I'm getting snow tires for my 240, and don't want to deal with constant tire changes, so I'm buying wheels for them. I'm not certain how long I'll have this car for, but there's a good chance I'll buy a newer 740 or 940 at some point, given all the knowledge of the similar 240 I've gleaned off Brickboard.

Since I may want to be able to use the new tires on a 740 or 940 in the future, I'm buying 195/60R15 tires, and want to put them on rims that will fit all three series: 240/740/940. I know that 240s use a 20mm offset. My understanding is that 740s use a 25mm offset, and 940s usually use a 25mm offset (although some 940s may use a 43mm offset). Is all this accurate? If so, I want to buy 25mm offset wheels, to cover most of the current and future possibilities.

In general, 15" Volvo wheels - steel or aluminum - are either hard to find, or expensive. The cheapest I found was a new steel 740 wheel for $80 CDN. One independant Volvo garage quoted $70 each for used steel wheels! I found an independent Volvo shop that had used aluminum wheels for $50. He has both Virgo and Draco styles. (If you're unclear of which wheels these are, please see the following website: http://brickparts.d--r.com/wheels/).

I know the Virgos are 20mm offset wheels. I gather from the archives that they'll fit any 240, but will only fit 740s that have standard (non-ABS) brakes. Can anyone confirm what the offset of the Draco wheels is, and whether or not they will fit 740s with ABS brakes?

I realize that aluminum wheels are more prone to bending than steel wheels, but I don't really want to spend more for steel, and still have to get hub caps. I'd be interested in anyone's experience with bent Virgo or Draco wheels, particularly in comparisons between the two. I plan to spin the wheels on the balancer before the tires are installed, which I'm hoping will give some indication of any serious problems.