Question on large quantity of BBS single lug racing rims

[seanyb505]

Potential silly question(s) warning...

I've got several (~40) cars that I'd like to build into a phantom GT endurance style race cars. I believe I have solutions for wings and other aero components, decals, interiors. The one thing I haven't found a reliable, satisfactory solution for is the wheel & tire packages. The wheels I have in mind are commonly found in racing, but not commonly found in the model world as a package deal.

The wheel is a contemporary BBS single lug wheel found on GT and various prototype cars. It's similar to the wheels in the Fujimi BMW Z4 GT3 kit. Actually if the Revell Porsche 918 Weissach kit is any kind of decent, those would be the perfect wheels to add to the phantom GT cars. The issue there is the kit would come with treaded tires, whereas I believe slicks are the correct option. I'm not certain on what method would be best to acquire that many wheel & tire sets over time. Here are my thoughts so far:

1.) Buy ~40 Porsche kits and steal the wheels. I would then need to find a source for ~40 slick tires.

2.) Buy ~40 BMW GT3 kits and steal the wheels and tires.

Both options are non starters. I'm not paying $1,200-2,000 for wheels and tires, and then getting stuck with 40 kits that have no wheels or tires to go with them. Maybe I could sell the kits on ebay and recoup $400-600. I'm not sure there's that large of a market for kits missing significant assemblies though.

3.) Buy the Hobby Design resin wheels for the BMW. I still need to find a tire source. I'm still spending at least $800, with more required for tires.

4.) Buy 1 Porsche kit, find a set of slicks that make sense, send those off to a resin caster to make 40 sets.

5.) Learn to cast the parts myself.

I like that with option 3 I can buy wheel sets over time, though I would probably need to purchase all tires at once to get someone to replicate whatever tires work best for the project. Any idea what I could expect to pay someone who would take on such a product run? And who would take on something like that?

Option 4 seems like it would be the easiest in terms of logistics. Same questions for option 3 - Who could/would and how much should I expect to spend?

What I like about option 5 is I control the pace of creating the new wheel and tire packages. I can spread it out over time and not spend several hundred dollars at once. What I don't like is the possibility that my cast wheels and/or tires will turn out not great, and will build frustration against the project and the hobby. Not something I want.

I'm relatively good at things like this, I'm just concerned about the learning curve, and how many efforts could potentially be wasted since I made an error in the casting process. How finicky is casting? Can I expect to get the hang of it quickly and not waste too much effort? And of course, how much would I be looking to spend on resin kits, required peripherals, set up, and materials at the end of the day?

These questions might require more specifics to answer. I'd like to get the cost per 4 wheels and tires to around $10. Let me know if that's crazy town.

[LDO]

Get one kit with a wheel you like. Have a machinist make a racing slick that fits. Have the combo copied in resin, either in one piece or two.

I contacted a big player in the resin biz about copying parts for a project of mine. I was really surprised about how reasonable the price was. WAY cheaper than the learning curve if I tried it myself. The price request was for a set of four identical fenders/wheel pants for a 1930s art-deco looking "what-if" land speed racer in 1/16. The fenders are about 5 inches long and an inch or so high. I can't buy an Alumilite starter kit for the price I was quoted.

[Mike Chernecki]

Check out Scale Production, I think you will find both the wheels and tires you need. http://scaleproduction.de/

Edited June 24, 2015 by Mike Chernecki

[Quick GMC]

The Tamiya R390 GT1 and other similar GT and some Group C kits have the wheel and tire combos you are looking for. Top Studio makes machined aluminum nuts if you want those too.

[seanyb505]

The scale production option would include $25 for shipping each time. Not exactly economical for my purposes. They do have something I could use, but I forgot to include my findings in the original post. Cheapest way would buying all sets at once, coming in around $800-900. Still a lot to swallow at once.

I know other kits have similar wheels, though I'm really trying to avoid having a mass amount of unusable kits because I've swiped the wheels and tires. I discussed that in options 1 and 2.

Lee, do you mind sharing which player you dealt with?

[Finks Garage]

Sean

Depending on your level of skill. I could help you with the mold making part of your project and then send the to you and you could easily cast these yourself at home in your garage/work space. This way you could make them as you need them.

Hit me up if you have interest.

Thanks

Larry