whats the story on these wheels? HELP!

[1970impala]

Ok everyone, I need help finding a set of these. Some people on here know that these wheels were the very first items i started scrambling for and never found when joined here. If anyone has the story on these wheels, I would really like to hear it. Where are these wheels, are they 4-lug 13"? what were they on? are they FORD?

Here is somewhat of a story, I found rims VERY similar to these at CARLISLE this past month. they were stuff under a mobile home the guy had. they WERE 13" and 4 lug and the guy said they were pinto wheels...BUT, Tim and I looked at them and both agreed they were not in very good condition and there were no center caps to match. Just rims. I walked around thinking about them and sure as sh**, I went back and they were sold for $60.00 a set. Yea, i'm sorry I didn't take them but Tim was right saying I shouldn't put those nasty rims on my car AND neither Tim nor myself seen any sign of FORD on them at all..and I really loooked when i had one in my hand. Nevertheless, I am desperately looking for a set.

PLEASE, if anyone sees these out there somewhere for a stock mustang II, please let me know ASAP!!!! I would be very, very grateful. I love these wheels.

 

[Gael]

I found these links which you probably know of already.

http://www.mustangii.net/miiwheels.asp
http://www.mustangii.net/miiwheels_visual.asp
http://www.mustangii.org/decoder/Tire-Wheel.html
http://www.mustangii.org/tech/wheels/

I hope this helps some.

 

[Power Surge]

Jon, didn't someone on the board here say they had a set for you a while back? Also, I'm curious why you even want those wheels? They are rare sure, but they are on the 76 Ford press photo, not on a 77 car?

 

[1970impala]

Jon, didn't someone on the board here say they had a set for you a while back? Also, I'm curious why you even want those wheels? They are rare sure, but they are on the 76 Ford press photo, not on a 77 car?

Hi Sal, great to hear from you! if someone said they had a set, i didn't know about it or they weren't the right ones because i would have jumped on it in a heartbeat. But your are absolutely right Sal, these are not "right" for my car, but what i would really like to do is take a drive somewhere (to Wildwood, NJ) and have the options I WANT on the car, just for the sake of what I want and not the Judges as is the case 100% of my car time now. In fact, I would like to put these wheels on (if i got them) and also put on the set of 74 chrome parking light bezels (with the shelby look). I still have these types of items just for that special day...and i would then take 1,000,000 photos and then switch back to original. Sort of like going from Mint chocolate chip ice cream to chcoclate chip cookie dough, ooooo

so i really want these rims bad....almost to the point of the white cargo panels...ALMOST. I would have included wanting them as bad as a NOS H pipe...but don't need to worry about that now ....remember those days??? i miss those good ol' days.

 

[THE COBRAMAN]

I'm about 95% sure that they're old American Racing wheels. Look at the caps, unlike any ford caps. They appear to be push-in caps.

There's a '57 Chevy here at the shop with a set of those on it, been sitting for at least 20 years. Doesn't have 20 miles on the wheels or Firestone Deluxe Champion bias-plies mounted on them.

 

[T0BASC032]

Whatever happened to the NOS lacy's you got?

I figured you would never want for another II rim again after that...

 

[Johan]

I was under the impression that these wheels never actually made production. They were only on pre-production press photos.

 

[1970impala]

I'm about 95% sure that they're old American Racing wheels. Look at the caps, unlike any ford caps. They appear to be push-in caps.

There's a '57 Chevy here at the shop with a set of those on it, been sitting for at least 20 years. Doesn't have 20 miles on the wheels or Firestone Deluxe Champion bias-plies mounted on them.

Your probably right about the caps, i'm sure you know so i guess I will start searching under American maybe????? If anyone knows for sure, please let me know.

 

[1970impala]

I was under the impression that these wheels never actually made production. They were only on pre-production press photos.

I had heard that rumor also but the wheels at CARLISLE were damn close. but then again, i was looking for a company name and didn't see one, althought the rims were not in great shpe either.

