This is an odd post to put together, I’ll admit, but it’ll serve to keep continuity and explain that random Rotiform visible in some of the photos and videos over the last little while.
Rewinding back to the start…
Earlier this year (much earlier this year) I had picked up new wheels and tires for the S15, to not only get some brand new rubber on the car but also try out a wheel I’d long been a fan of: the Rotiform LSR.
They were never before now formally “revealed” but it wasn’t really a secret, since as mentioned one of the LSRs had been propped up in the background of some of our photos and videos, hinting at what was to come.
Prior to the car leaving for the paintshop I’d test-fit a couple of the wheels to verify clearances all around and then given them to Mario and Ryan to have some 225/35 Federal 595s mounted on them, before setting them aside to wait.
So what happened? I’ve discussed it before on the site that one thing I don’t like to do is excessively change out parts on my cars, but I have in certain instances fitted parts that were only ever destined to be a stand-in for something else; like when I had an OEM rear valance paint matched for Mustard, to use while waiting for RDC to design, prototype, and produce the ST Sedan rear valance. These wheels were meant to be another stand-in, although I had expected them to last longer than this to say the least.
Similar to how the shutdown of 2020 led me to move up the car’s repaint, this is another case of the build’s timeline being accelerated (or rearranged) a bit. For as long as I’ve wanted an S15, there’s always been a set of wheels that I’ve wanted for an S15, and it looks like a set could very well be coming my way. To make a long story short, there’s currently an S15 on a boat – ultimately on its way here to Alberta – wearing the wheels and the new owner doesn’t want them. We’ve been keeping in touch and once the car lands and we can both see them in person, we’ll figure out the details and work from there. Obviously the exact condition is unknown but I imagine I’ll be getting them refinished anyway at some point, to change the colour.
I certainly wasn’t expecting to find a set this soon – hence the LSRs to fill the gap – but there are worse problems to have! This does mean however that the LSRs will likely not be serving any purpose soon so they’ve officially been put up for sale. The S15 is the only vehicle in the family fleet with a 5×114.3 bolt pattern so they can’t even be used on anything else. Additionally, being 19s they’d be on the big side for the other cars anyway.
Yes, you read that right: 19s (19×8.5 +45 specifically)! Is that a lot of wheel for an S15? Yes. Has it been done before though? Yes. I clearly remember some years back seeing an image of an S15 with aggressive 19″, polished BLQs stuffed in its arches and it stuck with me. I imagined this thing then, sitting over these large wheels in a similar fashion, and while I always knew that there was a slight risk of this combo not working exactly as planned the quick test following the fitting of the tires had washed those fears away. The “new” wheels however (fingers crossed it all goes to plan) will be a more traditional size for an S15 and the stance will be adjusted to suit. Instead of low and slow, it’ll just be slow.
So, these shiny new LSRs which have been sitting aside in wait for the S15 to return from Speedy are now listed and looking for a new home. At this point the return of the car and arrival of the wheels could wind up being very close together on the calendar, but regardless these wouldn’t be going back on the Silvia in order to keep them unused and pristine.
At least I sort of got the chance to try out some LSRs!
-Bill
Please message us on Instagram (officialthreetwenty) if you’re interested in the wheels and tires: 19×8.5 +45 Rotiform LSRs, 225/35 Federal Super Steels.