I live under a rock. In my search for 16X5 & 18X7 Kidney Bean knock off wheels I discovered PSI & Vintage Wheels had been purchased by Coker Enterprises. I searched and searched only to find nothing. Only Kidney Beans are sold by So-Cal. I assume the purchaser/Coker has discontinued the Kidney Beans
Have tried American Rebel Wheels? I have their kidney beans on the front of the Cyclone and big windows on the rear. https://www.americanrebelmfg.com/wheels
Hell I can't even find a picture other than the ones marketed by So-Cal on their website. When Coker absorbs another company they tend to ditch everything but the big movers.
I’ve only got a hazy idea of just what is “kidney bean”, let alone what you have in mind. But ET has those sizes in pin drive, with knockoffs. https://www.etmags.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=66/mode=prod/prd66.htm edit. The Bandit is quicker on the draw than me.
I had 16's & 18's on a deuce roadster. The wheels in Billy's picture above are what I'm looking for. I will probably just do something different. Lots of choices out there. It's a shame when a big company absorbs a smaller one and cherry picks the products it wants to market. They're call.
Here? https://www.etmags.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=66/mode=prod/prd66.htm These probably are not meeting your needs (16", lug nuts). https://realrodders.com/shop/page/2/
This is where I got mine Vintage Wheels, Mustang, Hot Rod and Muscle Car Made in the US. I did 15"s and 16"s on my roadster. High end wheels, no logos, no name brands. You pay for them but they are nice. He threw in the lead hammer.
I think Vintage Wheels is now owned by Coker Enterprises? The cost of the wheels is most of the time justified by the level of car your building. Don't normally go to U Pull It for wheels for a car you've invested high 5 figures in. Just bought 4 Black with stainless spokes for a new deuce roadster from Wheel Smith $2200..
I was tentatively in the market for some but wanted the rears to be 18". I happened upon Johnsons Hotrod Shop, I do have a number of their pieces on my car anyway. Fabulous looking wheels, but starting at $7500 for a set has calmed my desire for the time being! Chris
Alternate perspective: you guys have it good. That $550 wheel is $760 for us Canadians before we pay shipping and duty (and tariffs, depending on the day). We're looking at more like $1,000+ by the time it's here. Unless it's Summit Racing (mostly free shipping), it's not unusual for a shipment of parts to double in price for us by the time it gets here.
The one set ( wheels) on my rag 32 Price New in 1965 would been Front wheel's 78 each & rear wheel's would been 175 each Front tire's 19 each Rear tire's 29 each & only last about 1,500 miles Current inflation from 1965 to present Is 928.5% so some few K's .
Just bought a 392 hemi off a guy in Ma who had bought out a speed shop that had been closed 30+ yrs. He had a set of magnesium kidney bean skinnys in nos cond.His name is Scott#1 978 618 7464.
This morning I received a message from Bob at the original Vintage Wheels that he is still making the Kidney Beans in 16X5 & 18X7 on an order only basis. I am of the opinion his wheels are still the best looking kidney bean wheels made. Contact Bob at vintagewheel@live.com
Glad to hear you are able to get the ones that make you happy! Hope this garners another bit of business for a niche guy who does things right. I grumble about prices too, but the good stuff is always going to cost more. Either prioritize the important parts or live with the 'good enough' stuff.
I am a picky mother f*r and I didn't want SoCal stamped on my wheels and I wanted staggered fitment. These are great wheels. My only bitch, and I have heard it from a couple of others that bought them is that the wheels fit too snug on the pins. If you are like me, you will have to remedy that or you won't be happy R&Ring the wheels. I used a titanium deburrring tool with broad teeth on an air grinder to remove the excess aluminum from the wheel holes that the pins set into. It didn't take much but wear your full face shield as the aluminum do fly!
The neat part about how Phil worked was he was basically a one man show as I recall. He had no corporate mandates as to limits on special orders, custom requests, etc. Because mine are welded two-piece wheels and not one-piece castings I was able to spec. the position of the centers, another thing was that I wanted mine to look like the magnesium Halibrands that the early Corvette race cars used, I ordered them with as-cast centers, his hoops came to him fully polished and he was cool with blasting them after they were welded, I did not want the newer look with machined and/or polished rims. Now, about them looking like magnesium, the aluminum does look a bit anemic, other then that I think Phil nailed the look I wanted, doubt the new bunch are flexible that way.
I used wheels from American Rebel on my 3 window. I used their Kidney Beans on the front & the Big Windows on the rear.
Bob sent me more information on the kidney bean wheels he offers. It appears he is marketing ET kidney beans?
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