Hey All, I'm on a quest to get rid of the TRX wheels on the Mondial because the 240/55-390s for them are $400 each from Coker. Because of the huge Mondial wheel offsets, I can't use a Superformance QV or a 328 wheel, both of which are reasonably inexpensive. I'm not crazy about the look of the convex 328 "ABS" wheels, but they are available from Ferrari UK. So my options are convex wheels, 348 wheels, 355 wheels, 360 wheels or (I think ) 456 wheels. Optimally, I would like 456 wheels if the offsets would work because they are 17". I think 18" (355 wheels) are a tad large for the car (although I like the 355 wheels best of all for the look), and I am not at all a fan of the 360 wheels on a Mondial. Another option was to investigate aftermarket wheels. In general I do not like most of the aftermarket wheels I have seen on Ferraris but S.L. Comp just got this new one in, and it's not bad. $1800 for a set with center caps and shipping makes them reasonable too. I'm not looking to bling the car. I would prefer stock wheels, but the damned tires are stratospheric! What do you guys think of these aftermarkets? Birdman Image Unavailable, Please Login
I guess if the snow ever stops and I can finish the major on the Mondial, I can take it outside, get a side view and photoshop these wheels in for a comparison. Anyone got a good side view of a Mondial? I have another shot of this wheel from exactly the side view. Ironically, I haven't got a side view shot of this car....and I own it!
Birdman, The wheel looks great. Echos of 355 rims at a glance and a delicacy which will suit a Mondial as it's not a brutal car. Recall a yellow Mondial for sale a few years back with similar 16/17" wheels and it made the car.
Birdman, The wheels look fantastic! They do look like 355 wheels and would absolutely add to the look of the car. You do need to check for adequate clearance. Modern wheels with low profile wide tires can cause rubbing issues. Who knows, we can try the baseball bat and roll your fenders! HaHa!
Yeah, I have to admit, I kinda like them too! They are 17x7 front and 17x8 back, so not too extreme for the Mondial. Fitted with the right tires to keep the overall diameter right, they should have no issues. (You don't have to deal with the issues of a 9" wide rear like with a 355 wheel). Birdman
Bird, A nice wheel. I kind of shy away from the open spoke designs for the older cars because they emphasize the small rotor diameter. Not a good look. Seeing a lot of daylight through a wheel gives it the Conestoga wagon wheel look, goofy. I'm sure a photoshop would help make that determination.
Got to agree with the others - that is a good looking wheel and not bling-y. I have seen 355 wheels on the Mondial and they do work quite well despite the 18" diameter but I hear you on the 17" being a bit more appropriate for the Mondial. Those should look great on your car with the matte silver centers. You could color-match the centers as well - with your color it wouldn't look OTT. Cheers Kevin
Actually , you can use the Superformance wheels. I've driven mine with spacers that simulated the offsets and there was no adverse effect on handling. I probably would use four fronts which would bring the back wheel rim inside 0.5" for a bit more fender lip clearence. Front and rear photos attached. Another really cool wheel for the Mondial is from the 512 TR, shown here on a Mondial t (same offsets as previous Mondials). And then, there are OEM Speedlines like mine (profile). Just a couple of data points best rt Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
They definitely say "Ferrari" IMO. The chunkier spokes aren't as aggressive as the tapered spokes of the 360. The Mondial is a chunkier car - I like it.
These are probably the best matching wheels I've seen for the Mondial and it is helpful that they are 17" rather than larger. I am in the same boat with TRX's, but mine are fairly new. Curious if anybody ever approached Coker with a group buy proposal. Seems like it wouldn't be difficult to get a fairly sizable order gathered among Fchat.
I like it. But have you considered 87 and later Mondial wheels? They are not metric, bolt right on, and look great, IMO.
I like the wheels. Since it is important to see what they would look like on your car, here are some pictures of cars with similar spoke designs. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Birdman, Based on your comment, I'm afraid that I'm not going to be able to allow my Azzurro 328 to go out and play with your Azzurro mondial... Seriously though, excellent wheel choice, especially considering they aren't much more than a set of tires. The first time you replace the rubber you will be ahead of the game. Troy
You can get the TRX's from Tirerack for $200 a pop. I know, yeah, gee thanks Al. I'm going the 16" wheel route (prob Superperformance) when my TRXs wear out or show signs of dry rot.
this looks pretty good. Notice the black grill. I blacked the front grill on my 328 when i had it ( sold it last aug.) Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thank you all for your comments! To address a few comments- BigAl, you can't get 240 series TRX from Tirerack. BELEIVE ME, I called them. You can get the 220 width ones for about $210. The 240 series are only made by Coker now (they bought the molds from Michelin) and they are the ONLY source of these tires in the world. (Michelin doesn't make them anymore). They charge $468 PER TIRE. You can check their website. So if you have a 308 which takes a 220 width, you're in luck. If you have a Mondial that needs a 240, you are screwed. It has been debated whether or not it is safe to mount a 220 tire on a 240 rim. Several people have told me you can't do it safely so I'm inclined not to try. Russ, I don't see how you can use the Superformance wheels. They are designed for a 308 with small (11 mm) offsets. If you put them on a Mondial, they stick an inch out beyond the fender. Spacers make it WORSE not better. Spacers are used to make a large offset wheel work on a small offset hub, by reducing the offset. It can't go the other way. FYI- I have Superformance wheels on my 308 and I actually tried it. They stick out an inch beyond the fender. WAR EGL- I think the convex ABS wheels look better on a 328 than a Mondial!! Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you! Our two blue cars are going to look KICK A$$ cruising up 93 together this summer! (Of course my wheels will be cooler.... HEE HEE!) sjmst- I have looked at the convex "ABS" wheels and they are expensive (not hugely expensive, but not as cheap as the concave 328 wheels) plus they have to be shipped from UK, which adds $200 a set. They will cost around $2500 a set. Since i'm not crazy about how they look anyway, I'm looking for something else. Seems like good deals can be had on eBay for 348 wheels, but those are not the nicest looking wheels either! (My apologies to the 348 owners!) Plus I hear that they are the heaviest wheels Ferrari ever made. My wife just saw this thread and asked why the hell I needed new wheels for the Mondial when I just got new wheels for the 308! D'OH! BUSTED! Birdman
Mule, That is one pretty blue Mondial!!! (Could be the twin of ours, except that ours is not a convertible). Peter, Some guys in the Vintage section tried a group buy for Dino 246 XWX (I think) tires from Coker and they didn't get enough of a deal for it to be worth the hassle, in my opinion. Birdman
Doh! Didn't communicate well again - I simulated the superformance wheels by putting spacers on the stock offset wheels to see what adding scrub radius would be like. I actually thought it added a bit of nice road feel. Thanks for the info - all I had to go on were the pictures of the German Mondial with the Superformances that didn't look too bad, at least on the front. Good luck on the wheels
Thanks to jknight for his picture of Sophia to be photoshopped... Here it is. Russ, if you look closely at those pics with the Superformance wheels on the Mondial you can see how much they stick out. It would be one thing if they stuck out because they are 10" wide, but they are sticking way out beyond where the wheels are designed to go in relation to the hubs. It's dangerous in my opinion! Probably makes the steering feel weird, doesn't it? Birdman Image Unavailable, Please Login
348 wheels................. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
