getting himself a Mercedes (saw a menacing-looking black W210 E-class with massive wheels and AMG body kit outside the house). What a guy!

 

8 July 2005. Blog entry by Bimmerman.

I still haven't found suitable wheels for my e34. I'm fussy when it comes to wheels because they have such a major effect on the looks of the car. The e34 BMW has a very understated elegance that I would like to maintain. So the latest avantgarde-styled fancy wheels won't do! There are a few basic criteria for my choice wheels. They've got to be 17-inch (probably the best compromise between handling and comfort); of known quality from better-known aftermarket manufacturers of BMW wheels; and also period correct for the e34. I would settle for any one of the following - Hartge Design A, AC Schnitzer Type 1 or Alpina. I like Alpina the best by association with the awesome Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo. However, realistically, the best bet would be the AC Schnitzer wheels because I don't fancy the chances of locating a good set of Alpina or Hartge wheels in the correct fitment.