The tyres say 165 R15 86T on them. I'm not really sure how to decipher this. Sorry about all the possibly stupid questions, just trying to learn as much as I can.
Thanks for the offer ClassicVW, but don't worry about it, I'll try and get as much info on here for now, just trying to suss everything out.
Just hoping I don't have to buy new tyres because the ones I've got are just about as new.
Yup 165x80s will be fine on 5.5 rims.
how did you get 80? Is that just an 80 series or something like that, so 86 falls under that?
Thanks again for all the help
Can't really get 165s in Australia for anything other than 80 profile, so I assumed this was the case. The 165 is your tread width and the 80 is the side-wall of the tyre as a percentage (80% of 165= tyre-wall height)
Well the value of a company can often be it's name (or brand). It does not matter that a company is sold, merged, etc., but the brand name is passed from one entity to another. Maserati being one name that has died and been re-born, same with Lotus. Mr Chapman is dead, the company has been bought and sold, but the brand lives on. Therefore whoever owns the brand name of "EMPI" has a right to use it, and everyone else does not, unless the licence the design or change it significantly enough to avoid breaching copyright.
So I'd imagine that EMPIs come from somone who bought the company and or name, and these rest are clones and copies whom probably owe much to the original designer. Brands can often be worth a lot more than the assets of the business, so people buy them to boost their business.
ie Brand Power. What ya don't want to do is pay EMPI money for EMPI clones, the same way a fake TAG watch aint a TAG watch, even though it might work as well and look just as cool.
<smile>
Loves a lolcat
I agree to a large extent. I know you weren't being totally serious but the TAG example is the exact example of what you don't want, because it won't be real gold or silver and probably won't have the precision that TAG are known for.
Lotus proved it has great cars even after Chapman, and you could probably say EMPI have the same thing, I don't know though.
The new EMPI might be very similar to the original. But they aren't original, just like someone said about collecting old empi stuff. So then to an extent it doesn't really matter if you get new 'empi' or any other brand if they are the same.
BUT
if someone owns the EMPI name, then would they not have rights to everything that empi made? So wouldn't anything else be breaking copyright.
Sorry that was proably pretty confusing.
Well I just see this as silly. There are a few things that you should ask yourself, and then the question of if they are repro etc is irrelevant (well unless your doing a full restore and trying to keep stock parts original, eg for an oval or similar)
1- Are they the quality YOU want? (eg are they going to pit in 6 months or last 20 years?)
2- Is the price, the one YOU are willing to pay?
3- Do they meet the required purpose (eg wheels that make the car look better, or stone guards that protect you paint work etc)?
4- Do they look as good/better than what you want?
5- Are YOU happy with the product and the results?
I bought a set of EMPI 8 style wheels over Christmas, they are great, they were the price I wanted, the quality I wanted and served the correct purpose. I don’t care if they are original empi’s or some the guy down the street made in his back yard.
I have no sympathy for my car, only the wallet that pays for it!
Go hard or go home!!!!
yeah good call
Bix, spot on .
Garry Collis (in Melbourne) apparently now owns the EMPI brand name.....
weren't original empis built differently to those sold today?
Yes, As I mentioned they were 2 piece rims, the center was bolted to the rim.
Cheers
Dave
We've got a lovely set of "repro" empi8 spokers here in black with a polished rim. $950.00 including bolts and centre caps to your door.
As Roy has said they are now ALL repros. Gary at Wolfsburg Automotive owns the rights to the EMPI name so in fact the Yanks are violating copyright laws etc etc blah blah blah........ Bix sums it all up really!
Anyway here's a shot of the yummy "repros"
I reckon those black ones are sexy as!
Leave the Originals for the people that can afford them. In the meantime slap these on your beast and pay homage :thumb
Exactly.
They look great and if your happy, thats all that counts.
Cheers
Dave
