87 style rim question. People with OEM help :)
 

8/10/05 UPDATE!!!! The supprting vendor who sold me the rims is taking care of me!!! I am going to get the partial refund that I requested. I know this experience has been frustrating for him as well, but he has handled this matter with GREAT professionalism. This is a vendor that you want to do business with. :thumbup: :thumbup:


I recently bought a set of chrome 87 20' rims and want to check if they are OEM (they supposed to be and then have been chromed).

I did not find the "BMW" stamp on any of the rims. All I found was this:

It says "Design By Germany"
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c5/int...dsc01233sm.jpg


DOT ENACA1817
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c5/int...dsc01234sm.jpg

http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c5/int...dsc01231sm.jpg

I have pics of the other spokes as well if needed. I just thought that all OEM BMW rims had the "BMW" stamping on one of the spokes. So I just want to be sure these are OEM or not.

thanks

My gut reaction is that they are not OEM. "Design by Germany"??? That is the type of grammatical error made by a company that does not manufacture OEM parts. The surface of your wheels, even though it's the backside, looks rougher than other OEM wheels look. :dunno: I'm not sure about the Style 87's but my old Style 69's were made by Borbet and were stamped with that on the inside. I cannot remember if BMW was stamped but I think it was.

yea, the "Design By Germany" is what really made me scratch my head. My OEM Corvette rims are stamped "GM" on the back and my Chrysler it says "Chrysler."

hmmmmmmm

Can anyone with OEM 87 check :D

Looks like a replica to me. That green sticker on the inside of the wheel well looks identical to the sticker on some defective replica chrome 20's I received a week ago. The sticker said "ZRCHROME" on it and must have been signed by a blind inspector, as these wheels had horrible finishing work. The wheels were shipped to me by THE WHEEL GROUP. I'm still working with Jeff at Truck Accessory Outlet in Corona, CA (8 weeks later) to get a decent set of chrome replicas that balance properly. The 3rd set is coming next week, I'll post more on that fiasco later.

FUK!!! I have that sticker as well. Green sticker that says ZRCHROME. But they could have just done the chroming for the rmis.

I got these rims from a SUPPORTING VENDOR here!!!!!! Paid $2400. I was told that they were OEM chrome 4.6 rims that had been chromed.

more pics

http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c5/int...dsc01238sm.jpg

http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c5/int...dsc01239sm.jpg

I have the both 19" sportpackage wheels and the oem 20"(87 style),and they all have Bmw stamped on them as well as the company name that makes them for Bmw.In my case my wheels also have BORBET stamped on them.....

$2400/set is either an incredible deal or an incredible ripoff - depending on whether your rims turn out to be actual OEM's or not. I got a quote about 2 months ago from Vaheh at Crevier on OEM 20's and here's his reply below. That puts a set of chrome OEM 20's (no tires) at about $3300 for a staggered set.

In retrospect, with the trouble I am still having with replicas ordered thru Truck Accessory Outlet, it would have been to my advantage to just go with OEM's - much less hassle! I know not everyone has had a bad experience with replicas but gaaaaaawd is there a bunch of crappy manufacturing and quality control problems out there. :tsk:

Anyway, sorry for your troubles...here is the quote from Vaheh:
-----------------------------------------------------
1 36-11-6-753-516 RIM 2 556.00
1112.00
2 36-11-6-753-517 RIM 2 588.00
1176.00
Chroming them would be roughly 250 per rim.
-----------------------------------------------------

I just got back from the dealer and was told "I doubt they are OEM, they are not stamped with the BMW insignia." He took me to a rack that had about 10 different rims and ALL had "BMW" stamped on them.

I also just talked to the seller. I do NOT believe he was trying to scam me or anything, but I think he MIGHT have UNKNOWINGLY passed along nonOEM rims that he had purchased. Possibily, the chromer or the initial seller misrepresented these rims to him :dunno:


This is what I know now:
1) My local dealer told me they are "nonOEM BMW."
2) The consensus here seems to be they are non OEM.
3) I believe the seller sold me what he honestly thought were OEM, but he may have been taken advantage of by another party.
4) I still need to gather more info on these rims


PLEASE ANYONE WITH BMW OEM 87 RIMS GIVE ME YOUR OPINION!!!

