The magnesium racing wheels 'solids' 18" 6 pinned or 5 lugs I guess was 40's style and I don't know how far in the 50's they made them, as ventilation holes must had come in the mid 50's ( as my guess most used at that era ) As I see it older desig goes fast out be cool so did the use the solids laste 50's ? The Halibrands is ofcourse a trademark and their solid side and turbine side made the standards after war, but one can easy see it's a Halibrand no matter if the logo/cast is grinded away. I read of 'Ken Wheels' and heard of 'Palamides', but I think Ken had the 'solids' out on the 60's but don't know if he ever made them at 18", and the Palamides might had made them in 18" but I guess they is a Halibrand copy so it must ben in the 50's. -If someone know the history of ths 18" wheels I'm open ears. Here a picture of the turbine side of a Halibrand wheel and logo can be seen, and another rather thinner ribs design and no logo on them. -What brand, era can they be from ?
Picture #4 and #5 is the one I can't see the Halibrand logo on, and ask on what can it be. But see the ribs and compare from the the gold wheel ( it's a 18" ) and another one can se the Halibrand logo on, also a 18".
Didn't polishing the wheels "back in the day" eventually remove the logo? This is said to be an original Halibrand 18" wheel.....and no logo.
I remember Chassis Research magnesium solid front dragster wheels. IIRC Ronnie Roadster has a pair of them.
This is intresting, the Joe Blow shows is the same I has on picture. Source its 'said', well that can be wrong. But I don't can tell this is a Halibrand, different design but simular an no logo. Let's see what comes upp !
The "said" is a seller......and that can definitely be wrong.....but might also be right. Sort of an informational caveat emptor.
Seller say this is true Halibrands and a specialist on old race parts in LA has told him it's Halibrands. I did hope to hear more here at Hamb on the topics. In my way see it ( and I don’t know Anything ) I think Halibrands did had a logo and its easy see the turbine side, and why would they had another design ? Someone wold know, Ok this is old stuff and most is not here anymore.
You might want to consider alchemy's comment/response on this, as coming from a specialist/expert on Halibrands.....as he is.
Yes it shore can been made at Halibrands but design is different from all I has seen. -Would be nice see old documentation ex from the 40’s. All Indy car I seen with turbine side out look as the ’Halibrands’ I own or seen live and on pictures. So if they was made with this thin wings should it was no documets, pictures. Me, I think its Palamides but its just a guess and I has no ideas of other brands.
Here is one of two that I have. It fell apart of pieces in a gas station 20 miles out of Vegas on my way to Bonneville. Took me a number of years to get it put back together. It came with a variety of wheel patterns over its days.
Stans look as my 16" on the turbine side and logo/numbers. Johns gold wheel look like 'std' on the turbine side plus logo/numbers but the grey one is thinner ribs and also its another design from center to the ribs ( and no name ) If both is Halibrands I'll just wonder why they made them like that, experimental ? -A question, if repros or later aftermarkets ( could be 50's, 60's etc ) how do one know its magnesium and not 'mixed' alu/mag or just aluminium ? I can set my foot that all Halibrands with the 'std' turbine design and number was in magnesium. I read and heard Vintage made new solids in magnesium ( I think ) in the 2000 or Rocket made them in aluminium at the 2000.
Here is a article from Hot-Rod. They show a wheel like I showed with thin ribs, no logo/number, but article say in between the lines the subject is hard. Note from the article ; As well as we know those wheels, there really isn't that much published about them. The information is there, it's just that not much of it has been compiled in bodies of information. That's a shame, really. What good is the Halibrand Engineering legacy if no one knows it? This is in no way a comprehensive catalog of Halibrand wheels. If not impossible, it would certainly be tedious due to the countless unique variations. Eric Vaughn, who produced wheels inspired by Halibrand's designs, summed it up best: "Just about the time you think you've seen 'em all, another style shows up." Instead, this is a sort of glossary of the more popular and noteworthy examples. To keep this showcase concise, we're concentrating on the wheels the company produced when it was under Ted Halibrand's purview. Halibrand Engineering Wheels - Street Rodder Magazine
@3w Hank I have seen the later reproduction mag wheels and not sure who reproduced them but had a thinner lip and smaller ribs yet . I believe early wheels have the larger rib being early production . Another example is a set of 12 inch sprint wheels solids that I have both styles thick and thin. While the small kidney beans are medium ribs lol. Unfortunately not a lot of written history on the Halibrand wheels but knowledge is know only by our senior races. I remember roadsters member seemed to have a website for mag wheels @Magfiend might have some info.
So your idea the thinner ribs was later productions. Personally I would like see the wheel with the logo, that feel's better, or if I has documentation the thinner rib ones was Halibrand and something back it up.
The Jalopy Journal
