My Crystal White Pearl GT Before & After BLING

[rexercx7]

Well, here you go gentlemen and ladies of the CX-7 Forum, as I'm posting some pictures of my lovely 2007 CX-7 GT in Crystal White Pearl/Black Leather/Moonroof/Bose Sound/Preferred Equipment Group...After the BLING happens this coming week!:D

BLING PHOTOS ARE NOW UP FOR YOUR PLEASURE!! ENJOY!

Arriving Tuesday or Wednesday are my C-Squared "C-2" 22"x9" 20-spoke Chrome Alloy Wheels, and they'll be wearing Kumho Ecsta STX 265x35x22" ZR-rated tires. I will have the after pictures posted no later than this Thursday, 3/22/2007.

BLING Pics Are NOW UP For Viewing...the URL is the last one on this page!! HAVE FUN & CHECK IT OUT!!

http://www.csquaredalloys.com/wheels_c2detail.htm

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/findTireDetail.do?rc=LAVINT&yr=2007&cf=false&c=1&sw=false&pc=33666&rf=true&rcz=91320&mk=MAZDA&cs=265&dVeh=dVeh&vid=010440&rd=22&ar=35&ct=

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2641650/1



It DID happen on Wednesday, the 21st!!! I love my CX-7! :cool:

[vbbuilt]

Well, here you go gentlemen and ladies of the CX-7 Forum, as I'm posting some pictures of my lovely box stock 2007 CX-7 GT in Crystal White Pearl/Black Leather/Moonroof/Bose Sound/Preferred Equipment Group...before, & after the BLING happens this coming week!:D

Arriving Tuesday or Wednesday are my C-Squared "C-2" 22"x9" 20-spoke Chrome Alloy Wheels, and they'll be wearing Kumho Ecsta STX 265x35x22" ZR-rated tires. I will have the after pictures posted no later than this Thursday, 3/22/2007. Here's the URL's for the tires, wheels, and the BEFORE snapshots of the little beauty!:)

http://www.csquaredalloys.com/wheels_c2detail.htm

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/findTireDetail.do?rc=LAVINT&yr=2007&cf=false&c=1&sw=false&pc=33666&rf=true&rcz=91320&mk=MAZDA&cs=265&dVeh=dVeh&vid=010440&rd=22&ar=35&ct=


Peace be with you all, and I'll be seeing you later on this week, after the BLING happens to the CX-7! Maybe I'll get lucky and it'll happen by Wednesday, the 21st... I love my CX-7! :cool:

Were you able to transfer the TPMS sensors from the stock to the new tires/rims?

Vince.

[otnielarencibia]

Very nice wheel choice! Keep us updated!

[Raider]

the TPMS is the big worry for me, as we kind of want new rims, but not sure how the TPMS works out. Cannot wait for after pics, and an update on how the TPMS is affected with aftermarket.

[Leeep]

I think (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong) that the TPMS sensors are the valve stems. The installers should be able to transfer your old ones to your new wheels. You may even save a couple bucks because you're not buying new valve stems.
I guess the only question is, do your new tires require a pressure that is within the range of the old ones so the sensors won't trip.

[rexercx7]

Were you able to transfer the TPMS sensors from the stock to the new tires/rims?

Vince.

The short answer: Yes!

The OEM Valve Stem/TPS Sensors all transfer to the new wheels, saving me the cost of new valve stems potentially. But since I'm doing business with my local America's Tire/Discount Tire Store, when you buy a wheel and tire package they "give away" new stainless steel valve stems with your purchase. So, the only questions were what happens to my "free" stainless steel valve stems, and would they charge extra for installing the OEM units?

Answers: The "free" valve stems will be installed on my OEM wheels and tires, and there's no charge whatsoever for installing the OEM Valve Stem/TPS Sensors at my store of choice.

Another nice perk is they offer 100% "interest-free financing" for up to 12 months on purchases of $500 or more, so I took advantage of that offer. Plus, I had a coupon for $50-off any wheel/tire package purchase, so I got that little discount to boot.