Pics of your OEM 87 rims would be great, chrome or no chrome!!!!

IF these rims turn out to be OEM, great!!! If not , I believe the seller and I can reach an amicable solution.

Jim :D

Can you tell me where on the rims the BMW stamp is on the 87 style??

if at all possbile a pic??
Thank you

Jim

Man you guys have got to be careful. The rim business is big business. I have been saying all along that replicas and OEM's at too good to be true prices are a scam. I really hope you get your money back from the seller. Sometimes it's worth the cash to deal with the stealer IMO.........Phil

ttt

I just checked out my stock Style 87's that came with my '03 4.6. On the face of the rim, it has BMW stamped near the center cap. On the inside of the rim, each spoke has different numbers and such and it says Made in Italy on one of the spokes. I looked at a front and a rear. They were both the same thing. I replaced my stock 20's with chrome replicas and they are fine. Only problem is I paid $1500 for them. I would say get some money back or send the rims back for a full refund.

Usually most BMW replics are made in Italy and have BWM stamped instead of BMW. Maybe they wanted to say Design as BMW. :D

I have heard that some have BMW stamped on the front. I was also told that some of the chromers sand off these marknigs on the front. :dunno:

However, that "Design By Germany" just does not sound like BMW and the dealer does not think so either....

very frustrating. I mean I paid $2400 for OEM BMW 87 rims. I obviously want to be 100% sure I got what I paid for. The dealer and so far everyone here seems to believe I got some replicas.

I would still like to hear from some more 87 rims owners :) I know you are out there!!!!

Here are pics of my Style 87, 18" replicas when I opened the box.
http://s113117221.onlinehome.us/Imag...lica18-box.JPG
http://s113117221.onlinehome.us/Images/replica18a.jpg

thanks for the pics so far.

I just weighed them both.

Front came in approx 16.5 KG
Rear came in approx 17.5 KG

---------------------------------------
And I compare to these weights given in the article section here:

"Weight Differences:

There is quite a difference in wheel weight between OEM 20 inch rims and replicas.

Here is the comparison (weights in kilograms)

Front OEM : 12.5 kg
Front Replica : 15 kg - a difference of 2.5kg, or 5.5 pounds more

Rear OEM : 14.4 kg
Rear Replica : 16 kg - a difference of 1.6kg, or 3.5 pounds more"


So my rims are apporx 4 KG heavier in the front. About 8# more
and the rears are appox 3.1KG heavier. About 6.82#more

I do not think the increase in weight could be soley attributed to the chrome/copper. There is just not 4kg or 8# of those metals on each rear, nor 3.1kg or almost 7# more on the fronts. That would come to about about KG or 30# of added chrome/copper :wow: Sure they are 20" rims, but 25% increase in weight on the rears from chrome?? Hmmmmm I have heard that typically chrome plating adds about 2# to any given rim.


I am going to take these rims to another dealer in Chicago and let them have a look as well.

So far the communication between the seller and myself are good. I feel bad for him b/c right now I am thinking he may have unintentionally sold my a set of rims that are not OEM.


also the "Design By Germany" grammatical error is just blaring at me. To me it just screams "I am not OEM." :D

but I am still gathering info.............

Replica rims have an UNMISTAKABLE pitting complex after about 6 months. Also, Im not sure if its a universal thing, but I think BMW rims have a smooth rear surface, not a rough or serrated one.

But the pitting, that F(&$IN pitting, is what gives it away. Hence the "great" prices,.,.,.

:D bump for more OEM 87 rim owners.

Intel55, I think you are spinning your wheels on this. Those rims are not the real deal. If you truely want to keep them, ask the seller to refund some of your money. I've seen replicas for as low as 900.00. If you are still thinking that they are OEM, they're :tsk: not. I've looked at the inside of my rims and as previously posted, you can tell the real deal from a copy. I've had many wheels and other items chromed on my cars and bikes, even with a triple plated wheel, you can't add that much weight.......Phil

Jim, I agree with Phil. Your picture looks EXACTLY like the version of replicas I got from THE WHEEL GROUP - including the ZRCHROME inspection sticker, rough finish on the inside of the rim, and the "Designed by Germany" imprint. I think you've already answered your question with the research you've done so far - I think you're just having a hard time accepting it.

