? ? ? RIMS ? ? ?

[profaqualung]

At AVANTISOURCE.COM/GALLERY_STUDEBAKER.HTM there are a set of rims I wonder if anybody has any idea of what they are?

It is the maroon Avanti [5th car down on the right side]. The rims look similar to a late model Lincoln rim that is either highly polished or chromed.

The 10th car down of the same side, has a somewhat similar rim, and it very well may be the same car, and the rims may look a little different because of the angle they were photographed.

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

[WayneC]

At AVANTISOURCE.COM/GALLERY_STUDEBAKER.HTM there are a set of rims I wonder if anybody has any idea of what they are?

<snip>

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

I tried enlarging the photo to see if I could get any clues, but the resolution is just too poor to get any detail at all; it's even impossible to tell if it's an alloy (mesh or lace) wheel or a wire wheel!

I'd suggest you email the website owner to see if possibly he can get you in touch with the owner of that car,

or even get you a higher resolution photo (maybe he had hi-res versions and resized them).

Here are some similar alloy possibilities:

http://tinyurl.com/ywcuyd

http://tinyurl.com/2fj7pl

http://tinyurl.com/2aawmd

http://tinyurl.com/yud8zj

Wires:

http://www.newstalgiawheel.com/wheel_detai...subcat3=1071105

http://tinyurl.com/258tmn

[profaqualung]

Thanks for the help Wayne.

I have written the AVANTISOURCE website - just have not heard from them yet.

Also, in the 'Kelly/Carafo' section, there is a black convertible with what looks to be the same rims on it - but as with the other pics, they do not give any detail when blown up.

What I was really surprised to see in that section, was the number of cars that seem to be running the Trans Am GTA rims [the ones with the black 'basket weave center]. I was under the impression that the Avanti bolt pattern was Ford/Mopar, and not GM. Or did they change in later years?

Again, thanks for the help, and when I find out what they are, I will let you know.

Thomas

[profaqualung]

WAYNE -

Just got a reply from the gentleman at AVANTISOURCE - the rims are from DAYTON WIRE.

Thomas

[WayneC]

What I was really surprised to see in that section, was the number of cars that seem to be running the Trans Am GTA rims [the ones with the black 'basket weave center]. I was under the impression that the Avanti bolt pattern was Ford/Mopar, and not GM. Or did they change in later years?

Yes, they changed to a Monte Carlo chassis in 1987, so those later cars have a GM bolt pattern.

I'm not so sure about the Dayton wires, though, because I have an 80 with the factory Dayton rims and

I don't think they are the same as the ones in the photos you referenced, although I suppose there

may well be different Dayton designs which could have been used.

Your car has a 5-bolt on 4.5 inch center (Ford/Chrysler/Studebaker) pattern

[profaqualung]

Wayne -

I tend to agree with you - I went thru the complete Dayton line of wire wheels, and the closest thing I could find were the "Borrani" style for the foreign sports cars - which I believe were offered at one time on the Avantis of the 80's. All I know for sure, is the gentleman from AVANTISOURCE said they were Daytons.

I did go to a wrecking yard yesterday, and got a 'basketweave' cast wheel from an late model Lincoln, and with my trusty Dremel tool, have been polishing it up. I think that when it is finished, it will bear a strong resemblance to the one on the first Avanti I mentioned [5th down].

The alternative would be to go with some sort of wire wheel - but considering central Mississippi roads [really nothing more than gravel driveways with a press agent] - wire wheels are NOT an option.

Thomas

[WayneC]

Before you spend a whole lot of time on that Lincoln wheel, be sure you try it on the car, because

most makers switched to metric bolt patterns in the past 10 years or so.

Not all Lincolns have a pattern that will fit your car: 4.5 inches (or 114.3 mm).

Selected models of 70-72 and 80-89 Lincoln wheels should have the same bolt pattern as your Avanti,

among others... here's a chart for Lincolns:

http://www.discountedwheelwarehouse.com/Li...n_Reference.cfm

Backspacing and the diameter of the center hub hole are also potential issues, possibly even on the wheels I mentioned. Steel wheels use tapered nuts to locate and center the wheel, but alloy wheels use different style nuts and some use the hub hole as the sole method of centering... it mates with a machined spindle hub... and the nuts simply keep the wheel from sliding off the hub.

[profaqualung]

Wayne -

I had already performed a test fit before leaving the wrecking yard, and after reading your response this afternoon, did a little measuring just to see what the actual difference in offset might be.

As near as I can determine, this new rim sits out from the hub about 3/8" less than the Magnum 500 rim I am currently using - and sits about 1/4 further back. Everything else matches right up - like it was made for the car.

Polishing has been a different story. The main surfaces were not too hard to take care of. Some heavy-duty paint stripper, and then jacking up the back of the car [both wheels], mounting the rim and having my girlfriend operate the throttle while I sit there and let progressively finer grits of sandpaper do all the work. Then some polishing compunds on electric drill buffing wheels and an hour or so later, they shine as well as can be expected from an alloy wheel - except around the lug nuts.

I made an attempt to polish out all the indentations of the basketweave with my Dremel, but gave up - it could be done, but would involve a lot more work than I am prepared to give it at this time. So I painted all the roughcast indentations to match the car, and now I have one rim that really looks good. Will probably look even better chromed, and the indentations painted.

If I decide to use them, it will also allow me to go with a larger tire on rear. I am presently running 225X65R15s on the back, but wanted to go to a 235 or 245. Fender clearance was going to be a problem with the '500' rims. With the 3/8 difference in the Lincoln rim, I can now run the 235, and might even be able to run the 245, but it would be close.

Thanks again for all the help.

Thomas