And I know I'm going to be asked, so here's a "best deal" breakdown on what it costs to do this kind of thing, and how to negotiate a better than retail deal with your local America's Tire/Discount Tire Store.

First, do your shopping online and find the best prices for the tires/wheels, and print out the web pages where you find the best deals, and take them with you when you're ready to do business. Second, there's HUGE MARKUP in tires and wheels at retail, so don't be afraid to ask for a substantial discount...you may not get it, but you'll always get something better than retail.

The wheels retail for $418 each, but I found them online right here in SoCalifornia for $324 each with free delivery, so I printed out that web page. Next I went tire shopping, and my lord is there a vast sea of tires to choose from. So I went to Tire Rack's online store, and started reading reviews of all the 265x35x22" tires that are available, no concern for cost at that point, just what people thought and wrote about their tires. My choices were from the following tires: Dunlop SP Sport Maxx; Avon Tech M550; Continental CrossContact UHP; Kumho ECSTA STX (ZR or VR speed rated, 2 different prices and tires); Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico; Sumitomo HTR Sport H/P; and the Yokohama Parada Spec-X.

I narrowed things down to either the Pirelli, the Kumho, or the Sumitomo really quickly from reading the 1st 20 or so reviews on each of the above tires. Finally, I eliminated the Sumitomo because of the Consumer Survey Results on the 3 tires, which are here:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=SSTAS&tireSearch=true&width=265/&ratio=35&diameter=22&filter=y

Then I went back and read owner reviews until my eyes about fell out of their sockets, and for my purposes it was obvious that the Kumho was the better choice: it wears longer, has equal or better dry handling and traction, wet traction, and was only slightly "noisier" than the Pirelli PLUS it had more than 5.2million miles worth of driving/owner experiences while the Pirelli had only 500,000 miles worth of the same. So people were buying the Kumho more than any other tire in the group I looked at, and at an 88% "loyalty" rating for more than 5 million miles worth of driving and more than 430 reviews, it stood out from all the others pretty dramatically.

So, I printed out the Tire Rack's price on the ZR-rated ECSTA STX, and headed on down to 3 local tire shops. The 1st shop hardly had time to chat with me, and the salesperson/manager looked at me like I was crazy when I told him the prices I'd found online for everything and said, "We don't match online prices." Strike them down! Next was Big Brand Tire Company, and the best they'd do was quote me $2600 out the door (everything included, tax, mounting and balancing, all fees), so I thanked the manager for his time, and went to America's Tire/Discount Tire, my last chance at a good deal without resorting to ordering the tires from the Tire Rack, and the wheels from the online merchant, and paying for installation separately.

Doing the above would cost $2000.00, then I'd have to pay for mounting, balancing, and TPS installation, and I wouldn't be able to have a real "road hazard warranty"...I read the fine print on the one offered by Tire Rack and there were so many exclusions that their's is worthless. So I figured about $150 to $200 for everything , so that meant I'd be spending about $2200 doing the buying online, and the install locally, with no tire guarantee.

I got a new 'manager trainee' at Discount Tire to work with, and that turned out to be a good thing. He seemed to not care about my asking for huge discounts on everything, and told me that they would match, if possible, any "reasonable price" online to earn my business. Their price on the tires was easy to deal with, as it was $198 (now $208 online) last week, and I showed them the Tire Rack's web page price, and after a "conference" between my rep and the manager, we arrived at $176 per tire, which was fine with me because that's what the Tire Rack's cost is when factoring in shipping @ about $25 per tire. Then we checked out the wheel situation, and sure enough in their Wheel Book were the ones I wanted, and they then called C-Squared (the manufacturer) on the telephone, found out their cost, and they agreed to meet my online price of $324 per wheel.