 

[1970impala]

Whatever happened to the NOS lacy's you got?

I figured you would never want for another II rim again after that...

who me??? anyway, what you did for me i will never forget ( there is nothing like NOS) but i would really llike to have this set also. what can i say?

 

[THE COBRAMAN]

Try this on....

http://www.geocities.com/cobra2_77/dream.html

 

[THE COBRAMAN]

One point to ponder is that the OEs sometimes used aftermarket wheel vendors. For example, the '74-82 Corvette wheel was originally cast by American Racing, but they developed cracking problems and were pulled off the option list until '76, when they were provided by Western wheel.

So it's not entirely impossible that Ford outsourced them on a prototype. Judging by everything else II, they likely felt that AR wanted too much $$$, and opted to develop their own wheel array for the II.

Just my .025 (I had an extra half-cent today)

 

[1970impala]

One point to ponder is that the OEs sometimes used aftermarket wheel vendors. For example, the '74-82 Corvette wheel was originally cast by American Racing, but they developed cracking problems and were pulled off the option list until '76, when they were provided by Western wheel.

So it's not entirely impossible that Ford outsourced them on a prototype. Judging by everything else II, they likely felt that AR wanted too much $$$, and opted to develop their own wheel array for the II.

Just my .025 (I had an extra half-cent today)

hey cobraman, sure looks like the ones. are they still in existance? i will have to look for their website to see if they comein 13" 4-lug. Thanks.

 

[THE COBRAMAN]

hey cobraman, sure looks like the ones. are they still in existance? i will have to look for their website to see if they comein 13" 4-lug. Thanks.

Long out of production.

AR mostly makes rice wheels now. They still have a few "vintage" styles.

You'll have to check the used wheel shops, and I really don't recall ever seeing that many of that style even way back in the late '70s.

 

[jshcobra]

I think the ones you're after were made by a company called Appliance Wheels back in the 70's. They also made a 14 inch lacy spoke that's a dead ringer for the stock II lacys.

Re: the 74 parking light idea, that's what I did on my Ghia convertible project. Looks great.

 

[pro331]

I have a set of wheels that were on my 77 t-top car like that! I bought the car in 1986 from the original owner at the time he claimed the wheels were the stock ones that came on it when he bought it new off the dealers lot in 1977. He also claimed that the Firestone super stock tires that were on it were the same as what was on the car when he bought it new.
The center caps had Westin or Westren (i don't remember) molded in them.
Wheels were 14x5.5 and tire were E70-14.
I have seen this wheel tire set up in a mustang edition of hot rod on a 77 t-top car that they tested.
Maybe setup was dealer installed?
My car is also strange in that on the driver side door it has a transparent 1977 sticker over a the 1976 date of man. It also has 76 style heads(rocker studs vs. bolt downs)and 76 date code on block. Maybe an early t-top car?

 

[Dano78]

Impala-
I may have something you might be interested in. But it's only a set of 3. IIRC, they are 14x6 with the II pattern. Look just like the ones in the photo, could be Westerns or Appliances, definately not ARs. I know they aren't 13's because I'm not one to collect 13" stuff other then maybe the factory slots. i do, however, try to snap up all the 4 on 4.25 bolt pattern 14" mags I can find.

They are at my storage unit, and it's too late to shoot over there now. I'll make a note and remember to swing by the unit tomarrow and snap a few pics.

 

[Dano78]

Oops! I goofed. I thought they were for the II. Turns out that they are 5 lug ET wannabes, 14x7.5's. But on the back they do say FDI 1975, whatever FDI means. Probably just a knock off company that made them, kinda like Quasar was made by Panasonic back in the day. Closest thing I can think of would be Fenton, but I don't ever recall them making an ET-style lug wheel.

Might at least give you a little something to aid in your search. Good luck!

Errr what's the deal?? Why can't I upload pics??

 

[TIGGER]

There are is a set of Western 13" Turbines on Ebay. They are similar to what you want but not the same. Here is the link....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2484634247&category=34209