Enkei is a big time wheel builder.

The Hamamatsu based company was one of four original JWL manufacturers.  On a global scale, they are easily the most recognized Japanese wheel brand, and entered foreign markets in a big way before anyone else from Japan did.  Enkei makes wheels for OEM applications. They make wheels for other aftermarket brands. They make wheels for race teams in the highest levels of motorsport. Yet why is it, that when it comes time for me to go shopping, Enkei’s often end up quite far down the list?

In my mind, they’ve always carried a somewhat clinical image.  Historically, Enkei designs didn’t tend to exhibit much feeling, or seem to give buyers much credit.  See the Racing 5.

The Racing 5 is not an unattractive wheel, but is definitely standard looking compared to other wheels of the time.

In the late seventies,  your know-nothing friend might have decided they wanted go fast wheels for their plain old sports sedan. He would certainly gravitate to any wheel that had  “Racing” in the name. Yes, an actual racer might realize that race wheels are typically more than 7J… but can you imagine how quickly the world would end if someone put an 8J wheel on their car and a tire rubbed on a fender liner?  At 22000円, for a 14 6J size, the Racing 5 was about 25% less expensive than wheels from other reputable brands. It was reasonably light too… for an aluminum wheel cast in the seventies.  5.82kg.

To Joe-wantanabe-hashirya, it probably looked like a no-brainer.

And that’s why almost 40 years later, Enkei Racing 5’s are still everywhere in used markets.

Yes it feels like the goal of Enkei has been mass-appeal and value engineering: the kinds of things that appeal to big boring automakers, your great-aunt, and race teams run by engineers instead of impassioned drivers. It is an approach that I think overall, has done Enkei well.

I was thus shocked when I spotted skin, and even nipple in the advertisement seen atop the post, pulled from a 1979 issue of Motorfan Magazine.

… And when my eyes finally dropped I read the caption.

“You must never forget, the beauty of a woman is sinful”  – Jacques Prevert

How Enkei intended these words to be understood, I’m not sure.  Was the intention to compare the beauty of the Enkei Racing 5 wheel to that of this caged woman? I imagine something different.

In my mind this quote by French screenwriter Prevert, (you can believe I’m fighting auto-correct on that name!) may be the perfect statement/justification by Enkei for plain and sterile wheels designs.

IE, they were saying “We could make striking and sexy wheels like other companies do, but that would be leading you towards eternal damnation.  Instead, choose this plain sensible wheel that your grandmother and parishioner would approve of.”

Just good wholesome fun in 1979?

So now if I may draw an analogy to American politics…

Dearest Enkei,

You have been the Barrack Obama of the JWL. You’re a great dude. You’ve made some landmark achievements. I got mad respect for you.  Just remember, even mass-appeal means sometimes wearing your hair crazy and waving your arms around like a mad man while spouting bullshit.

Love,

Kyusha Shoes

We’ve made it to part 4! While the watch list is always full of different wheels, it’s no easy task to narrow down to only 6 examples a week. That being said check out this weeks picks that made the cut!

Number one is a prime example of the Yamako Silverstar Lupus aka the Silverstar II. Made by Enkei, this minty example comes in a very flattering light gold and silver. This set in 14x6J 4H/114.3 +18, sold at auction for 20,500 yen. Not a bad deal for such a clean set.

Next up is a very cool set of Takechi Project Racing Hart D/Spec Superlative Dish. This rally inspired design doesn’t show up too often, and what makes this particular set even less common is its dual-drilled 5H/4H pattern. Specs are as follows 16x7J 4H-5H/114.3 +35/+48. Quite the setup! This set sold for 45,710 yen.

One of my personal favorites is the Pasco Fame Bilbo. This pair in 5H is plain cool, with a distinctive period design, deep slant lips, aged patina, what more could you ask for?! Sized at 14×7.5J 5H/114.3 +4, this pair of Bilbo’s is available here starting at 25,000yen.

Plugging away we’ve got a rare model from RS Watanabe, the Falcon Mesh. A seriously neat take on a mesh wheel from the company best known for their 8-spoke wheels. Check out this pair modestly sized in 14×6.5J 4H/114.3 unkown offset here. Starting at 19,800yen these might be worth picking up!

Hasemi Sport makes another appearance this week, only this time it’s the S5 Model, again made by SSR.The S5 came in a ton of sizing options with the magnetic locking center cap as well as examples with a standard screw on cap. Although these can still be seen pretty regularly, what makes these stick out is their wild factory specs – 15×9.5J 4H/114.3 -39!! Available on yahoo bidding is set to start at a substantial 120,000yen for the PAIR. Check out the listing here.