I wanted their "Free Replacement" warranty on the tires, and there was no dealing on that price, so that was $88 ($22 per tire), and it's a great warranty/guarantee because if something bad happens to one of the tires from a road hazard, nail, puncture, whatever (very few exclusions other than accidents, abuse, racing, or commercial use) they replace the tire for free, and mount, balance and install it for free also, if it's unrepairable. Balancing with the special weights for alloy wheels like mine was $48 ($12 per tire), and finally there was a "wheel installation kit" (20 long chrome lug nuts and as seal for the center cap), and a "Gorilla" wheel lock kit for $45 and $19.99 respectively, and I got them to throw those in for free.

The total came out to $2143.00, minus my $50 coupon, so the grand total was $2093.00 plus tax=$2244.74 out the door. That was a good deal, I thought, so I went with it as long as they'd give me the 0% financing, which got approved in just a couple minutes. I was happy, and they ordered the wheels right then and there, wrote up a "Layaway Invoice" for me, and I gave them $100 deposit and finally I was done. Whew! What a hassle, but it saved a lot of $$money, and I got that all-important tire warranty that I wanted so much, since there IS no treadwear warranty on the large size performance tires like the Kumho's.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but maybe it will benefit somebody when they want to score a great deal on a tire/wheel package like mine.

I'm expecting a phone call tomorrow, at the latest Wednesday, that the wheels arrived safe and sound...they have the tires in stock. After that it's scheduling an appointment and getting things installed. Coincidentally, I'm having the break-in oil changed at my local Mazda dealer, and there's a new update for the ECU software they're going to do, and they're checking out my transmission's ECU also as I've complained about "slow shifting" when in manual mode.

I don't drive a lot, only have 1215 miles on the CX-7 since Jan.6th, but it's been a lot of in-town driving and I want to put Quaker State "Q" Synthetic oil in it, as that's my oil of choice...who knows what Mazda puts in them at the factory? The dealer uses Castrol, but I'm not a Castrol guy...

I'll get a web page together as soon as the wheels/tires are installed, so everybody can check out the new BLING!:cool:

[rexercx7]

I think (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong) that the TPMS sensors are the valve stems. The installers should be able to transfer your old ones to your new wheels. You may even save a couple bucks because you're not buying new valve stems.
I guess the only question is, do your new tires require a pressure that is within the range of the old ones so the sensors won't trip.

Good question! The answer? The new tires have a "recommended" pressure of 33 pounds, and will "sync" up with the TPS OBC monitor just fine.:cool:

[Raider]

wow, great post! Thanks for the info, it will come in handy when we are due to get new tires. Weplan to get new rims and tires on both cars at the same time, and try to get the best deal possible there.

[BaconNeggs]

interesting, I never really went to that much trouble buying wheels. Useful ino to know.

In one of your other posts you said you're getting 22" and rubber thats almost the same size as the originals. Won't that be a really harsh ride?

[rexercx7]

interesting, I never really went to that much trouble buying wheels. Useful ino to know.

In one of your other posts you said you're getting 22" and rubber thats almost the same size as the originals. Won't that be a really harsh ride?

No, I said that the "overall diameter of the new wheels/tires would be 29.3"," which is within 1% of the stock wheel/tire size. I am certain that the ride is not going to be as plush as stock OEM wheels/tires...that's a given. As to it being a "really harsh ride" though? I think not. The Kumho's have a great tread design and even with an aspect ratio of 35 vs 60 OEM, I think I'll be able to live with it.

Handling, performance, and fantastic looks are the reasons why I'm going this route. The OEM tires/wheels just don't do anything for the CX-7, and I'm definitely changing that.

[BaconNeggs]

I think my friend's M5 comes with 40 or 45's and those hurt my ass after ten minutes. Then again he drives like a dick.

Anyway, i'm sure your new wheels will look great and may smooth highways await you. :D

[rexercx7]

I think my friend's M5 comes with 40 or 45's and those hurt my ass after ten minutes. Then again he drives like a dick.

