Wheels on 300M Special

[pwinship]

I just bought a 2003 300M Special from a local dealer and was investigating as to why I couldn't get any tire pressure readings. Come to finally notice that I have the original full size 18" spare in the trunk and 16" Concorde wheels on the car (with no sensors)! Not only am I pissed, but I am also wondering how much does this affect everything else, from the speedo to the EVIC info? Is it still safe to drive it with smaller wheels on it?

Except for this, the car is in excellent condition and I paid only $11k for it. Although I really don't wanna give up the car, I WILL be calling the dealer about this tomorrow. Guess now I know why it was a good deal. Any suggestions on any other courses of action I can take on this?

[tinmanwpk]

Congrats on your M. To get answers to your questions, go the 300mclub.org and post there. A great group of enthusiasts.

I think you got screwed, too. The 16' wheels are safe as long as they are a good tire and you don't drive at excessive speeds. Yes, your evic info and speedo will be off. Check out miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html.

[pwinship]

Thanks for the URLs, tinman. Good ones to have. Turns out I'm getting one extra revolution per mile with the Goodyears that were put on it for a 0.2% difference.

Of course, the dealer says "That's how the car was when we got it, sorry". So, now I'm shopping around for some 18's to put on it. Found one place where I can get 4 OEM ones to match the spare for $800. Have a friend that says he can get me a deal on some tires. Can hopefully sell the Concord wheels to recoup some of it. Any leads on where to get the tire pressure sensors? Can't seem to find a source online. Dealer has them for $60 each and I need 4. Is that about what I can expect to pay for them if I go anywhere else?

Other than the wheel issue, I love the car and hope I still got a good deal after I buy new wheels for it.

[tinmanwpk]

The absolute best place to get any information is the 300M club. I have been with them for some time now. Just go "lurk" for a while if you don't want to join. You don't have to pay any money to use the site unless you want some specific info from the members only section. You can post some of the questions you may have and should get replies. That site is the most informative of any site available for the M. Take a look.