The Wheel Post

These wheels were stock on my '77 Grand Marquis. They were 5 on 5 bolt pattern-same as big Chevy's, I even saw them once on a late 70's/ Early 80's Chevy 2WD pickup truck.

I always thought they had kustom potential. This one shown was not the same bolt pattern as the Lincoln Versailles, or Mercury Monarch (or however you spell them). This one pictured was the same as the ones used on the '75-79 Lincoln Mark IV and V series. It's the 5X5. Besides that, the centercaps were different. Lincolns had Lincoln embelems. So, there were two different versions of essentially the same wheel out there depending on the car they went on. One had the 5"X5" bolt circle, and one had the usual rear-drive Ford 5" X 4" & 3/4 bolt patern. If I am wrong, please correct me on the size. But I do know there were two different sizes of almost the identical wheel.

I would think a simple cone or bullet in place of the red center would lend a nice kustom look to the high-polished aluminum dished wheel.

mercman

 

some more....

some look exactly like others, but look carefully........slight differences

 

They look like Mickey Thompson "Indy 500" wheels. Do they have a M/T on the back of a spoke anywhere? I really like them, but all the ones I see on ebay have 3" backspacing, and they would hang out the fenders on my car.

 

The smaller pattern ones came on the Elites too. The Cordoba/LeBaron wheels from about the same time might have a slightly different offset and same 5 on 4.5" bolt pattern but they have an accent ridge (about a 1/16" deep) about an inch and a half from the center flat... Good thing my dad has a huge lathe, I'm going to blend it in.

I've also been told that some people flip over the Ford wheels and they look kinda like old racing wheels, rough casting with rounded ribs around the outside.

 

I doubt you will find many wheels from the forties or fifties other than steel wheels. Custom wheels really didn't appear until the sixties. Option in the early days were chroming the stockers or maybe wire wheels. Fifties offered door knobs on chrome wheels and stuff like that. The one picture showing the indy car was really the first I remember off aluminum or exotic metal wheels. Wheels made of Aluminum and steel weren't a good idea because of the reaction of the two metals caused the aluminum to erode and crumble. The fact that there are many more cars being built and existing to day makes choosing a wheel harder.

 

anyone know where a pair are.....? any pattern ....4.5 4.75 or 5" ....my buddy has a lathe.....hahah let me know .....thanks

 

Here's a Halibrand Smoothie, and Lincoln Wheel, and a flipped Lincoln wheel.

When I first saw Jimmy White's RPU, I wondered if he welded up the holes and chucked them up in a lathe, but I'm pretty sure their the real deal. I bought a set of Lincoln wheels and I'm going to try it myself.

 

I looked when I had the tires off of the rims and there was no manufacturer stamped anywhere. I'll have to dig through my old issues to find that gold sedan I was talking about earlier. I think the manufactuer was listed in that article. I haven't seen too many sets around, though.

 

Nice Ads, ProEnfo. Looks as if I have a set of the dished Indy 500's listed in the Foresight Ventures Ad. The other ad shows an Indy 500 that is windowed in the spoke. I haven't been able to find any stamping anywhere, though.

 

Here's some old American Mags (not aluminum).

 

Sox and Martin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These wheels are very cool.

 

These show a 1969 E-T III 16 by 10.





Here's a 15 by 8 1/2 Torq-Thrust.



These mid-sixties Torq-Thrust D 15 by 6s were narrowed to make a pair of 4 1/2s.





I found a set of four of these NOS aftermarket wheel covers for 16-inch Ford wheels on eBay. I'd like to find more of them. Does anyone know their history?

I've mounted an NOS Cal Custom baby moon in one of them. Original '39 and '40 caps fit them perfectly.

Dave Mann
(602) 233-8400 weekdays
http://www.roadsters.com/

 

Here are mine American Racing copies Not sure who made em but they are 15"x7" small Ford pattern. I took and Media blasted em etched alodined and painted the centers with Black Hammerite. I run em on my 68 Cougar in the summer.

Dawg

 

I know there was a Early 50's DeSoto that had a set of those white spats... may not neccessarily be Ford.

I aksed they guy for a price and gave him my number 3 years ago...Never called me.

 

interesting thread

 

Have no idea what brand but they are perfect in my mind.

 

Perfect set of MAGS.

 

Early 60's American's

 

Those are early Halibrand magnesium wheels that were mounted inside-out.

Dave Mann
(602) 233-8400 weekdays
http://www.roadsters.com/

 

I remember working on a Daytona Cobra replica a few years back, we had a hard time finding the correct style of wheel as they are 6 spoke, unlike the standard 5 spoke Cobra wheel.

 

huge fan of windowless and small window Halibrands.

 

These were both made by WeldWheels. The one on the left was called a "P9" (I think) and the other one is my favorite....their "Speedway16".

 

You want "traditional" ? Picture my early '36 window drum all cleaned and painted-up with the 18" wide-5 wheel.

 

Some old Fentons. I need 2 more, 41/2 " Ford pattern

 

All Ford 'wide fives' are 16" How do you get 18"?

 

I would like to find a set of those. I have found the big lincoln 5 on 5 ones but not the 4 1/2

 

Hank,

Did you have the 57 wagon for sale at the Detroit Autorama. Nice car, good price.

Just curious.

Phil

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They weren't ALL 16". These might have had limited use on rural delivery trucks to gain ground clearance for back-country roads.