Features Vintage front wheels, post pic's here.

I like these, but nobody else seems to...;-)

 

Love your collection! I am desperately searching for a single 4 1/2-15 Halibrand sprint to replace the broken one on my '46 Chevy sedan Delivery gasser. If you possibly have one or know where I could find one It would be greatly appreciated. My name is Larry Fator and my ph # is 909 592-4841 San Dimas ,CA.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Sorry I can't help with a replacement but I'd like to know the story of what caused that damage.

 

I had a pair of those on the front of my 1964 Galaxie 500 XL and only the front as I could only afford to buy two.

 

Did you steal those from the El Mosquito?

 

Here is a pair of wheels I just bought. They were advertised as 15x4”. The problem is they are most of the way across the country, so a good friend picked them up for me and has them at his place. One has been scratched up a bit. Can anyone tell me anything about them since I won’t likely see them for awhile?

I don’t imagine they are going to clear the Caliper on the disk brakes on my 1964 Polara though.

 

They look to be American 15"x4" magnesium. Rare big buck pair! If they are aluminum, they would be Crestline brand . The scarfy one will take some work, but it sure looks worth it. Nice score!

 

they look like American magnesium to me(i had a set on my 32 coupe for a few years), they are very different from my 15x4 Crestlines

 

I'd be interested to know , besides being aluminum and not having the outer small bead on the rim ; what the casting differences are with the Crestlines. I've only collected Americans, but a friend of mine has always told me they are basically from the same mold.

 

Crestline are completely different in design than magnesium American rims. The Americans center cap area sticks out beyond the rim the Crestlines are flatter in the center and the spokes are smaller
There's a couple other differences that don't show well in the pic. The new aluminum wheel from Team III is the closest in appearance to the American Racing magnesium wheel, there is one exception and there were a few sets made by an Australian guy years ago that were exact aluminum copies of the magnesium wheel but I only know one person who has a pair. The guy that made them kept two pair for himself and maybe one more pair that I don't know who they went to.

 

1933_willys_77 : Thanks for the insight. Another myth dispelled. Always lookn to learn. I’ve never had a pair of the Crestlines in my hands, so I was going on second hand info. I was aware of the Aussie copies, believe he had them on a ‘32 3W.

 

@bowie
The pair of Aussie copies I know of here in the states are on a '33 Willys coupe over in Mass. I sometimes think finding a pair of 15" X 4" Crestline is harder than finding the magnesium American Racing. And these days almost as expensive. I believe I've only seen a couple pairs for sale in the last 15 or so years.

 

The pair on the ‘32 3W , I was referring to were on the Aussie fellows car that recast them. I believe I read that he passed away. In all my years of scarfing Americans, here back east; I’ve never come across any skinny Crestlines. They are a good looking wheel.

 

the crestline rim has crestline casted into the rim and also inside the aluminum cap

 

I have a pair of these but one of them is not real true, so would like to find/purchase another ONE or TWO. they are American Racing 15x4 on a 5 by 4 3/4 bolt pattern.

 

Made in very limited quantities. I've had two pair in the past they also seem to be very pricey these days. The one pair I had I sent to have them professionally restored by a wheel dealer out west. He ended up buying them from me because they were so scarce. By the way they are from 1970-1971 not really in the realm of the hamb but still cool wheels, good luck with your search

 

I am enjoying the wheel discussion on here lately. It has livened up this thread. Also I have never seen the Crestlines before but remember reading about them in a magazine article about Don Waldron. It's nice to find out more about them. I have a friend that is looking for a pair of Skinny Magnesium Halibrands if anyone knows of any that are for sale.

 

Don is in Crestline.

 

Don Waldron's Rods West is in Ridgecrest, Ca. I've been to his place
Crestline wheels were first made in Walnut Creek, CA and then moved to Port Chicago, CA but by 1967-68 Port Chicago, CA no longer existed as it was bought by the government and leveled. If I remember right it was surrounded by the military base which it's now part of and Crestline Mfg. no longer existed either

 

Cripes
I knew that too, was gonna double check that but got interrupted.
Stopped at his Rods West booth for many years at the CHRR.
Always had neat stuff to look at.

 

E T

 

Ford steel 15x3

 

Hi guys, would anyone know the weight of a Fenton Gyro 15x3.5 or an Ansen 15x4? I have cough repro slots on my wagon now and looking at setting up a drag set and save some weight, will be just for racing.

 

on the front of my 57 Fairlane

 

Hello,

After a nice lunch at Woody’s nostalgia diner in Newport Beach, we were greeted with a very well-constructed 1953 Buick Skylark convertible outside on the street. It stood out because it was a Candy Apple Red or a variation of an old Tahitian Red color. Nothing on the surrounding streets could match up with this beauty in looks and style.

But the main draw was the Buick Skylark wire wheels. They were pristine. What a set up !!! The big wide whitewalls made this Skylark a cool 50s cruiser. These wheels brought back memories of 1963, a time of being fresh out of high school, a time of many changes.

In 1964, my 58 Impala had gone through some changes from a drag race car in the stock class/street class to a modified street car. The black wheels/ blackwall look was changed to a great buy with 5 Buick Skylark wire wheels. It was $150 for 5 pristine wire wheels with center hubs. (vs the cost of a stereo/tv at $90 and gas at 29 cents per gallon)

The extra time and effort to get the 4 axle lugs and covers changed over to a Buick bolt pattern was a little costly, but worth it. It was the only 1958 black Impala cruising in So Cal with a high performance motor, C&O Stick Hydro, 4:56 gears, and 4 pristine Buick Skylark Wire Wheels. (the 5th was the spare tire in the trunk) No more Bruce Slicks on Chevy rims, so the stock Firestones had to make do in the races when they popped up.
"The Moose" inspired Skylark wheels on the 58 black Impala.


The last look from 1963-65, until sold to a friend.(all black, Buick 15" rims) No more hubcaps, big, little, or a combination of several. The mean, black on black look...

 

My Crosley has vintage front wheels on it ('40 Ford). They too are steel but they are covered by original Moon Discs (snap ons).

The tires are vintage too. But they are pretty much shot so they are going become vintage wall hangers, LOL

 

Nothing kills it for me better seeing a high boy , with a 7 in front wheel with tread on it that looks like it belongs on a BMW . WTH , man it’s a hot rod not a go kart !

 

halibrand 15x4

 

The two sets of 12 spokes are 17" & 18" I'm looking for a mate to the single wheel.

 

Back on Post 517, I mentioned that I bought some wheels but they were far from me. My friend shipped them on a bus and I have them now. They are American Racing Magnesium 15x4”. They had K-Mart KM-20 5.60-15 tires on them! I wrapped them with new tubes and BFG 7.10’s and tossed them on my 1964 Dodge.

One is banged up and I’d like to repair that one and clean up the pair some day, but for now they look right at home on the Polara.