’04 M3 in TiAg, what are my rim refinish and replacement options?

[Papermaker]

My M3 has Smokey Silver Ronal 67 M style rims which I think are OEM. The finish is in terrible condition although the rims have very little or no curb damage. They definitely need refurbishment or replacement.

What are my options?

• Option one, refinish the rims. How do BMW owners refinish OEM rims, anodize, paint, powder coating or ???
  • Are BMW OEM rims anodized? If so, what are the options?
  • While going through the back of BMW enthusiast magazines and online shopping I see ads from companies selling refinished powder coated rims but no ads for refinishing an individual's rims. Are powder coated rims the best refinish option and can the coaters match BMW rim colors? How do they hold up to brake dust and basic wear and tear? Also, does anyone know of powder coating companies that refinish BMW rims in the Wisconsin area?
  • Painting is also a possibility, although I’m pretty sure that it’s not as durable as powder coating. I’m sure my local painter can match BMW colors.

• Option two, new rims. I like OEM Ronal 67 M Spoke rims in Hyper Silver and really like BBS Germany M Cross Spoke rims. I understand that the M Cross Spoke rim comes in 18 and 19 inch diameters and different widths. What are the ride and handling differences between the 18 and 19” rims, are they very noticeable? Aa a driver, what are the pros and cons? Does either size limit tire selection? Are shims required? Also, where do you buy rims?

Thanks,

Papermaker

[Titaniu//M]

The 18" Style 67 wheels are finished in shadow chrome. This is a finish that is nearly impossible to match during the refinishing process because BMW used lead based paint to achieve the look. I ran into this issue with a set of E39 M5 wheels I had. Some shops can create a finish that looks pretty close but still not comparable in luster and durability. I think there is a place in Chicago, and another in North Carolina that can do this. Look on the E39 M5 forums and see where guys there get their wheels refinished.

I can't really speak to the differences between 18" and 19" wheels, as I have only ever ran 19s on all my BMWs. If you're looking to buy OEM alloy wheels, I would just look up prices from different dealers (ex. The BMW Mini Parts Store, BMW of Fairfax online store, etc.), ECS Tuning and FCP. Go with the place that is the cheapest since the product you will receive is ultimately the same.

[heinzboehmer]

If I'm not mistaken, 18" style 67 wheels are painted and 19" style 67 wheels have a machined surface. Painting will probably be the easiest way to match the OEM finish, although it's not entirely straight forward. There seems to be a black base coat on the wheels that gives them that darker silver look. I'm sure an experienced painter can get pretty close though. You could get them powder coated too, but I'm not sure how well the color could be matched.

If by BBS Germany M Cross Spoke rims you mean CSL/ZCP style 163 wheels, then those only came in 19". There are various companies that make replicas in 18" though. The difference between ZCP and CSL wheels is that the ZCP fronts are 8" wide and CSL fronts are 8.5" wide. Rears are the same. No spacers required with standard brakes. You can find these wheels new on ECS or similar. Try the classifieds here or eBay for used wheels.

[Calb]

I could be wrong but I think the e60 M5 wheels are shadow chrome and the E46 M3 style 67 wheels are hyper silver. The E60 wheels are definitely darker than the E46.

[liam821]

I could be wrong but I think the e60 M5 wheels are shadow chrome and the E46 M3 style 67 wheels are hyper silver. The E60 wheels are definitely darker than the E46.

I don't think the e60m5 wheels are shadow chrome, they look to be the same finish as our ZCP wheels.

My old e60m5 for reference

[Tbonem3]

He must have meant E39.

[Calb]

Yes, My mistake, I meant E39.

[oceansize]

If anybody could get this done correctly it might be Paul Ehrlich out of NC and here is his instagram. I can't personally vouch for him as I've never used his services but his wheels look phenomenal in the pics.

[Papermaker]

Thanks for all of the responses, I'll check out the comments and references! It has been a while since I last spoke BMW, I owned a 1600 and a 320i in the 1980s so I'm still learning about how to maintain "modern" bimmers like the M3. One thing that I've noticed on the "Show me your wheel setup" thread https://nam3forum.com/forums/forum/m...l-setup-thread is there seem to be several companies that offer rims that look a lot like the CSL/ZCP style 163 rims.

[cozmo kraemer]

Depends on your location, but here in SoCal I had a company do a set and they came out looking great, it just wasn't as durable as the factory finish. There is another company called Wheels America, that is supposed to do great work, they quoted me $160/wheel with mounting and balancing the tires $135/wheel if no tires, to do my BBS RG-R in the BBS Silver. I think I am going to go with them this time.

[Papermaker]

Here's a photo of the best rim on my car. don't know if you see it but the black finish on the sides of the spokes and the transition from the spoke to the outer dimension of the rim is almost gone. Does the finish look like Chrome Shadow to any of you?

Papermaker