To finish up this week we have a very rare mesh model known as the Wood Bell Pole Position. This is an often overlooked vintage wheel that usually doesn’t command a ton of money when and if they do come up for sale. This pair is well sized in 15×7.5J 4H/114.3 +1 and can be seen here.

Time for the second installment of our Weekly Wheel Roundup and luckily the finds did not disappoint! Let jump right into it – Enjoy!

Bell Racing making another appearance only this time in the extremely rare BRA-104 model. This 4 piece set was sized at 13x6J 4H / 114.3 +15 and sold on yahoo auctions for only 15,500 yen. Not bad for such a hard to find set!

Next up is the Work Spirit 33, another extremely rare wheel. This set looked to be in great shape, featuring a cool red and polished finish, and even came complete with caps! Sizing was 14x7J 4H / 114.3, and I say was, because this set sold for a respectable 52,809 yen.

Enkei has such a wide variety of wheel models that few really stand out, but one that is certainly unique is the Enkei AP Rolling. A simple dish style with inset accent lines and an octagonal center bore really defines the AP Rolling. [edit: This set, in the most average size of all (14x6J 4H / 114.3 +15) went through auction a couple of times with a starting price of 23,990円, but never got any action.]

There is something incredibly compelling about tri-spoke wheels that you either seem to love or hate. You better believe we love these tri-spoke FJ Liebe Turbos. This particular pair in 13x7J 4H / 114.3 +0, has slightly different markings on the face than other examples we’ve seen before.  Instead of seeing “FJ LIEBE” see only “LIEBE”. Everything else looks identical though, including that awesome slant lip. Only one day left on the auction we will be keeping an eye on these to see where the hammer falls on the price. Check them out here. [edit: this pair sold for 6,000円]

Check out these rare Super Star SS-01 in 14x6J 4H / 114.3 +18! This set, complete with centercaps, definitely has seen its fair share of corrosion. But it looks like some lucky buyer was able to see past the surface and snag this set for only 19,800 yen.  At that price… do you refinish? Or maybe run as is??

To finish up this week we have a collaboration from well-known Work, and not so well-known Lesco. The listing features both a pair of Hayashi Techno TRV and a pair of the very rare Lesco Pulse 1.  Size seems to be 14×6.5J 4H/ 114.3 unknown offset. Recently listed here. [edit: this set sold for 50,000円]

Let’s see what pops up next week!

A reader was questioning my categorization of Silver Star wheels under the Yamaco brand instead of the Enkei brand.  This explains the reason for that.  Yamaco sold a fairly wide range of accessories and parts from wheels to decal packages.  Early Yamaco wheels, like the Silver Star Three-Piece (later re-named the Laira) where all produced by Enkei, and thus have Enkei markings on them.

Another reader also found and shared this Yamaco advertisement from 1982 which shows the same wheel with a later name: Laira.  There numerous references to this wheel out there, and with light weight and aggressive sizing (5.7kg for 14 8J size) it is a sought after wheel today.

While examining my notes on this wheel though, I noticed something that hadn’t caught my attention when originally adding the wheel to the database here. Enkei produced this same wheel for someone other than Yamaco.

That someone was Ohtsu Tire, who sold the wheel as part of its Footmark line-up.  Again the model name was “Three piece.”  The only difference I can see is that the re-branded wheel used a new centre cap that featured the Footmark logo “FM”.  Thankfully it is still beautifully square!

The Footmark line-up is not one that I’ve had a chance to touch on much at all, but as I get deeper into this, I’m not only finding them hard to ignore, but also discovering new models that are unique and interesting.  They are though, some of the less known or sought after kyusha wheels.  For myself, that makes them extra exciting.

Stay Tuned.

The Novan Wonder Rabbit is such a rare and unique wheel that I never imagined I’d ever find an advertisement for one.  This comes from Robbie’s Motorfan collection and an issue from 1979.  The translation reads.

By our hand,something universal, the Wonder Rabbit, is created.

