Hot Rods Anyone using NEW car 16" (Spare tire) Rims on their Rods

Was thinking of checking out what is available for Ford 4 1/2" bolt pattern. Pros and cons of using just the rims with Excelsior tires...

 

Ford 4 3/4 bolt pattern ?

 

Our Mainline utes here in Australia (1955 - 1959) ran 16" wheels with the Ford 4 1/2" bolt pattern and they would have come from Canada so maybe something Ford produced in Canada used 16" wheels. The utes ran a Mercury station wagon diff with 4.11 ratio and some were 3.90 so check them out.
Vintique make a 16" early style wheel which are expensive here, may not be so bad for you though.
I do have a full set of the Mainline wheels and they are 4 1/2" wide
I am sure that any late style wheel will not look good on your car unless you ran full trims.

 

I'm using them on the front with Coker radials that look like a bias tire. I like the extra backspacing. 4" wheel with 4" backspacing. There's a thread on here with some good info. It's where I learned the wheels are DOT approved it's the spare tire thats the week link. And that there approved to run at Bonneville so I'm sure I'm good at 65.

 

Any pics?

 

You need the whole wheel, or just carrying the rim ?
Two different things..!

Mike

 

Yes.

 

Actually.....as Jerry Lewis would say....Ford America continued the 16" wheel/tire on the 4 1/2 bolt pattern wheels on the new 1949 Ford as an option and thru 1950....I have a few of them

 

But I think the question is more about the new wheels on the newer Fords - the issue I'm running into is the center hole on the newer wheels - Ford and GM are smaller than the older hubs....so they won't go over OEM hubs or some of the disk brake conversions out there...