Ansen slots. When did they come about?

I was wondering if anybody knew when Ansen, US Indy and those types of slot style wheels started? When were they first hitting the streets? Thanks guys I like the looks of the wheels but not sure if they fit the time period I'm looking for. Keith

 

if my memory serves me right,(whats left of it)early to mid 60's

 

I think I started seeing them in Hot Rod Magazines in 66-67. Time was you couldn't give them away ... I know. Now they are gold. Figures.

 

I can remember the first time I saw them at the DC Armory show but I can't pinpoint the exact year. It was most likely 65-67. They were on a show car with the inside of the slots painted. Ansen Sprints. Very different and attractive at that time. The rest were all clones and there were an ass load of them. So many copies that they became sooo popular that they were soon looked down upon.

 

This has always been my favorite style of wheel. I wish I had stockpiled them when nobody wanted them!

 

I have a set..or believe I have a set on my O/T Muscle car..
how would I find out, to be sure of the maker?
Numbers? letters? or what on the back side?
or would it just be the look of them to determine?

 

Yep, they are treasures, aren't they? I ended up selling these about 6 months ago for $10.00 a piece after I had them for sale for over a year. (G)
Larry T

 

Have set of polished slots on my GTO. They were a take off of the magnesium Halibrand racing wheel that were common on AA/Fuelers.

They had to be the most popular style wheel on the street and strip from the late 6O's and well through the mid 7O's.

 

Really? Were they 14" or 15"? It seems nobody wants 14", but the 15" usually command more $$. I have a pair of 14x10s that I got dirt cheap, but I paid considerably more for the 15x10s and especially the 15x3.5s and the 15x14s that I have.

 

this guy would pop up and answer alot of rim questions, but i havent seen him on here in a while...
according to the link below first introduced in 1963, and might i say they are pretty bad ass!!
http://www.roadsters.com/wheels/#Ansen

 

it will say ansen sprints on the back of the rim with sema specs, rim diameter and width, etc

 

Cool
I'll have to flip one over and see..
been on this car since the late 70's , and wish they were the 15's but..not so lucky

Thanks Tom

 

io dont think ansen made them in 15x3.5 only fenton did to my knowledge... The smaller and larger width rims are worth the big buck, well not big bucks like magnesium rims, but atleast a few hundred for them

 

There were a couple of 15's, but I think they were 7" wide.
And yes, anything 15 X 8 or wider will bring good money. I've had a couple of sets of 15 X 12 and 15 X 14 that lots of folks wanted. The 15 X 4 are REAL popular too. I have a pair of them on my 55 project right now.
Larry T

 

I've got 2 sets

15" set are x4 and x9 mixed brands, keeping for project #2

14" set are x6 and x8 US Indy brand, worth more to me than anyone else, so I'll keep them, too!

 

I stole this information here.
http://www.roadsters.com/wheels/#ARH
You'll need to scroll down a bit.

I would have just thrown a number out there. But I remember that the Ol' man really wanted to run Ansen Sprints on the race car. He sold the little bastard in about '64.

<HR SIZE=1 noShade>Ansen Automotive wheels
<HR SIZE=1 noShade>


<TABLE width=1000><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top> Ansen Automotive was started in 1948 in Los Angeles, by Lou Senter.

A gifted mechanic and engineer, Senter produced an extensive line of innovative speed equipment that included pop-up pistons, competition shifters, and the first NHRA-approved bellhousings.

The most popular Ansen wheel was the Ansen Sprint, which was introduced in 1963.

The Sprint was the first "aluminum slot" wheel, being centrifugally cast, a technique seldom used in the wheel industry back then. They were produced on a tracer lathe and shipped in their natural, machined finish.

Ansen Sprints featured five slots in the side of the wheel. This design was later copied by many wheel companies, including American Racing Equipment, Cragar, Fenton, Mickey Thompson, Superior, and US Indy.

All Ansen wheels were made of aluminum and had their name cast into them.