This is the era for the west coast, a spot in California.
What is the new direction for eighties car supplies?
We made our decision: American Spirit!
Wonder Rabbit.
As we ponder the value of the era…

Car Supplies VOLUME 1: Wonder Rabbit – Alloy Wheels

At the time, it is certainly true that Japan was in love with the idea of American life… but in my mind, it is doubtful that the state of the Japanese auto-industry was so dire in 1979 that a yankee wannabe super rabbit was going rescue anyone from anything.  In fact, the automobile in Japan may have never been stronger.  The SA22 was the car of the decade, and the Japanese Wheel League was fully charged.  Turbo technology was spooling up.  In the USA, the EPA was killing American muscle and Chrysler needed a huge sum of cash from the US government to continue operating.  This was the first year of the McDonald’s happy meal though! Oh what highs and lows…

From stickers and markings, we know that the Wonder Rabbit was made by Enkei for Novan Internationals.  It was distributed by Chuo Jidousha aka Central Automotive Products.  Sizes that I have observed are 13 6J +13 and 13 6.5J +10 with 4H PCD114.3.  Others may have been available, but finding them now would be a serious task.

The Wonder Rabbit is a good-looking wheel, with a great name… but by all other measures, might be considered a flop.  From the usual sources, I wasn’t able to discover anything meaningful about Novan Internationals, or the Wonder Rabbit.  In wheel catalogs and articles from the era that I have seen, the Wonder Rabbit is strangely absent.  That seems like a terrible oversight, as the wheel does have some unique features compared to other four spokes of the time.  It’s doubtful that many were purchased back in 1979 and 1980.

Today the Wonder Rabbit is an ultra-rare find at best. And, as far as I can tell the Novan brand never produced anything else.  If they left behind any legacy for Kyusha lovers, this Rabbit wearing a cape and singing the praises of California might just be it.  So much for Volume 2…

A couple of questions coming in regards to the Super Shark wheels and what I’ve done with them in the main gallery. There is concern of course, as this is a mighty popular and sought after wheel.  Newsflash… there is not just one Super Shark wheel. Two wheels use the name “Super Shark”, and a third uses a very very similar design but a different name.

#1 – Colin Super Shark
The most well-known and probably most sought after is the Colin Super Shark. No wonder… these ads from 1982 are spectacular. Unlike the Colin Star Shark, which was made by SSR for Colin, the Super Shark was made in cooperation with Kyoho. In the late seventies and early 80’s Kyoho had very close ties to Enkei, and thus Colin via Kyoho, via Enkei results in the Enkei “E” being cast onto the back of all Colin Super Shark wheels. Note “Super Shark” is also there.

#2 – Hero Shuttle Racing
I still have a lot to learn about Hero Wheels. In trying though, I have discovered that there is a lot of confusion about Hero in general. It is quite often confused with Heroes Racing, and even Hiro Engineering, but as this ad (also from 1982) indicates, I think it is a brand independent from both of those similarly named competitors.

If the similar name is a cheap trick, then the clone wheels may be as well. Hero does have a couple other wheel models, but the three pictured here are in no way original. The Lindy Z1 is probably the most original wheel there, being a one piece rendition of the Lonchamp XR-4, but the Rock Racing mesh is spitting image of both the Volk II mesh and Heroes Racing CX mesh. Obviously clone wheels is not a new thing… and I have no comment to make on the quality of any of them. Some suggested that Hero’s Super Shark look-a-like, the Shuttle Racing is in fact identical to the Colin product, but the image below indicates that they are indeed different.

It’s not visible here (check the main gallery) but on the front of the wheel the JWL and VIA markings are in different positions on the two wheels. As you can see here, on the back side there are differences in the shape of the casting, particularly where the center meets the shell. The Enkei date stampings are missing, the size markings are completely different, and “Hero” is present.

#3 – Gloria Super Shark
Probably the queen of Sharks, or at least the most uncommon, the Gloria Super Shark is not a wheel that I have any documentation on. It appears though, that it can be identified by an unstepped outer rim section. The Colin Super Shark is often loved for its great big slanted outer lip that steps flat for a short section before ending with a 90 degrees bend. The Gloria Super Shark does not have that short flat section, but instead gives one gigantic sloping lip.  (Even better for those who love slanty lips, and again why the Gloria is tops.)

Furthermore, the Gloria can be identified by a much taller raised lip around the hub bore. In contrast the Colin and Hero wheels have a much shallower lip for retaining the center cap. What would that center cap look like? I’m not sure. I’ve never seen one. Photo credit: @jamesjayrade

Hopefully that both clears things up, and raises some questions that someone out there can answer. I’m dying to see some more Gloria Super Sharks.

Cataloguing 30-year-old wheels is not a straight forward task. Time has passed. Often wheel manufacturers, whose own name is stamped on a specific example, can’t identify model names or even anything about them at all. There are also interesting relationships that exists between wheel manufacturers and tuning companies on a global scale. See THIS POST for an example of that in play with Hayashi, and Campagnolo… and Enkei…

Enkei is one of the MAJOR players in wheel production internationally, and has been for a very very long time. They seem to have had their hands in almost everything. These weird Sparco wheels took that realization to a new level.