If I may - just a word of caution though. If you do elect to keep your replicas, make sure that they spin true BEFORE coming to agreement with the person that sold them to you over the specific amount of a refund. That's the problem I'm having with mine - they LOOK good until you get them in a balancer and then out-of-round problems become apparent. Not only do you have replicas, but you could have UNUSABLE replicas at that. You won't know until you spin them.

Beware that this could actually create a catch-22 scenario for you, because if you attempt to mount and balance them and then have problems the vendor may stick it to you and tell you that once you've mounted them they're yours to keep.

My personal opinion...I would avoid the potential hassles, return them for a refund and then order a set of OEM 20's from your local BMW dealer (or Crevier). It's only an additional $1000 above and beyond what you've already paid and you would have avoided a lot of potential problems by getting a quality wheel that will last.

Again, sorry for the troubles...I hope that helps.

Thanks for the words of advice Phil and WolfX5.

I totally agree with you both. Also, now that I know Wolf's replica say "Design By Germany" as well, coupled with the BMW dealers opinion, I am going to either return these rims or ask for a partial refund. I do plan on taking Wolf's excellent advice and spin them prior to making a decision on keeping them or not.

I plan to contact the vendor (who is a member and supporting vendor here) and work something out.

Thanks for all informative posts!!!!!!

Jim :)

Lettering on face of wheel
 

Not sure if this will help, but my 2002 4.6 Style 87's have raised lettering on the face of the wheels. They show on each spoke, by the lug bolt area around the center cap.

Front:
BMW
6 7535 16
E91/2J (the 1/2 shows as a fraction)
X20EH2
IS45

Rear:
BMW
6 7535 17
E101/2J (the 1/2 shows as a fraction)
X20EH2
IS30

THanks Elm :thumbup:

I was told that many times the marking on the front side of the are sanded off before chromnig, which does sound right.

Is it possible :D to check one of the rims' backside for a "BMW" stamping? That would be great. If not that is cool, just checking :D. I doubt you will find "Design By Germany" on the back though. :bustingup
Jim

Jim, the OEM rim doesn't have those markings on them.
If you look at any factory wheel, the insides are the same. As far as sanding the outside markings, I've never had mine sanded off. I've had two sets of BMW wheels chromed and the markings are still there when I get them back. A reputable chrome shop will try to maintain the integrity of the rim by leaving the markings there.......Phil

:( I totally agree :D Though if I was going to have some rims chromed, I would have the outer marking sanded down, but that is more likey just an individual request. I think a standard chrome process would just leave the rim as is and chrome away, leaving all factory stamping.

I am going to have these rims spun soon, so if I decide to keep them I will ask for a partial refund.

I think on Ebay the AFS 87 chrome rims go for about $1000.

edit... hmmmm actaully the AFS are not staggered...these rims are:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/20x9-...91481271QQrdZ1

so if I keep them I should ask for $950 back, otherwise return these rims to the seller.

I personally would still think twice about doing business with someone who misrepresented their product as being OEM when it was not. The fact is that "this time" he got caught. How many sets of his rims do you think are puttering around with owners that think they are OEM wheels? Plenty I'll bet.

I'm glad you are being taken care of. Hopefully, it's not the old "the check is in the mail" reply.

With the info I have presented in this thread, that would be my reaction as well.

However, the guy I purchased these 87 style wheels from does not sell rims. He got two sets from someone else, used one and put this set up for sale. My own belief is that the guy who originally sold him these rims may have misrepresented them. The individual who I bought these rims from has had them for sale for about 10 months, so he just has been sitting on them for awhile and not really actively trying to sell them. The communication (phone, email) was prompt, which is unlike other deals that go bad.

I believe the check will arrive in the mail shortly. :D

I'm looking into purchasing chrome 87s, can you provide me with a seller so I know to avoid him/her....please PM me