Wheel Saga Ended

Just as I was about to commit myself to buying the 18" Advanti Nebullar N993, someone on the forum decided to sell his 18" Magline HF 602B. It is 7.5" wide, offset 42 and weighs 6.9kg. Coupled with an incredibly reasonable price for a forged wheel, I bought it. The wheels are not perfect, there are some minor nicks here and there but no major damage whatsoever. Nothing that cannot be touched-up by the workshop. Besides, for that price, I cannot ask for anything more. Looks wise, it is not exactly what I am looking for. Well, it looks too complicated with the centre star-faced look and since it is dual PCD, there are 5 extra holes. The centre cap is also protruding out instead of flat. Well, a quick visit to the wheel and tyre shop should solve the problem. I am glad the wheel saga is over, at least for now. Here are pictures of the wheels.

This saga has taught me that patience is a virtue. Granted that the HF602B is not exactly what I wanted but it is certainly a worthy buy. I would have to pay 3 times more for the Advanti Nebullar and end up with either bronze or black wheels which I am not particularly keen to have on the car. The 18" G07 white wheels would have cost 4 times more and likewise, I am not sure it would look good. Silver is a safe colour and you cannot go wrong with silver wheels, no matter what body colour your car is. In this case, the HF602B is slightly 'chromish-silver' and sets it apart from the normal spray painted silver wheels. I have good feelings that once they are mounted on the Swift, the car will be transformed dramatically. For now, I have to exercise patience (again) while waiting for the wheels to be touched-up before they are mounted. As for the 17" G07, they will take a break inside the storage. Someone asked me if they are up for sale. Well, most certainly not.

B Pillar Harness Bar & Wheels Issue

The current racing harness arrangement needs to be re-worked. While it is functional enough, it creates inconvenience for the rear passengers as well as limiting the load carrying capacity when the rear seat needs to be folded down. It can always be disconnected but that creates a safety issue. The B pillar harness bar is the simple solution to the problem. I remembered seeing it on my friends' WRX and thought it was a very good idea. Not only does it create the support for the harness, it also provides some strengthening to the chassis. Coupled with the existing chassis bar, the B pillar harness bar will do wonders to the overall integrity of the car. Here are pictures of how it looks like.

The search for a lightweight set of 18" set wheels has probably ended. Just a quick recap on the various options I was considering and in fact, almost committed to buying but nonetheless, the deal did not go through for whatever reasons. It started with the G07 Motorsports, same design as the present set but in 18" guise and white in colour. Decided against it because while it is strong, it also has a hefty weight issue and I am also not sure about the white wheels. Next, the Magline HF601. This is a good set of forged rims that was quite light but somehow the seller never reverted despite many reminders. So, I decided to drop the chase. Finally, the wheels that would most likely make it to the car are Advanti Vigoroso Nebullar N993. The specifications are close to what I am looking for; 18 x 7.5JJ, offset 45. These wheels are made with MAT (Most Advance Technology) licensed by Enkei. They weigh about 7kg per piece, which is about the same weight as the OZ Superleggeras. They look neat and simple, in fact, much like the 19" Tecnomagnesium on Daisy. So, I figured if big sister has them, little brother should have the same design too. I would much prefer the silver ones but the distributor brings in only the matt black and bronze. Here are the pictures.