Yeah, I must say I was thrilled when I found those rims--they're perfect
for the roadster. First, I'm a Z car man, and it is actually my father who
owns the roadster (his second--"best damn sports car I've ever owned"). I
convinced him to buy it after a buddy put it up for sale, under the
condition that I'd keep it running and looking good for him. So now we are
officially a classic Datsun family.
Anyway, a year ago I drove 1200 miles to All-Z-Car-Specialists in Dallas,
TX to pick up a low-rust 280 Z to fully restore and hot-rod.
All-Z-Car-Specialists is a small Z car-only salvage yard and that's where I
found the cool "bulging-spoke" rims you are asking about on a very beatup
240 Z. I paid only $100 for the set of four.
It was difficult to find info on these wheels but this is what I know:
They were made by the "Shelby" wheel company in the early 1970s. Of
course, the company no longer exists. They are 14" x 6" rims. The company
had bought a license to use Carrol Shelby's name when he was hard up for
money at that time. The "bulging spoke" pattern (if you look closely at
the wheels, the spokes bulge outward together and then come back in at the
center) was their most popular wheel and apparently lots of them were made.
I have no idea where to get more of these wheels and in fact I looked for
several weeks in vain for center caps that would fit the set we have for
the roadster. I resorted to having an old set of chrome center caps
rechromed and then I wrapped electrical tape around the lip so that they
would fit snugly in the center cap opening and not fall off. These we put
on after the photo in the registry was taken, but the center caps really do
"finish" the look of the wheels nicely.
According to one old/used wheel merchant I spoke with in Pennsylvania who
is my source for the info above, there were thousands of sets of these
wheels made in the early '70s, so you may be able to find a set. Obviously
they are out of production.
As to Gordon Glasgow's "Appliance" wire mag rims, one of my Z car buddies
has a set of four of these exact rims on his Z car (which isn't running)
that he might be willing to sell for the right price (He's a bit hard up
for cash at the moment). Are you interested Brad? I'll find out what kind
of price he'd be willing to sell the wheels for (if indeed he's willing to
sell, which he may not considering how cool the wheels are) and get back to
you.
Alex Avery, Staunton, Virginia
(540) 337-6387 or
home: (540) 885-5667
At 10:17 AM 10/2/00 +0600, Brad Holmes wrote:
>This is directed to Alex Avery in particular and to anyone else
>who may have an answer to my question.
>
>Alex, the picture of your car in the Roadster Registry has the
>type of wheels / rims I'm looking for. They look similar to Gordon
>Glasgow's car. I know his rims are Appliance (brand) wire mags,
>but they are apparently out of production.
>
>What is the brand / model / size of your rims?
>
>Does anyone else know where those type (wire mag) rims can
>be purchased?
>
>I've been searching the web and haven't found anything close.
>(rice rims abound)
>
>Thanks
>soon, 68, 2000
>
>Brad Holmes
>bholmes@monk.aum.edu
>(334) 244-3713
>Fax (334) 244-3792
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