Technical Traditional wheels, part 1 (steelies)

I had planned to talk about wires and alloys today, but I thought of a few more things to cover regarding steelies. I'll also respond to some of the comments to date. Maybe even a side rant or two.

BARE STEELIES
Back in the day (sorry, I like that well-worn expression) there were several possible reasons for running a car with painted steel wheels and no hubcaps.

1. It was a real race car, and light weight was important:



The best looking cars in this category ran white painted wheels and black tires, sometimes even with hub caps:



2. It was a daily driver running at the drags, and the hubcaps had to be removed at tech:



3. It was a daily driver, and the owner wanted it to look like one of the cars in the preceding two categories.

4. One hubcap fell off, and the owner knew that it looked better with no hubcaps than with a few.

5. Somebody stole them.

In my view there are no other sound reasons for running steel wheels with no caps, even today. I'm sure there will be cries of disagreement.

GENNIES vs SMOOTHIES
For a number of years now the aftermarket has offered "smoothie" wheels in many diameters and sizes. These don't have the same contours as, say, a '40 Ford wheel (my personal favorite, aside from '50 Mercs). They have a noticeable bump, or ring, sticking out of the wheel center that is visible around a small hubcap. The centers are also solidly welded to the rims, without the slots around the center that were present on old Ford wheels. Can somebody -- Wheelkid, maybe? -- explain why the new wheels look so different from the old ones? I am not a diehard traditionalist, but I personally think that the modern wheels look wrong on most early cars.

MUSCLE CARS WITH POVERTY CAPS
In the late '50s and '60s, certain performance cars were delivered in "race-ready" trim -- typically post sedans with no power accessories, the highest performance engine and drivetrain available, and body-color steel wheels with small hubcaps and (generally) blackwalls. As this class of car has exploded in popularity in recent years, the "poverty" wheel treatment is now fashionable again. Personally, I think it looks great on something like this, and can work on earlier cars as well:



VARIATIONS NOT COVERED
I have not discussed any of these other varieties of steel wheels and accessories to them:
- Wide 5's
- Artillery spokes
- Spiders
- Shannon Cones
In the time and place that I was developing my tastes in cars, these were all terminally un-cool, and I have found no reason to change my opinions.

 

Ok, I'll bite...which version looks better ??? WWs & black steelies or blackwalls & torq thrust style wheels

 

Can't say one is "Better" than the other, but it changes the era of the car, and for that reason I like the 5 spokes better - 60 HOT ROD!

 

Get a life, you guys. In this thread I was attempting to review the evolution of steel wheels on modified cars, and Rallys and "styled steel" wheels were the last stage of that progression. I noted that they're OT for the HAMB, although I think they work just fine on something like a tri-five Chevy.

Bob, what about guys who put 16" Kelseys on a model A, or '40 wheels on a '34? An A-V8 or a Fordillac? It's EXACTLY the same thing, and it's absolutely traditional to put late equipment on an early car. I'd go so far as to say that it's one of the cornerstones of hot rodding and customizing.

I wasn't actually proposing what you describe, but I completely disagree with your point. I think a current Mustang, for example, would look just fine with body-color steelies and poverty caps.

 

Ok, you asked for opinions...

I think the TT's with the 2 different offsets make it look 100% street rod.

I dissagree with hotroddon on the "60s hotrod" only because of the 2 offsets. 60's stuff in my area, guy ran same offsets on many cars, even if it was wrong.

 

If it were mine, I'd use the wheels & tires in the very first picture in this thread -- slightly narrower WW's with baby moons and beauty rings.

If the '60s vibe was my thing, I'd get some real Torq Thrusts.

 

For me it would have to be WWs and black steelies. Takes me back to my youth and it looks perfect.

 

Your opening line abut every car sold these days made me think you were meaning New Cars.
Disagree on the Mustang for instance - since these cars are designed for 16-17" or bigger wheels I think it would look silly - but it's just my opinion.

Agree with both of you here - I didn't blow up the pic and notice the wheels were not good offsets nor that they were what looks like painted Cragars - If they were Real TT's then I would go with that, as I think that car would look great in 60's vibe - again, just my opinion.

 

Nope.....NOT the same thing. You can't compare putting 40 steelies on a Model A,to a guy who puts 05 Mustang wheels on a 32 Streetrod!
The guy who puts the '40 steelies on a car is because he's wants the look that was common in a past Hotrod era.
The Streetrodder doesn't care about the past. He wants whatever the latest trend is,the latest gizmos(20" wheels,CD players,modern drivetrain,Ostrige interior,etc). They want a Lexus that looks like an old car. They no longer appreciate the way it was.