Yes Weird. One thing about cataloging wheels, is that all the commonly sought after stuff like TechnoPhantoms, SSR’s, Volks etc gets talked about, and asked about so much that I get bored of it. Wheels like these Sparco PiaLoss however, intrigue the hell out of me.

If you stay up all night clicking through wheels like I do, you may recognize a resemblance between these and the Sparco Reveal S6. Resemblance? They are twins except for the solid disk that sits behind the spokes of the PiaLoss. This is not a great styling feature for anyone who has spent thousands of dollars on brakes… but if you are someone who has rusty old stock drums (which you probably are if you are buying these things) maybe it’s not a bad look. However, while the print on the disc proclaims the wheel is… “For Men With The Drive To Win”, I think rusty drums are probably not going to lead you to victory. Nor is the extra mass of an aluminum disc that probably doesn’t lend necessary strength… especially when the similar Reveal S6 gets by just fine without it.

… but my intention is not to criticize anyone’s preference in wheels. Having never seen the PiaLoss before, I turned to my usual channels of research.

PiaLoss is an unusual name. Pia Loss is some chick on Instagram who has more followers than me. WTF guys back me up! Google turns up nothing else. (actually it turns up lots about the economic losses of Pakistan Internal Airlines (PIA) but if you care about old wheels you almost certainly don’t care about big airline business) Eitherway… “Loss” is a stupid thing to put in a name when the slogan for the brand contains the word “Win”.

Next step… My old magazines and media have no Sparco advertisements or articles. Flop. They’re more interested in TechnoPhantom, SSR, Volk.

Other channels… a trademark for PiaLoss exists! It was originally registered to Enkei Automotive Corp. LTD in 1986. Yes Enkei. Not Sparco. The sticker on the wheel clearly says Sparco. Enkei on the other hand, did not seem to have any trademarks on the Sparco name. A second look at the sticker and you start to realize that it is very similar to some mid 80’s Enkei stickers… minus the logo.

It seems that Enkei produced and trademarked the PiaLoss wheel and lent it to Sparco?

And this is why some of you will email me and tell me I’ve got things wrong; that it’s not an SSR Star Shark, but a Colin Star Shark, or it’s not a Watanabe RS-8, but an SSR RS-8, it’s not a Sparco PiaLoss it’s an Enkei PiaLoss. A lot of the time, old wheel data is not clear-cut at all. Sometimes my data doesn’t line up with the common belief. I’m always open to discussion and corrections, but bring some evidence, or at least some good clues to get me started.

In this case, I have archived the wheel as Sparco PiaLoss, with a note about Enkei being the producer. In most cases I will mark the company/organization that marketed the wheel as the actual brand. It’s more fun that way. None of you guys are going to be interested to come tomorrow and the day after to find that I’ve added yet another swath of Enkei shoes.

Last month a reader shared with us his Italian made Hayashi Streets.   An interesting find for sure, and enlightening, as we discovered that the stampings on the wheel back and face were identical to those used by Italian manufacturer Campagnolo.  With many wheel manufacturers of decades past deceased, stampings are sometimes the only clues we have to identify unknown wheels, but as we see here, even these stampings can be misleading and confusing.

This Hayashi Bomber for example, was produced only one month after the Street above, but features very differently formatted stampings.  Here the date of production in October of 1981.  Note that the stickers on this particular wheel marked them as being a 1982 model.  Even more interesting is the other logo stamped on the wheel, which I’m sure indicates the actual manufacturer.  In this case, I recognize the logo from other wheels, but can’t actually place it.

And then there are these TR-Mesh, produced 8 months later and marked clearly with the Enkei “E”.  Also not the wording “Supervised by Hayashi Racing”.  Doesn’t seem simple at all.  Note that here, that date stamping is a two digit year over the month (82/6).  In similar format we also see (H/28).  It is unclear what this second stamping indicates, but perhaps a model or production code.  To this day Enkei wheels still have the same markings.

The wheel search isn’t going so well. So much so, that I’ve almost decided to go with boring Enkei RP01’s again. They’re good light, strong, affordable wheels but it’s pretty hard to love any car that sits on an ordinary five spoke. It’s also pretty hard to find an upgrade for my Speedlines that isn’t already on the Subaru down the street. The only answer might be OEM wheels from obscure JDM models/option packages that never made it across the big ocean… that or do a 5×114 conversion and get some old SSR’s.