G - Wheels, Hubs & Tyres
Wheels
In my opinion the original wheel design is the only one that suites the Elite/Eclat. I have seen other designs fitted, but it just doesn't work for me.
My wheels were truly awful; scuffed and corroded. They all leaked air as though they were made of sponge.
I had mine refurbished at Elite Wheels (a coincidence!) in Reading who actually send them away, but at £50 each it was good value. Don't get wheels refurbished by a man-in-a-van outfit unless they can do this;
| remove the tyre completely |
| shot blast the entire wheel |
| paint the entire wheel inside and out with a suitable enamel |
| Machine cut the wheel to remove kerb marks and cut through the paint back to new alloy |
You can have the wheel painted any colour you like, and the originals were grey, but I had mine done in black and they are fantastic. Don't get them lacquered as this will just cause problems later on.
I painted the wheel nuts and hub cap in gold and the effect is superb. Gold, black, chrome like finish...
Hubs
Nothing special to report. Note the rear hub bearings are Maxi front wheel bearings!
Tyres
Warning - 205x14 60 tyres are an obsolete size! The only other cars using it are MR2 Mk1 and TVR Tasmin (1980's wedge designed by Oliver Winterbottom - what a coincidence!).
The only manufacturer I found was Bridgestone who can still supply a sporty unidirectional RE71 v rated tyre in this size. You should get them for around £70 each and they are excellent. Absolutely no worries with these, dry or wet.
Firestone also do a 205x14 60 tyre. Doesn't look too sporty but I have heard they work well enough [thanks for the info Stephanie].
Another warning: old tyres are very dangerous. The rubber in my old tyres was as hard as nails and had no grip at all. And the sidewalls started to crack. When I changed the tyres I realised they were 16 years old - no wonder. The new Bridgestones transformed the car.
Note that Bridgestone no longer list the RE71, but it is available, you just have to ask around.
Update from New Zealand: Richard & Mary Sutherland-Smith wrote to me with the following info on tyre alternatives that are available down under.; Bridgestone G-III directional, Firestone (available in the UK too) and Dunlop W-10