I need some help on deciding what rear wheel to run on my car and I figured you guys are the right ones to ask. One is a 12'" Ansen sprint and the other is a 10" steel. I am looking for a late 50's early 60's vibe. Any other suggestion other than the ones listed would be helpful.
I love the slots, but they didn't come about until 1963, and not in 12" probably until the 70s(I am not certain on this one). They look great, though.
Just my opinions...Not meant to insult! The fronts look way wrong on that car for a late 50s early 60s. I know you spent some $ on them, but they would look better in "cast iron gray look" paint, The shiney outer rims & lugs make it look too new or 'repro". Drag cars were gutsy looking without shiney stuff. Just my opionion! The wide Ansens are 70s like was said. A period drag car more likey would have steel rears in black or even white! The money was spent on drivelines. That hood blister showed up around here in mid 60s through the early 70s. The missing bumper is right on Find someone to photoshop some different ideas, something should click.
Cool car! You will need to mini tub the car or radius the quarters to get the 15x12 Ansen to fit. That's what I run on my car.
Either way works for me although the steel wheel would be closer to historically correct. A pair of modern-day Halibrand repro's may be a good choice, but that's more $$ to be spent. Just run either wheel and let the historical correctness bit slide. The late 50's early 60's Vibe will be there for most of us. Out of curiosity, how did you measure wheel width? Reason I ask is, I was looking for a pair of 12" slot mags for quite a while and found that most sellers were calling 10" wheels 12". That due to they were measuring the wheel width outside the bead instead of inside as the wheel manufacturers did and most other hot rodders did. Nice 56. One of my all-time favorites. Would be extra sweet with a 514" Ford in it. You could name it, "Revenge....
I measured the rim from the inside lip to inside lip (where the bead seats). The funny thing in while I say they are 12" wide, technically they measure 13" from inside to inside.
I like the slots, but I have always been partial to them. I think it kind of gives it more of a "finished" look also. Not that it matters, because are they really finished? Tony
no, plus it would look WAY wrong. those slicks are really square the sides are parallel with the surface. they are bias ply.
Here's a shot of a set of real 15x12 Ansens I sold. The backspacing if I remember was still only 3 5/8". Very deep looking, so if you put them on a stock width axle they'd stick way out.
Yep those look like the ones I have with a 4" back space The rear in my car has been narrowed and the springs moved inboard of the frame. I had to roll the pinch weld on the inner fenderwell and run air shocks to keep it all from hitting. The reason the steel rims fit is they have 2 3/8ths back space with plenty of positive to fill out the wheel well. The tire that I currently have on the Ansen's is a 325/50/15 BFG drag radial. I like the ansens (particularily polished like you had them) and to make these truely fit you are correct in that I will have to section the inner fenderwell. How hard of a job is that anyway? On a side note Shakey, your car is my hero.
We didn't section the old ones, we cut them out completely and made new ones. This was done in conjunction with narrowing the rear end. The tire is a 33x10.5W slick. We put it as close to the frame as we could and the outer tire still would not fit a car that doesn't have radiused quarters.
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