Rim Job

So this happened last week on Thursday. The left rear tyre of my GTI blew up spectacularly for no apparent reason. I didn't notice running over anything, nor was I driving hard at the time. I was driving in a straight line at just under 100kph (being wary of speed traps on that particular evening). The ensuing damage on the wheel rim appears like a bullet hole about the size of a thumb. Did someone put out a "hit" on me? Contract not renewed izzit?

Anyway, I'm glad the incident only damaged the tyres & rim and not more than that, especially yours truly. Blessings counted, the next agenda was to get the wheel replaced. Much to my shock it cost a hefty $1,530 of our currency. That's before factoring in the cost of tyres which has to be replaced in pairs. Even after a 25% discount it is still a hefty sum but it is VW's original 18" rims. Ordering myself is not an option as the shipping cost would have been prohibitive. Then there's import taxes to contend with. No, not going there. 

Having instructed the local distributor to get the replacement wheel, it would take a leisurely 3 weeks for the replacement part to arrive our shores. Imagine having to wait that long? After a week it was already a pain watching my 'baby' crippled with the space saver wheel still attached on it left at the VW workshop. 

My impetuousness ended up with me acquiring a set of used but still new mk7 gti wheels from a friend who replaced the originals with a set of aggressive looking black multi spokes to suit the mean looking black exterior. $1.3k exchanged hands later & I acquired a set of shiny mk7 wheels which seems like a bargain compared with getting one new rim. So Saturday was a busy day for me. I even managed to get the GTI washed at the same time & avoided the rain! Ooo happy daaay... It's called "every cloud has a silver lining". You have to be positive about these things. Otherwise you'll be a grouchy old geezer. 

A wider view of the 'new boots'. I did have to purchase a pair of new Goodyear Eagle F1 Assymetricos to replace the damaged & opposite tyre, it's always prudent to replace in pairs. I went with Goodyears because I just replaced the fronts with the same set earlier this year & found them much more gripper in both dry & wet performance. Plus they are cheaper than the Continental by $80 each. The only drawbacks are the original fitment tyres are marginally but noticeably quieter and possibly slightly more comfortable. The tyre that blew was the Continental so psychologically I'm wary of reusing the same brand again for now. To be fair, I've only done 22,000kms on them but it lasted over 3 years on the rear & still had a little life in the tread which is why I haven't got round to replacing them. 

This is what the original Mk6 with the original "Teddy Bear" wheels looks like (ask kambomambo, I don't see it either!). I personally think it suits the overall package. Maybe I'm so used to the look of this combination after 3 1/2 years of ownership. It suits the pert rounded design compared to the more angular Mk7. I only drove it once with the new rims so I can't really tell the difference yet. I did however noted that the mk7 rims seemed lighter when I lifted it, presumably with the less surface area of the 'pick axe' design. For the moment, it feels like having a new car because of the slightly different look & quells my fantasy to get a mk7 R even though I saw one on the road today in white. It looked much more plain than a GTI. The one I saw in red, at VW when I took back my GTI, on the other hand, looks very very tasty indeed! 😈