 

Had my hackles up for a minute there...

 

Ralleys DON'T look good on anything older than 1965. Can't tell you how many times I see them on Streetrods,painted red or orange. Gennies or steelies look SOOOO much better on an old car. Ever see a bitchin 72 Chevy Pick-up,Camaro,or El Camino with stupid 18 or 20" IROC wheels on it? ASSININE!!!!

 

rally wheels belong on mullet mobiles, just saying.

 

Bullshit. The first guy who put disc wheels on a Deuce didn't care anything about the past. He wanted his old car to look more modern.

Hot rodding is not a Civil War re-enactment. People who get their knickers in a knot about period correctness are not BEING hot rodders, they are trying to LOOK LIKE old hot rodders did. They are really just the same as restorers; they're just working with modified old cars rather than stock old cars.

You and I both love early style rods and customs, but I think we view them quite differently. I do my stuff in a way that is respectful of what I learned in the '50s, and I think there are some "style rules" that should not be bent too far, but I really don't give two hoots whether something is period correct or not.

For all the heat that street rodders take from the HAMB, I think that much of what they do is MORE consistent with the attitudes and ethics of our hot rod forefathers than many trad guys. When Ak Miller built the Caballo for the Mexican Road Race, he wouldn't have put a CD changer in it (unnecessary weight), but if he coulda run an EFI roller-cam Chebby and a Tremec 5-speed, you betcha that's what would have been in it.

 

I've always liked the '46-'48 Merc hubcaps on early Ford steel wheels.







And from the looks of my wall...

 

If anybody cares the 5 spokes are exact copies of magnesium torq thusts by Team III wheels (E.T.)

 

Rules? I know it's fun as hell to see how far they can be bent.
Tony, where were you the many times I basically echoed your sentiments here? Dead nuts, period correct "hot rod" mentalities are no different than a restorer's. Build your OWN TAKE on a nostalgic STYLED car.

Sorry 50Fraud, we now return to the original intent of the thread.

 

I hope you are not upset with the comments made by me and others on your current wheels.

Here is more

It does not matter who made them as copies of whatever... the offsets just don't look "old time" to someone who was looking at hotrods back then...or to someone who comes to the hamb because they love the old styles.

Hamb is the only site that is old time content, so that's why some of us say what we saw or used.

I was just a hotrodder as a kid, then I went streetrod, but now back to old time looks, because it looks so familiar/warm fuzzy to me...that's all.

 

No one has mentioned the taller non spoked wheels used for the lakes..gasp...divco/high clearance wheels. It was posted earlier that maybe the reason for running cap less was to emulate the drag look. Were the taller solid wheels and maybe even 17-18 wires ever used to get the lakes style look for the everyday driver?

We all like the rubber rake look for a hot rod, hell it may even be mandatory, but this is taken further with the taller rear wheels. Some don't like these, and call 16" wheels the limit for the rear. Many, including me find these desireable, for me the rarity is part of the draw but i do think they look good...anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

Yes, I have thoughts on rubber rake. In my mind it's a more modern thing. That should stir the pot... I just don't recall the very tiny front tires ...until the 70s

 

In my most honest of opinions steelies are the best choice for any car. Customs with full wheel covers or trim rings and a set of spider caps and you've got yourself pure beauty. Hotrods with plain steelies, or trim rings with baby moons and your looking at one bad ass ride. Lakes cars with spun aluminum covers is the only way to go.

I'm not big into the Magnesium wheels, or even wire wheels much anymore. And thats not just because the price either.

 

Amen.

 

I grew up in the70's so I like 5 spokes and slotted wheels!

 

Yeah...exactly. To me, it's about making your own statement even if it's wrapped in an envelope of a traditionally styled hot rod.

 

I'm in the minority here, but I liked the old style mesh wheels on Tony's green car.
I love it with its current wheels too...

It compltely changed the vibe of the car with one modification.

I guess I have a thing for OG style mesh wheels ( first used by Jim Hall on his Chaparral racers, in the mid '60s)

( you can see some of the sets I have on my cars on the Dogfight Forum )

 

The reason that "Solids" and "Smoothies" dont have vent holes is that they make the center much more expensive to make. You can see it in the difference in price, I sell 15x6 Gennies for $90 and Smoothies for $65. The Smoothies are just a cheaper alternative. Also, the bump or ring you're talking about on the smoothie makes it stronger. The sharp angle right under the hubcap on Gennies, Solids, and the original Ford wheels are prone the cracking under heavy loads. That bump smooths out that angle.

 

^^Thanks very much, Jimmy.

 

Your good when you get going .....