Anyway, i'm sure your new wheels will look great and may smooth highways await you. :D

Actually, if your friend's M5 is a 2006 or 2007, it comes with 255/40/19" front and 285/35/19" rear OEM from BMW Motorsport. And if you go Plus 1 those turn into 275/30/20" front and 305/25/20" rear, which is what my next door neighbor's is like. I believe the tires are Michelin Pilot Sport ZR's. I find the ride/handling of the 2007 M5 is a perfect balance between hard and firm, which you really want/need with 505 V-10 HP under the hood with that crazy SMG 6-speed manu-shift/double clutch transmission banging away! I worked for BMW for some 21 years, it turns out, so I try to keep up on the progress of their model line/improvements to the breed, as it were...and I helped my neighbor get his M5 in the ext. and int. colors he wanted, without having to wait 6-9 months for the automobile to show up.:D

Funny you should mention a topic so close to my head and heart!:cool:

[otnielarencibia]

I thought the new M5 has a 7 speed transmission......

[Leeep]

In one of your other posts you said you're getting 22" and rubber thats almost the same size as the originals. Won't that be a really harsh ride?
If you're going for performance, the idea is that the overall diameter of the wheel/tire combo will be similar to OEM but more metal, less rubber.
This reduces sidewall flex in cornering, allowing higher entrance speeds and more predictable breakaway points (of course by that point your stabilty control is freaking out).
Wider is better, increasing contact patches and improving heat distribution.
If you wind up with significantly larger overall diameter (I see it everyday), you start messing with the factory's suspension design and less importantly, the speedometer calibration.
Yes it'll be a little harsher, but most enthusiasts enjoy the extra feedback from the road.
We're all pretty fortunate that Mazda has done a great job sorting out the suspension and 18" wheels are pretty sweet for stock.

[rexercx7]

If you're going for performance, the idea is that the overall diameter of the wheel/tire combo will be similar to OEM but more metal, less rubber.
This reduces sidewall flex in cornering, allowing higher entrance speeds and more predictable breakaway points (of course by that point your stabilty control is freaking out).
Wider is better, increasing contact patches and improving heat distribution.
If you wind up with significantly larger overall diameter (I see it everyday), you start messing with the factory's suspension design and less importantly, the speedometer calibration.
Yes it'll be a little harsher, but most enthusiasts enjoy the extra feedback from the road.
We're all pretty fortunate that Mazda has done a great job sorting out the suspension and 18" wheels are pretty sweet for stock.

Well thought out post, and your concern is appreciated!;)

The overall diameter of the stock wheel is 29.5 inches on a stock OEM wheel/tire configuration; the new setup I'm getting will be 29.3 inches, which falls within the "1% rule" of tolerance for all stock components including the traction control, ABS, ARS, and of course the all important speedometer. It's actually .99322% of stock, so that's awfully close to OEM and I don't anticipate any negative issues in regard to the CX-7 electronics and suspension.

I've not jumped into this without a cold bath! Knowing that the ride is going to be *significantly altered* is a given, but overall I think I'm doing something *reasonable and prudent* from an enthusiast's point of view. And it should, it goes without saying, change the look of the CX-7 totally. My local dealer, where I bought the SUV, has a CX-7 on the showroom floor with 22" wheels and tires, which is where I got the idea to do this...:) They are a little pissed that I got such a great deal, but then again they're also happy for me. I've discussed my combo with the service manager and my mechanic extensively, by the way...

So, today may well be the day it happens! If not, tomorrow at the latest, so I'm pretty much elated as I start my day. I'll be at the dealer getting the oil changed, and the ECU updated, and my transmission ECU possibly adjusted for tighter shifting at high RPM's, so I'll have yet another opportunity to talk to my service manager, and the sales manager responsible for the showroom CX-7, about the swap.

I can always change my mind at the last minute and go 20", of course. But I'm committed to the 22" setup at this time, and looking forward to seeing everything put together, on the CX-7, read to rock!

