Replica 18 inch Monza II Gti Alloys

[DeejayGti]

I am looking for a set of 18 inch Monza 2 alloys to upgrade from my 17 inches. I am not howver prepared to pay the price VW want or the expensive second hand ones on EBAY.

Has anyone fitted or seen any Replica wheels that are on Ebay and can anyone say if they are any good and look like the original?

Thanks.

[lowdown]

Personally I would go for something other than std VW 18" Monza's.  Reason: They are a bit on the heavy side and you should find something better.   Those BBS ones posted by the Doc were stunning.
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=48667.0
Probably Blxxdy expensive though!

Are you wanting to upgrade for purely aesthetic reasons or performance?
Lighter alloys will reduce unsprung weight and reduce rotational mass. 

[wantmygti]

Hey Deejay, just thought i'd tell you that a week after placing my order my dealer told me that i hadn't specced 18 (which I knew) and then asked if I wanted them half price. Just £222..... so now I'm getting 18s!!

Seriously though, I wouldn't bother get copy cat wheels as they'll never be 100% right.

[DeejayGti]

Purely for looks. Not performance!

[2007GTI]

I specifically ordered 17s for that reason, lighter wheel, less rolling resistance and most importantly for me, less road noise.  someone else on here pointed out that with a 17 inch wheel you obviously have more rubber between you and the road, not such a lower profile tyre.  Don't get me wrong I like the look of a bigger wheel, but as an aftermarket add on I don't see the point.  If it were me, I'd spend the money on an engine chip, the extra 40 horses in going to be more fun than an extra inch of alloy!   

[Cass]

That extra inch makes all the difference !

 

Cass

[davyk31]

I bought replica 18s to replace my standard fit 17s on my GTI and have no regrets at all. I weighed both the original 17s and the replica 18s and the additional weight is minimal and no more than the difference between original 17s to original 18s. When I was buying I thought a lot about what way to go, people referred me to all the BBS marketing hype about hollow technology etc but hype is all that is. Lookswise they look fine and I'm more than happy and they were much much cheaper than going for the original items. Also if you damage one it does not cost anywhere near as much to replace one replica especially given that the original Monzas are virtually impossible to repair.

Just make sure you see the replica wheels before buying, the ones I got look brill but some others look very poor copies and sometimes especially on the 07" replicas the finish can look very dull.

Still have the original 17" GTI alloys and tyres for sale if anyone wants  a set......only 600 miles from new and totally immaculate!

[wantmygti]

Since the profile of the tyres on the 18 inch wheels is reduced to compensate for the extra inch of diameter, and the width on both sizes is 225 (I think), then surely then both put down the same amount of rubber? Just the 18 inch tyres will have stiffer side walls.

[waddler]

How much did u pay for the replica's and any good websites to view??

[davyk31]

I bought them locally from a dealer in Northern Ireland. Could have saved quite a bit of money and gone for inferior brand tyres but did not want to. I have got Dunlop Sport tyres, cost approx £800 for wheels and tyres.