Long post coming 🚨

I’ve been a long time member here, and for years and years I have drooled over many F bodies that I’ve seen with nice wheel setups CCW, Fikse, HRE, etc. I bought my first Trans Am in 2003 and I’ll never forget seeing my first F body with a narrowed rear end, I told myself that day I would one day build a car with one. Long story short I made the decision to sell my 99 and go back to college and earn a degree. I graduated in 2006 and owned many late model GM performance cars GTO, C5 Z06, and a few others but my heart was always longing for the one I had to give up. I was on a business trip in 2015 that took me to south Florida and I was in my hotel room browsing the classified section of tech and came across an 02 NBM formula 6 speed that only has 79k original miles. I quickly noticed it had gone to a page 2 so I thought surely this car has sold, but I opened it anyways, and to my surprise it was still available and located only and hour from where I was working! I messaged xxKennyDxx exactly 7 years ago today, and an amazing co worker gave me a lift to boca and I bought the car that day and made arrangements to ship home to Texas.

This car has been exactly that a 7 year build to this date, and it’s still not fully completed…. But are they really ever?

Thus far I have built this car to everything I’ve ever wanted in a 4th gen F body

complete exterior restoration with some really cool body mods.

full suspension, car is on ridetech level 2 coilovers

wilwood 6 piston front brakes

this car was lucky enough to have factory LS6 block, and currently has a heads cam setup from Frankienstien engine dynamics

Fab 9” rear end from Midwest Chassis and of course narrowed 3” per side.

now here is where it gets interesting, when I ordered the rear ended I knew it would be a few years before I would be able to add the wheels I truly wanted so I needed to put something on it that would work for the time being. I decided I would just do a pair of 15” weld RTS because I can always use a set 15”s for the strip or when that call out comes and you have to go smack someone around on a Friday night in Mexico.

Now here comes one of the greatest wheels debates when it comes to a narrowed rear, most would say you would order a 15x10 weld in a 4.5” backspacing, even Midwest told me to order that spec wheel, however I think they stick out past the wheel well and i don’t personally like the look.

I spent weeks researching here and going back and forth and decided to go the route of the 5.5” backspacing wheel, I personally loved the “tuck” look, and I will add those pics as well. I did have to do a lot and I mean a lot of inner fender work including cutting out the bump stops to make them clear, but I got it to work!



So the car sat in this position for a few years, in fact I went through two sets of Hoosiers QTP from spirited weekend adventures. Fast forward to 2022 I am ready to pull the trigger on my dream wheel and tire setup, something I have never done for any vehicle I’ve ever owned. As for budget, we’ll I didn’t have one it was all about what I envisioned. I had narrowed it down to 3 manufacturers CCW, Forgeline, and BC Forged, spent time speaking with all 3, but I kept gravitating back to the BC forged.

my next goal in the process was fitment, it had to be just right, I won’t use any specific examples but I’ve seen a couple really nice 4th gens with very expensive wheels and I thought the fitment was awful, and I personally couldn’t imagine spending this kind of coin and having that type of result. I decided I wanted to run Toyo R888, and i ordered the tires before the the wheels i went with 295/30/18 for the front and 315/30/18 for the rear. My next step was measuring for the wheels, I ordered an amazing tool from
Verified fabrication

Got all my measurements and even with a little help from old posts on tech I got my specs.

18x11 rears with 5.25” back spacing or -19mm offset
18x10.5 front with 7.72” back spacing or +50mm offset

I placed my order with BC forged and so started what felt like the longest 5 weeks of my life!

wheels arrived last week and I wasted no time, tire were mounted that afternoon and it was the moment of truth, to say I was nervous was a complete understatement! I started with the rears and boom!!! Perfect fitment!!! I kept my excitement bottled up till the fronts were on, driver side goes on and again it’s a perfect fit!!!! In this moment I feel like I am watching my third child being born. I am over the moon with excitement!

So as we are nearing the end of my novel and finally getting to pics, I hadn’t planned on taking any till a few more things were done like new tint and paint correction and ceramic coating the car and wheels, but I couldn’t resist, I had some free time one afternoon this last week and got it out to snap some quick photos.

anyways I hope y’all enjoy and if you read my whole rant, thank you! Thank you to all the members of tech over the years that have posted helpful information in this section and others.

 

Car looks great, congrats on getting it "done". I have a set of BC's for my other car, super great fitment, light, and was able to work with Strano to make sure the offset and spokes worked on my big front caliper.

 

Sam has been a huge help in setting up this car, although I haven’t spent much money with him he has been incredibly help with his advice.

 

Absolutely beautiful!

 

SWEET!!! Unfortunately my hands and wrists hurt just thinking about cleaning all those nooks and crannies. Hope yours are in good shape.

 

looks amazing! Those wheels completely transform the car

 

Absolutely beautiful, NBM Formula was my first choice on a FBody.

I have a Silver Formula Hawk now and I think once I get a narrowed 9” and swap my current 9” to my Camaro I could see me swapping my RTS wheels for these.

You made the right choice.

 

Any pics with the rear wheels off, curious about the brake set up and if you had to modify the hard lines or go custom braided and also the rear studs.

Do you have to go -3" on each side to fit 315s so they don't stick out???

 

those look great , badass man .

 

Absolutely perfect in the back!!!! Most from every angle look like they stick out an inch past the fender lip. Yours is spot freaking on!!! Honestly there is no better wheel choice than multi-spoked on those cars.

 

I’ll take some in the next few weeks when the wheels come off for ceramic coating, but the brakes are stock, i did have to build new hard lines when i installed the 9”, I also had to have braided lines made.

and no you don’t have to go narrowed to fit 315s with out sticking out, as stated above inner fenders are worked as much as possible and bump stops removed, anything more it would need to be mini tubbed. And have the correct backspacing for your needs will allow you to tuck 315s.

 

Car looks great man!

 

Very nice!

 

Absolutely not. 315s wi fit stock height or lowered. Every car differs, you may hear a slight rub but pulling the wheel and a few smacks with a big hammer will clear it all up. I'm running 315s on my lowered 97SS and only had to give one small spot a few smacks and no issues.

 

Great post and beautiful car. The LS Formula has to be the best looking 4th Gen made, and you have made it even better!