Optional Factory Alloy Rims

[James Stein]

Were factory optional alloy rims available for the ti? 

[Preyupy]

The early alloys did fit and I know a couple of 71 Ti's that were using them in the middle 70's.   I don't know if you could have ordered them installed by the factory but you could definitely have them installed by the dealer when the cars were new.  I can't remember when the Alloys were 1st available, I don't think they were available in 1968-69.  Les would have a better idea when they were introduced.  

[James Stein]

Thank you for the reply. Were these alloys the FPS 5x13 rims and were these the only ones offered?

[Preyupy]

I believe they were the only “factory” alloy wheel.  In the 70’s there were a ton of wheels made to fit our cars. A lot of dealerships all over the world offered “ALLOY WHEELS” as an option but that was a dealer installed deal. 
 

in the 80’s there were a lot of BMW’s sold with “factory” chrome alloy wheels.  The factory never made them.  People were taking factory bottle cap wheels and having them chromed and the dealerships were marking them up 150-200% and putting them on new cars on the lot.  We had a bunch of them start to peal off and the customers wanted them covered under warranty.  They had to go back to the dealer they bought the car from and get them to do it.  

Edited June 13, 2023 by Preyupy

[Conserv]

Minor adjustment: there was an early OEM alloy rim (all by FPS, for round taillight cars) and a late OEM alloy (manufactured simultaneously by FPS and Mahle, for square taillight cars). The first photo shows the early alloy and the second photo shows the late alloy.

 

I have long believed that the early OEM alloy was introduced in early 1971. I’ve not yet seen a casting date before 1971, but there are examples out there without casting dates, and an earlier date for those examples, e.g., 1970, might fit the general trajectory of rim identification markings, from less to more.

 

The earliest late OEM alloys appear to date to the summer of 1973, timed for the introduction of the square taillight in September 1973.

 

The early OEM alloys, as Mike mentioned above, were reproduced, again by FPS, from ca. 1998 until recently.

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[James Stein]

 Steve, Thank you. I just went through the exercise of updating my tires to 185/70/13’s CN 36’s from old, hard 165 Michelin X’s on my 71 ti with stock rims. Ending up straightening one rim, discarding another with multiple bouts of balancing. Smooth for now but just investigating options .