> Hi to all. This post is not intended to flame anyone, just
> to add my knowledge/opinions to a thread that has
been floating around in the last year or two. Your
> comments, opinions, corrections, and additions are
> welcomed.
>
> Minilites originally came in magnesium, and they came in
> many different sizes, and a few (slightly) different styles,
> although all had the eight spokes (at least the 14 inchers).
> The magnesium ones had no identification on them (just
> an indented number on the [inner] mounting face), and did
> NOT say "Minilite" or the size anywhere!)! These wheels
> are not all that light, primarily because of the thickness
> of the mounting section, but also because the entire
> wheel is beefy. These wheels are pretty rugged, and do
> not just shatter if they hit something, and I have one that
> has a bend in the rim (by PO, of course). However, they
> are probably not as ductile as aluminum wheels. The
> different styles had to do with the way the ribs joined the
> center section (probably varied due to offset), and also
> some had solid .25" thick rim walls, and others were a bit
> thinner here, except for a small (thicker) "bead" on the
> very outer diameter. I have 14 inch Minilites in 6, 6.5, and
> 7 inch widths in three different styles (the 6 and 6.5's are
> the same, but the 7's came in two different flavors, both
> different from the narrower ones). The Magnesium
Minilites are sand castings, and the surface finish on
them is slightly rough, except of course where they are
machined.
> Later, there were also some aluminum Minilites, for street
> use. These were similar, but not identical to the
> magnesium wheels, and they may have been investment
("precision" or "lost wax") castings rather than sand
castings. My recollection is that they had a small bead
> around the outside of the hub/mounting section (i.e., at
the inner end of the ribs, and DID have "Minilite" (and I
> think the size [i.e., "6J x 14"]) cast in this area. I would
> guess that these wheels are thinner than the magnesium
> wheels, or otherwise, they would be very heavy! (since
aluminum weighs about 1.5 times magnesium)
> Minilite ribs are fatter and not as "pointy" as (i.e., flatter
than) Panasports. Panasports also have a much
> smoother surface finish, and may well be investment
castings rather than sand castings.
> BTW, one of the best "one liners" I have EVER heard was
> in the 80's, when I was restoring Bob Sharp's old race car
> for vintage racing. I asked Bob at Lime Rock (race track)
> if there was any chance he had some extra Minilites
> tucked away somewhere. He said "No, but maybe Fitz
> has some". So he asked Fitz (the late Jim Fitzgerald).
> I STUPIDLY blurted out that "I want some good ones,
> not ones that had been driven over curbs", when Bob got
> this great BIG smile on his face, looked right at Fitz, and
> said "Hey, he's seen you drive!"
>
>
> Dick Tillinger
> 2334 Hidden Willow Lane
> Allegany, New York 14706
> 716-372-0475 evenings/weekends
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