Interesting wheel ideas for W116?

[Bad Benzo]

So yesterday I agreed to buy a W116 280SE from a friend of mine looking to clean out part of his shop. The car is bonkers looking, it has an absurdly flagrant paint job that is just so ostentatious that I had to go in on it. The interior is in great condition and the body on this thing is rust free, especially underneath.

The general plan is to completely "stage 0" the car, since it's sat in a dry garage for 14+ years. I'd like to lower it tastefully using some H&R springs for a ~30mm drop, and change the wheels to something a little more interesting than the regular 14" Bundts it wears now. Period BBS wheels, Centras, Ronal Pentas, even the Lorinser LO wheels from a W126 are on my radar. I just want to go with something a little larger, 15-16", and with some additional visual interest without going overboard.

Attached is a pic of the magnificent green machine for reference.

[fonzi]

Bumpers first please.





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[Bad Benzo]

Originally Posted by fonzi

Bumpers first please.

I already have a couple leads on Euro bumpers.

[sloride]

A little off topic. Are you sure it isn't already bagged? Who would give it that paint job prior?

[Bad Benzo]

Originally Posted by sloride

A little off topic. Are you sure it isn't already bagged? Who would give it that paint job prior?

Yeah, it's on coil springs. The car is 100% stock other than a 1990s era headunit and the silly paint job. This car has a very strange history which I will get into in a separate thread.

[rumb]

Wicked paint job...

The period wheels you mention would all be good. I dont think anything bigger than 15" will fit for turning.

yeah, those bumpers are hideous.

[sloride]

Originally Posted by Bad Benzo

Yeah, it's on coil springs. The car is 100% stock other than a 1990s era headunit and the silly paint job. This car has a very strange history which I will get into in a separate thread.

If as described, definitely worth saving. If you do the suspension mods, I would keep OE parts incase you may at some latter date want to go back.

[g300d]

I think 16" Rials look good on the 116.

[Bad Benzo]

Originally Posted by g300d

I think 16" Rials look good on the 116.

I like those. I'm having a hard time finding a set for a reasonable price, but those are sharp.

[fonzi]

Rial N do look good, and they are usually less costly than BBS RA (and BBS RS), but since so many AMG cars got them, and they’d actually be a period correct AMG wheel for a w116, they’d be great. They have gotten costly though.

They are actually pretty heavy, but seem to be well made wheels as long as the center cap hub area is not broken. I think wheel balancers break the center cap area all the time.