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Wire wheels experience....?

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Old Oct 20, 2009 | 06:02 AM
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Default Wire wheels experience....?

I've always loved the classic look of old jags and ferraris with wire wheels, but have no experience with them. Looking at truespoke, Dayton, etc., direct bolt on type. Pros and cons, and photos, thanks alot.
====================
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Old Oct 20, 2009 | 07:59 AM
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Had a set of 70's era TruSpokes on my '32 when i bought it. They were badly out-of-round. Perhaps newer models can be trued up by adjusting spokes, but the old ones couldn't.
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Old Oct 20, 2009 | 08:57 AM
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Had a set of Cragar real spokes on my '74 Grand Am in in the '80's. Looked beautiful when clean and polished. Keeping them clean and polished on a car you drive every day was a PITA!!! Sold them and put poverty caps on. Dennis
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Old Oct 20, 2009 | 10:52 AM
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I agree with Bluestripe67. Had wires on my 1971 and 1961. Look great, but now my first joint knuckles of my fingers are damaged goods from the polishing.

I have used the spray on, wash off, no streaks, sprays, but they didn't do that well. But again, it has been some time since I had wire wheels, so maybe today the cleaning has become easier.
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Old Oct 20, 2009 | 12:10 PM
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I like my 1955 original GM accessory wheels , what do you think?





reading your Bio you have 10 bikes ,mine is a 1955 Corvette bike



or my other bike


Last edited by 1955 copper; Oct 20, 2009 at 12:28 PM.
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Old Oct 20, 2009 | 12:50 PM
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Radial lace Dayton knock-offs, the pictures tell the rest.....







Looking close you can see where GM styling got the idea for there aluminum wheels
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Old Oct 20, 2009 | 01:02 PM
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Originally Posted by Ironcross
Radial lace Dayton knock-offs, the pictures tell the rest.....







Looking close you can see where GM styling got the idea for there aluminum wheels
I see you also use your Corvette for towing a few things like I do. A tear drop trailer
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Old Oct 20, 2009 | 01:19 PM
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Default Wires all the Way

I saw your teardrop trailer and its a neat piece..Looks like your stuck on wire wheels too....

the freedeom machine [ie] Softtail Heritage Classic, bike, and the Vette..you got it all covered...

I pull my drag boat and actually the race car on the wall in the picture....my idea is ride in style, why leave them home, thats what there for and why you have them...
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Old Oct 20, 2009 | 06:11 PM
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Originally Posted by kerrmudgeon
I've always loved the classic look of old jags and ferraris with wire wheels, but have no experience with them. Looking at truespoke, Dayton, etc., direct bolt on type. Pros and cons, and photos, thanks alot.
====================
There is a reason those wheels looked so great. Ferrari used polished aluminum Boranis. Extremely expensive. Jags were just a great chrome design. The true knock-off featues have a lot to do with it too.My feelings are the desirability of wires depends greatly on construction and design quality. Kinda hard to find an aftermarket wheel as fine as those originals.
In the end it depends on what you like most. As it should be.
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Old Oct 20, 2009 | 11:46 PM
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Well said, Mike from Houston, those borranis just stick in my head, waiting to win the lottery. Sold my XK140 FHC project with 16in. wires 10 years ago. Members who think Corvette parts are pricey should check out a few imported classics.
==================

Last edited by Kerrmudgeon; Oct 20, 2009 at 11:48 PM.
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Old Oct 21, 2009 | 12:02 AM
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Originally Posted by kerrmudgeon
Well said, Mike from Houston, those borranis just stick in my head, waiting to win the lottery. Sold my XK140 FHC project with 16in. wires 10 years ago. Members who think Corvette parts are pricey should check out a few imported classics.
==================
Theres a very nice 330GTC BLK/BLK and a perfect set of those Boranis in the shop I work with. Owner paid 90k I see them selling for 300K+
I heard a 250 GT California Spyder I did work on back in late 80s sold for 5 million. It was worth 600K before it's nut and bolt restoration. (Not my work)
Kinda like Polo. Sport of Kings.
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Old Oct 21, 2009 | 09:28 AM
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Originally Posted by kerrmudgeon
I've always loved the classic look of old jags and ferraris with wire wheels, but have no experience with them. Looking at truespoke, Dayton, etc., direct bolt on type. Pros and cons, and photos, thanks alot.
====================
I'll let you know soon, I like the look so much I bought a set of five truespokes a year before I got my 57. Just waiting for time and cash for some new rubber and then will mount them on it and post some pics.
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Old Oct 21, 2009 | 11:41 PM
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I saw a '54 with wires a while back. It really set it off. A couple of my friends have wires on their 59s. They look cool. One of them swapped the wires for wheels with caps a week ago and took best of show out of maybe 90 cars?? I like the hubcaps better.
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Old Oct 22, 2009 | 12:10 AM
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My 57 came with a set of 54 Buick Skylark Kelsey-Hayes wires already on - and they'd been on since at least 1963! A real PITA to keep "flossed" but geez, they look great when clean!



Back in 1963:


Last edited by SebringBill; Oct 22, 2009 at 12:12 AM.
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Old Oct 22, 2009 | 12:22 AM
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Bill, that's exactly the look that I want, the classic American heavy crosslaced spoke feel. Have they given you any problems other than the cleaning? I think the new repo ones have polished stainless spokes to alleviate this. Do you know who sells them?
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Old Oct 22, 2009 | 07:52 AM
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Old Daytons on a midyear.

http://deliquescence.net/~tyler/misc1/66wire4.jpg

The chrome was not too good and rechrome was $400 per wheel so I had them powdercoated with a chrome looking finished for $60 per wheel. The old wheel are for drum brakes and putting them on a disc brake car involves use of spacers and longer studs.

Tyler
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Old Oct 22, 2009 | 08:31 AM
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This is an old pic I've posted before, taken at an Eckler's Reunion a long time ago. I don't know anything specific about these wheels other than they look great on this nice '64.......

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