Kindest regards,
rexercx-7:cool:

[Leeep]

I'm not a big fan of chrome wheels. I can appreciate them, I just wouldn't go that route.
If I had my choice, it would be 20" black rims, something sporty looking with a 5 or 6 spoke design. Something light weight.
I'm looking forward to seeing your after pictures.

[rexercx7]

I'm not a big fan of chrome wheels. I can appreciate them, I just wouldn't go that route.
If I had my choice, it would be 20" black rims, something sporty looking with a 5 or 6 spoke design. Something light weight.
I'm looking forward to seeing your after pictures.

And I'm not a fan of black! To each his own, right? If you really want to go lightweight, go for one of the lightweight Italian brands, a true 3-piece like the OZ Superleggera III in black, forged, at about $1100 per wheel! Now that would be something to see on a CX-7:)

Well, it's a thought anyway.

http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/WheelCloseUpServlet?target=runWheelSearch&initialPartNumber=SR21575F31LB&wheelMake=O.Z.&wheelModel=Superleggera+III&wheelFinish=Black+w%2FPolished+Lip&showRear=no&i1_Qty=4&autoMake=Mazda&autoModel=CX-7&autoYear=2007&autoModClar=FWD&filterSize=20&filterFinish=All&filterSpecial=false&filterBrand=All&sort=Brand

Take care,
rexercx7:cool:

[rexercx7]

I thought the new M5 has a 7 speed transmission......

Sorry, that's the new 7- speed Mercedes Automatic Transmission, not the BMW SMG tranny, which has *always* been a 6-speed double-clutch/clutchless (no 3rd pedal) transmission. ;)

Here:

http://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/M/M5Sedan/HighlightDetail.htm

It's optional on the M3 and others, and a no-cost extra on the 550-i Sport Sedan...all you have to do is find one with it! They're pretty much SOLD OUT for this model year...I just tried to find one for my neighbor's wife, and they're going to have to travel down to North Carolina to Hendrick BMW (yup, the NASCAR folks...they own the South's largest BMW franchise in Charlotte, NC) to score one in Sapphire Black Metallic with Grey Leather, Anthracite Maple Wood Trim and the SMG Tranny. Could not find one in the Western Region, or the MidWest Region, but Hendrick's got 2, one with the Maple Wood trim and the other with Poplar Wood Trim

I guess if you're spending more than $67K for your 2nd new BMW 5-series of the year, you should get exactly what you want.:D

I just love BMW's marketing strategy on these cars: only send into the USA enough to barely satisfy demand, and short-change the high-demand colors/interior combo's so the dealers can charge all the $$$ for them. There isn't a discount to be had, on the M's especially, and the 550i Sport either. In fact most dealers put a premium of from $5K to $10K on the M's, and $3K to $5K on the 550i's. At least it's that way here in California and the Western Region, Hawaii, and most metro areas.

They're such fun cars to sell too! People always know what they want, except in the 3 series cars where anything goes, and most 1st time buyers exist...it's always whether you can get someone the car in the color/interior combo that they want. The rest just happens.:rolleyes:

Kindest regards,
rexercx7:cool:

[nmk]

Well done!!
If you did that well on the tires, you really must have driven a hard bargain for your ride!!!;)

[rexercx7]

Well done!!
If you did that well on the tires, you really must have driven a hard bargain for your ride!!!;)
I do appreciate a good deal, this is true, but I didn't do anything really special on my CX-7 purchase. Federal Sticker price on my Crystal White Pearl GT/Moonroof/Bose Stereo/Preferred Equipt. Package was $28,815, and I leased it with an Adjusted Gross Capitalized cost of $25,852 plus $1527.60 trade-in inequity=$27,379.60 Gross Cap Cost, then I put down $2,000.00 cash, of which 1,431.41 was Capitalized Cost Reduction, for an adjust Cap Cost of $25,448.19...those were all the hard numbers! Whew! It worked out to be a 39 month lease @$338.95 + tax=$363.52, which is $71.31 less a month than I was paying on my 2006 Honda Pilot EXLN (EX with Leather/Navigation/Rear Camera etc), which I HATED with a Passon! Plus the Honda lease was a 48-month lease.

