09-05-2022, 02:04 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-05-2022, 02:09 PM by Dennis Nicholas.)
Many years ago at first rebuild (70s) I had got to know a friend of a friend who worked with motorcycle wheels. He made up 2 sets of wheels for my Nippy special (special = BMC A engine). One set of standard size 19 inch wheels for shows and MCC trials but these are far too scary for normal (fairly fast) road use. !6 inch wheels I had were just right but then 16 inch tyres of the right section for A7 became just about unobtainable.
The next choice was 15 inch, my thinking being that several "modern" cars were using them so would continue to be easily available and cost was reasonable. I chose Peugeot rims for the rear to take 165 X 15 radials. The fronts were 2CV to take 125 X 15 radials. In those days I was a bit younger and considered these stronger wheels would also cope better and safer with anything I could throw at them. The centre of each wheel was removed with an angle grinder leaving just the rims including grinding down to the rim where the centre disk was welded to the rim. The friend of friend was a bit doubtful at first that his dimpling machine would cope with the rims but said it was no problem in the end. I specified thicker spokes. He had a friend who did powder coating so that is how they were finished. It was all very satisfactory for around £15.
I am just putting wheels back on to get rolling chassis after rebuild No 2. The 15 inch wheels are still very sound but now have the odd patch where rust patches are showing. I will be treating these patches with Bilt Hamber Hydrate 80 to kill/convert the rust then painting the patches with KBS Coating's Rust seal. I don't know that I have the patience to lightly sand the whole wheel powder coating to provide a key for the "Rust Seal" let alone also do each spoke, so could be running around with blotchy but very sound wheels.
. The car handles (I don't go mad) well and feels very comfortable with these wheels/tyres and they have done around 60,000 miles.
Now that 16 inch tyres seem more readily available I may go back to them.....more MPG?
Dennis
The next choice was 15 inch, my thinking being that several "modern" cars were using them so would continue to be easily available and cost was reasonable. I chose Peugeot rims for the rear to take 165 X 15 radials. The fronts were 2CV to take 125 X 15 radials. In those days I was a bit younger and considered these stronger wheels would also cope better and safer with anything I could throw at them. The centre of each wheel was removed with an angle grinder leaving just the rims including grinding down to the rim where the centre disk was welded to the rim. The friend of friend was a bit doubtful at first that his dimpling machine would cope with the rims but said it was no problem in the end. I specified thicker spokes. He had a friend who did powder coating so that is how they were finished. It was all very satisfactory for around £15.
I am just putting wheels back on to get rolling chassis after rebuild No 2. The 15 inch wheels are still very sound but now have the odd patch where rust patches are showing. I will be treating these patches with Bilt Hamber Hydrate 80 to kill/convert the rust then painting the patches with KBS Coating's Rust seal. I don't know that I have the patience to lightly sand the whole wheel powder coating to provide a key for the "Rust Seal" let alone also do each spoke, so could be running around with blotchy but very sound wheels.
. The car handles (I don't go mad) well and feels very comfortable with these wheels/tyres and they have done around 60,000 miles.Now that 16 inch tyres seem more readily available I may go back to them.....more MPG?
Dennis