Ansen produced some five-spoked wheels were unique in having no provision for the standard five-screw, bullet-shaped center caps that were originated by American Racing Equipment. Instead, Ansen used their own smaller, round center caps (along the lines of the caps used on the American Racing 200-S "daisy" wheels). Another Ansen five-spoked wheel used a center cap that interchanged with American Racing caps. Ansen five-spokes were only produced with rounded, as opposed to peaked or creased, spokes.

Another company, American Dragmaster, produced a unique version of the aluminum slot wheel, using a rounded, bowl-shaped face with six slots. As far as I know, this is the only style of wheel they ever made other than a Torq-Thrust copy. I've seen several sets of 14 by 7-inch American Dragmaster six-slot wheels, but only two pair of their 15 by 7 and 15 by 10-inch wheels. The outside face on these wheels looks okay, but they are the only cast wheels I know of that were rough-cast and not machined around the rim.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

if i had access to photobucket at work (sigh...) id post pictures of my 15x4s with 145r15s and 15x 8.5 with 15 x 8.20 dirt trackers on them... perfect fit for the late 60s early 70s look.

 

I believe you are correct. My 3.5s are Fenton and the 14s are Ansen.

 

I sure would like to see an Ansen catalog from '63 or '64 to confirm that they were really availible at the time, and in what sizes. I've never seen any slot style wheels in any mags or pics any earlier than the late 60's.

 

Ansen made 4s but I have never seen 3.5s. You can buy repop Ansen Sprints from American but you can't get anything smaller than a 5 wide.

I wouldn't want to spend an arm and a leg for them but some 15x8s or 10s would finish up what I want for the manx. I have seen within the last year 15x10 Ansens @ 100 a pop. That isn't really a bad price, all thing considered.

 

Really rare but Ansen also made 16s - that straight from the proverbial horse's mouth - Louie Senter....

 

Ok, well I am one of the wheel guys that used ta "pop up here" here are some shots from my 1973 Ansen catalog they made 15x4s, also I highlighted the back of 1 of my 2 15x4.5 US Indy Mags, Fenton was not the only manufacturer of the 3.5 but I do not immediately recollect the others, and it depended on what year, I believe Ansen made a 3.5 in the 60s along with the "drag only" wheels that are listed on my early wheel label shown here, again not positive though. Also have a shot of my 15x10 American Racing "square slot" made in the mid 70s and another of a Cragar 15x10 that has the same look as the 15x11s that I am getting soon......I love these wheels always have, just have 5 spokes on everything now but have always had a soft spot for the Slots....

 

5-Spoke - thanks for sharing the pics. Cool stuff!

 

the "Super Rat" A/Gas Anglia ,,at Polar Dragway Alaska ,,summer of 1964 ,,these where 16 inchers ,,

 

Awesome vintage shot.........them there are the "real deal" Halibrands ....the 16 inchers and spindle mount fronts were made out of magnesium almost exclusively, later some sizes were made from the heavier more flame retardant Aluminum....

 

I LOVE SLOTS!!!
and they were used before 1970 and that works for me even though my cars are pre-64.
If u like em... Use em!

 

I had Ansen's on my 40 back in 78.........

 

I ran across a set of US Indy mags for my old shop truck. A buddy bought a `66 Fairlane drag car and didn`t want them anymore so he gave them to me. I just had to cut the old drag slicks off the rears. Worked out great for the look I was after. 15x4 & 15x7

bill

 

in the late 70s i gave them away! and i gave them away alot 15 x 4s all the way to 15 x 10s. along with 350 trans and even a few saginaw 4 speeds with hurst shifters still on them!!! now i get sick when i think about it.but back them you helped out your friends and didnt think anything about what they were or may be worth someday.by the way, anyone in the n. alabama area have any skiny slots for sale? ford or chevy pattern, i dont care . get in touch withme thanks ken

 

Wow what a history lesson. But of course I have come to expect nothing less from the HAMB. I have 2 sets of these rims one set are 15x7's and the others are 14x6 3/4" Im thinking of running the 14s up front and the 15s out back. Growing up in the early 80's and looking thru all the old rags I could find I saw tons of these wheels and I guess they made an impression, I was thinkning about using them on my 1941 Chevy truck Just a matter of can I get the tires with the proper tread, in the right size, so I can get the right stance. Thanks again guys Keith