So I get to drive this totally cool Mazda CX-7 GT, kissed the Pilot good-bye, have a $70+ less a month payment than the Pilot lease and it only cost me $2K cash to accomplish everything. So I am happy to the Max about now! I love that CX-7 GT!

By the way, the C-Squared "C-2" Wheels arrived today and everything's getting installed tomorrow, Wednesday the 21st of March!!:D :D Funny thing is it's been raining here in SoCalifornia all night and day, so I've got to pray for sun tomorrow so I can take some nice shots of the new BLING with my Pentax *ist DS DSLR camera...so say a prayer for me tonight ladies and gents in the Forum. I'd hate for the 1st day with my new wheels and tires to be spoiled with a ton of freaking rain, you know what I mean?

So Good Night, and you all be good until the next time I write something in these fine pages...it won't be much, just the announcement of the new web page(s) with pictures of my CX-7 with the new 22" Wheels and tires!! I don't know if I'm gonna sleep much tonight!

[rexercx7]

OK, For your viewing pleasure I have posted a new web page that shows the new wheels/tires on my CX-7! It's really very cool!!! Rides damn smooth for having such a setup underneath you. I give my setup a solid 5-Stars***** for wheel/tire choice, and the install went great. There was a moment of panic when the 1st wheel TPS sensor would not seal correctly, but the guys at Discount Tire/America's Tire quickly improvised a new seal around the valve stem: they cut the top off one of their standard heavy-duty stems, and put that on ABOVE the OEM sensor stem=success 1st try!

They put that wheel underwater in their test "tub" for 20 minutes, and watched it the whole time and there wasn't a bubble come up at all. NADA! Nothing! So problem solved. It took them about 15 minutes to balance each wheel, as I told them NOT to balance it for "55MPH" as they usually do, but for 100MPH!!! Which I've been known to do on our SoCalifornia freeways, in passing situations of course, never sustained that speed or I'd have Gone To Jail! :D :D

But when you're going 80-90MPH with the "flow of traffic" and there's somebody going 75 in front of you, it only takes a second or two to burst past them, but in doing so you often hit 100MPH to 105MPH without thinking too much about it. So I wasn't going to have my new tires/wheels 'not be used to that situation', so they're balanced for 110MPH, just a cushion to keep me safe and sane, they told me.

Seriously though, the average speed on the Ventura Freeway through Agoura, Calabasas, and Westlake Village/Thousand Oaks is 78MPH! Documented by the CHP (California Highway Patrol), and published in all our local newspapers and broadcast on our TV stations. So people do get moving around here and if your tires are "balanced for 55 to 60 MPH" it doesn't cut it, just a reminder for any of you should you go for the kind of setup that I have.

As for the "ride" itself, it's pretty amazingly soft and compliant, not anything like "bone jarring hard" at all. You feel the concrete bumps on the freeway a little bit, but it's nothing to fret over. Again, IMO it's a matter of *HOW* your wheels/tires are balanced that's so important when doing a Plus 4 upgrade!!!:rolleyes: :)

And the wheels absolutely S P A R K L E and SHINE like crazy in the sunlight, and the stock/OEM Mazda brake rotors are silver with silver rotors, so they look just great with my setup...nothing looks "out of kilter" because I've gone to a 22" inch wheel. It just seems to look great, and drives great to boot. Turn-in is amazingly fast, so you have to watch that vs. the OEM setup. But I'll be taking it easy on the new shoes and soles until they're "broken in" which will take about 1000 miles or so.

Anyway, I'm happy. Like I wrote before, they gave me the 100% financing option on the whole purchase price of $2,364.00. Anybody want a nice OEM set of wheels/tires (Bridgestone Turanza's) for cheap? Just let me know in a PM, and I'll get you set up with them real quick, but I'd prefer that it was someone here in SoCalifornia/NorCal/Nevada/Arizona (drive and pick them up) so there's no shipping involved. The tire store wrapped all the OEM wheels/tires in nice, heavy plastic 'bags' so they won't get your transport dirty (or my interior either for that matter), but they're here for the taking. Any offer over $500 will be considered. They have brand new stainless steel valve stems also..they will need a balancing.

