Are these $1900 Alpina's on eBay legit?

[35nhma]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rims-Alpina...l/114494595067



Hi Everyone,

These Alpina's are listed for significantly less than others, and appear to be in great condition.

Anyone who has first hand experience one way or another have an opinion on whether they are legit?

I know some people are making replicas.

Thanks for you time,
Henry

[35nhma]

the seller has only 14 sales, is location tagged in serbia, is shipping from germany ... none of which inspires confidence.

and there are some discrepancies with other alpina's on ebay, such as these

notably, the valve stem on the cheaper wheels is not concealed behind the hubcap.

also, there are some differences in stampings on the inside.

[35nhma]

https://www.ricardo.ch/it/a/bmw-e36-...ge-1142640018/

here are some more images of another alpina rim that does not have the concealed valve stem.



- - - Updated - - -

https://img.ricardostatic.ch/t_1000x...142640018/0/2/




the casting process looks to be much finer on this reference example, unless that pitting on the eBay example in question was generated during restoration. also, there is one other part number on the eBay example.

- - - Updated - - -


https://m.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-an...99625-223-1102

here is another reference that shows the additional part number, but has finer casting in the center.

[35nhma]

i have located the website of the ebay seller. it inspires more confidence.

http://www.wheel-specialist.com/gallery/

via google translate:

Our approach to repairing wheels is different from other workshops, and here’s why.
Mostly the wheels that customers bring us are damaged by curbs, holes, and the like. Classical fixing is done by filling the damage with putty, but we approach it differently.
Why is it like that ? The reason is that it will happen to you again that you accidentally scratch the wheel, no matter how careful the driver is, and then the same putty cracks, where a hole 2 mm thick is created, under which is a yellow mass, which is also it still peels, and so you have a pretty ugly and conspicuous detail on the rim, which you did relatively recently, and you are in a stalemate, neither to work on it again, nor to watch it like that until the end of the season.
For that reason, we do not put a gram of putty on the wheels, we process all the damage that is mild, and if it is deeper, we weld aluminum, and then we process it to perfect smoothness. Basically, we use the same paint processing process as for polishing, which is very demanding for a nice end result.
In the pictures you can see examples where the wheel is processed to bare aluminum (lighter part) and where the factory primer (darker parts) remained
With this preparation-processing, we remove the old layers of paint, as well as the factory layer of paint, reaching the factory primer, and the main reason is that in the end the finish would look like the factory, because if it was prepared classically for painting, and repainted, the rim would got the look we like to call the "plasticine" effect, it would simply be clear that the wheel is painted, and not once, but it would seem to be painted several times, both because of its uneven parts that should be flat, and due to the lost sharp transitions and edges that the rim contains (arms, edges and parts between the holes), so by this process we eliminate this effect of plasticine, and see that the rim looks as close as possible to what it was like new.
Visit the gallery of works, and see the wheels that are painted with us

[35nhma]

UPDATE:

When I asked specific questions about the quality of the casting on the center portion of the wheel, as to why it was so rough, the seller went conspicuously silent, even though they had responded to an earlier question promptly (i.e. that the wheels have been refurbished).

The seller also did not confirm whether or not they had been powdercoated or painted.

I'm gonna chalk these up in the "too good to be true" category. Someone else may try their luck!

Hank.

[Liquidity]

You’re not gonna find knock-offs that have the brand name right in the casting. This isn’t a knock off gucci handbag made by hand in a sweat shop, these are cast pieces made in molds that cost $20,000+, no business is gonna risk getting shutdown with lawsuits over that. If they have logos and brand names right in the casting - they are real. The seller knew you were an ignorant tire-kicker and ignored your dumb questions.

[chevyinc]

Only certain years have it behind the cap. I have a 2007 where it is under it...which can be a pita to fill.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[35nhma]

Only certain years have it behind the cap. I have a 2007 where it is under it...which can be a pita to fill.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

thx chevy, good to know. I found a number of examples without the hidden valve stem, as well. i'm still unsure as to why these would be over 50% below market value using similar alpina comps on ebay right now. the $1900 asking price includes free worldwide shipping, which i assume could be as much as $500. but even if shipping was $300, after ebay's commission that's $1440 to the seller, or $360 per wheel, for a rare example, fully restored, complete with locking cores and no obvious defects.

[e24mpwr]

You’re not gonna find knock-offs that have the brand name right in the casting. This isn’t a knock off gucci handbag made by hand in a sweat shop, these are cast pieces made in molds that cost $20,000+, no business is gonna risk getting shutdown with lawsuits over that. If they have logos and brand names right in the casting - they are real. The seller knew you were an ignorant tire-kicker and ignored your dumb questions.

It is a fairly low price for the real-deal

You could be a little more polite - this isn't OT...

[DennisCooper]

Hi,

At that price, they'd be a staggered set and 18". Cast wheels will deteriorate over time and the 'pitting' is indicative of a combination of the aging process of the metal/alloy and the road grime/dust that's sat on the wheel surface over the years and not cleaned away. Yes, the chemical stripping of such wheels removes all surface contaminants, paint etc but the alloy/metal surface will be left like that if the damage was 'worse'. The refinishing powdercoat or paint will not 'cover' it over and hence why you see that 'rougher' look. Also, even newly made wheels that are cast can show this but that is more often down to the alloy itself used in the manufacturing process.

What's the ideal spec for Alpina's you'd want? I keep an eye out for Tuner brand wheels for BMW's - Alpina less so but I do have a set of 19s currently! and I also often send wheels over to the US. If you see a set over here in the UK or in Europe, drop me a line and I'll see what I can do

Cheers, Dennis!

[35nhma]

Thanks Dennis.

So it looks like the entire wheel surface would have developed that pitting, and only the visible part was filled or sanded smooth. Is that what you are saying?

Also, are you saying the price doesn't seem right for a full set of 4 17 x 8's? This is what the seller is offering.

This is also what I'm in the market for 17x8 or 7.5 et40. Staying as close to stock as possible.

Anyway thanks for your help!
Hank

[DennisCooper]

Hi Hank,

Oops! Looks like I made a bad typo and the exact place I shouldn't have !! I should've said 'at that price, they should be a staggered set and 18 inch' !!! However, I do know some fitments were square all round sometimes or at least, some owners want square sets all round etc, also, some of the 17" are indeed commanding higher prices as well. I don't usually follow Alpina wheels but I do know there's there own 'direction' of being sought after and price levels!

Looking at the pics in the listing again, they do seem to be in decent/good condition but with such a bad advert and description, there's every chance they're refinished wheels etc in the past and now up for sale - there's some paint chips/knicks visible in some of the pics. Different high quality brand wheels have different 'grades' of alloy used and some are a more susceptible to metal aging than others. It also depends on how much brake dust had previously been left to sit on the wheel metal that could have caused deterioration as well.

I know of a UK enthusiast who likes to buy/sell Alpina wheels and I know he has sets in better condition and similar'ish pricing and often, fully refinished and not used since for sale. I believe he has a set of staggered 8/9 inch width 17" Softline C95 ET46 offsets for each axle pair for instance. If you aren't in a big rush, I'd suggest looking for a set that's like that, refinished and in better condition for the same price level/range.

Cheers, Dennis!

[35nhma]

alright, thanks dennis.

lmk if a square 17 x 8 et41 set comes across your radar!