Kindest regards,
rexercx7

[otnielarencibia]

Man That Looks Very Nice!!!

[rexercx7]

Man That Looks Very Nice!!!

Thanks! It "Feels" very nice too! There are some specifics to the setup that the head Tire Technician clued me in on, and they are:

Tire Pressure = 37 pounds front, 35.5 pounds pressure rear tires. I asked him why? He said: "You'll thank me at 10K miles when there's no wear on the tires, and your sidewalls are still perfect."

Funny, I've been driving it for 2 days now, and it feels "normal" to me already! I actually don't mind the new tire pressure(s) in both front & rear.

It also turns out that 285x35x22" tires wouldn't have fit...they would have rubbed on the front shock at full radius turn-in, and at maximum extension on the shock body also. So the 265x35x22" are P U R R F E C T!! 22"x9" wheels are also the MAXIMUM size allowed by the OEM suspension system. Anything larger would NOT fit, PERIOD!

The tires have seemed to "seat up" or "seat-in" as it were during the past 2 days of driving (almost 300 miles on the CX-7 in that time), so it's time for the mandatory "Re-Balance" on the fronts. The rears are fine, but at 80MPH and higher, the fronts are a little "wobbly" and need to be re-balanced and re-torqued. I'm getting that done today, Friday the 23rd at some point...probably in the afternoon.

Well, it's time to sign off for the night, so adios, hasta luego! (until later).
Kindest regards,
rexercx7

[Leeep]

Wow, looks great.
In the pictures anyway, it looks like those are the size wheels that should be on it.
The biggest giveaway is that the rotors (which aren't tiny) look small behind those massive wheels.
Nice looking job. Chrome actually works well since you have a GT with the chrome door handles.
I have a touring and it always seems to me that the chrome around the side windows stands out too much since it's just about the only chrome on the entire exterior.
This came together very nicely.

[claycx7]

Your car looks fantastic....

I too am about to put on some 22's.
The wheel measures 22X8.5 and as per your decision I will be running 265/35/22 tires.

My question (it is heavily policed here in Australia) is to do with clearance rates. Is there any touching of the body or suspension on full turning lock? Also does it touch at all over bumps, etc? One more thing does the tire stick out of the guards ar all?

Appreciate your feedback to ease my mind before handing over hard earned cash..

[rexercx7]

Your car looks fantastic....

I too am about to put on some 22's.
The wheel measures 22X8.5 and as per your decision I will be running 265/35/22 tires.

My question (it is heavily policed here in Australia) is to do with clearance rates. Is there any touching of the body or suspension on full turning lock? Also does it touch at all over bumps, etc? One more thing does the tire stick out of the guards ar all?

Appreciate your feedback to ease my mind before handing over hard earned cash..

There is no clearance or "touching of the body or suspension" whatsoever with my 22"x9" C-2 Wheel, and the Kumho 265x35x22" tire. I researched my choice thoroughly before I made the decision to go ahead, both with the wheel manufacturer, and America's Tire/Discount Tire store where I had the setup installed. Since you're going 22"x8.5" with the same tire size as mine, you'll have plenty of extra clearance. FYI a 22"x9.5" wheel would have been too big, and would have created some issues with the front suspension.

I've driven almost 1000 miles by now with the new setup, and it just gets better every day! People just flip out over how it looks, often times total strangers approach me and want to know all about what I did, the brand of the wheel & tires, etc. I am so glad that I did the upgrade!:) It really compliments the CX-7 suspension system, and the ride is surprisingly supple and pleasant vs. what you'd think it would/should be with 35-size aspect ratio tires. I you can get the Kumho's I highly recommend them as the tire of choice. They generate less road noise than the OEM stock Bridgestones did!

Hope you enjoy your upgrade experience. It costs a little spare change to do it, but the rewards are huge and very long-lasting. Good luck, & have fun!

Kindest regards,
rexercx7:cool:

[claycx7]

Thanks for the information that really eases my mind.

Being in Australia we are not fortunate enough to have a large selection of wheels to choose from, my first choice/s were the TSW Montage in the 22" or the Zenetti Five Forged but no one would bring them into the country for me. I have settled on Zenetti Throwacks instead.

Once again, thanks for your help - Hopefully my car comes out as sweet as yours.

[rexercx7]

Thanks for the information that really eases my mind.

Being in Australia we are not fortunate enough to have a large selection of wheels to choose from, my first choice/s were the TSW Montage in the 22" or the Zenetti Five Forged but no one would bring them into the country for me. I have settled on Zenetti Throwacks instead.

Once again, thanks for your help - Hopefully my car comes out as sweet as yours.

I checked out your wheel choice, and it'll look G R E A T ! with your CX-7 in virtually any color. Is it this wheel:
http://victoriatire.com/wheels.html?&cart=1174240970171838&brand=ZENETTI&PICNUM=2132&&name=THROWBACK&make=%5Bmake%5D&model=%5Bmodel%5D&size=20

Tell us about your CX-7!! Can you post before and after pictures as I did? It's really easy if you have a Mac, and a .Mac account w/iWeb. Hell, anybody could figure out how to do it. Just drag and drop your pictures into the center of the web page layout, write some copy, hit "publish to web" are you're done!

I guess there's PC programs that are just as easy, it's just ridiculously easy with a Mac.... And what are the CX-7's like Down Under? I hear that they're all 4WD, right mate? Tell us about your ride...equipment, color, interior, etc.

Thanks, and good luck to you...I know we have it really easy here in the States, but there's only about 30-REAL choices if you start checking out all of the possibilities. C-Squared, the parent company of "C-2", my wheels, only has 3 wheels out of almost 40 choices that actually fit the CX-7, for example.
It's all about the offset and R-114.5 bolt pattern in combination...there are just bloody few wheels that actually work with the CX-7 suspension setup that's OEM anyway.

So if those Zinetti's actual fitment=correctness for your CX-7, then just Go For It! Then it's just a matter of choosing the right tire for your conditions there Down Under. Here in SoCalifornia, we have nothing but F R E E W A Y S and smooth, very very smooth pavement surfaces. We probably spend more on street/highway improvmement here in SoCalifornia than the Australian Navy's entire budget! It's pretty crazy here! Totally Car-Centric, bar none. We have the most automobile-centric population in the W O R L D here. PERIOD!

What I see running around the streets here I couldn't begin to describe to this fair bunch of nice people. It is totally INSANE! Bentley GT coupes in Westlake Village are a dime a dozen. Ferrari's in Wesltake/Agouras Hills are like Chevrolets...they are literally everywhere. When you see something really cool like a vintage Shelby Cobra Snake, the real deal not a fake, or maybe Nissan is running its prototype NSX-GT from Thousand Oaks to Malibu over Decker Canyon Road, and you get to see them taper off into the sunset.

This is truly automobile lover heaven bar none. Everyone thinks that Beverly Hills has the cars, but it's Jay Leno's Car Collection that's right here in Newbury Park, in a non-descript warehouse area up behind the RoadRunner CableVision service yard. And he's here ALL THE TIME! Sometimes I see him driving that INSANE 1200HP Oldmobile Toronado (vintage 1967) he loves to cruise around in acting "normal" and I just give him the bright lights and flash the shirt out of him until he notices, that I notice H I M!

Anyway, my man, have a really great time souping up your ride. There's nothing like making something YOURS, and YOURS ALONE!

Kindest regards from SoCalifornia
rexercx7

[claycx7]

will do, stay tuned - all will be revealed in the next couple of weeks if they come into the country on time.....