History Halibrand Wheels: The Original Mag

We have a set of those on my sister's track T, looks great with dirt track tires on the rear.

 

Bet you haven't seen these in your neighborhood? Sebring magnesium knock off wheels 15x5.5. Original Firestone tire in spare well still usable. Bought from GM executive in 1970. He was given these in 1956 for his Corvette. They require special axles and hubs.

 

On my '46..Mayberry lives forever...

 

I have been enamored with and been buying/selling Halibrands for 30+ years and have built up a substantial collection. Have most bolt patterns, some rare sizes (15x4.5, 15x11, 15x12, 15x14, 16x11), some NOS and both mag and aluminum. I'm always buying and many of these are or will be for sale. I have a huge lot of 15x4.5" aluminum Sprints that I've accumulated over the years as they are my favorite and seem to be one of the harder sizes to find.

 

GregCT, Love your 57 Corvette with the hals. I have a 57 270 car I have had for 48 years In the late 80's I bought a set of PS Engineering Halibrand kidney bean reproduction wheels. You give me encouragement to go ahead and put them on. Did you paint your wheels or is that natural oxidation?

 

Found this photo on a 2009 Bangshift post, said they were new and never mounted, selling for $4500/pair, cant even guess what they would pull now.
Look to be 16x14's, not a scratch in the Dow 7 coating.
I won't sleep tonight!

 

Denny, I can't speak to the NOSness of those wheels, but that is not original Halibrand Dow7 coating. They should be a goldeny rosey hue, not gray.

 

Wouldn't say they look "gray" but yeh, the coating does look fresh considering their age.
I have heard that they did look a little different from batch to batch depending on who was on that detail that day.
I believe it was a dip/soak process, may depend on the time left in the Dow 7, I've also seen photos from the 60's that appear like they were painted, looked a bit bright to me.
All I know is these sure make the front of my pants feel funny.

 

Looking for set off knock offs,covers (hats)and towers

 

My '61 with some aluminum Sprints on it..

 

@Bob Lowry, those wheels look great on that car.

 

Thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated. Bob

 

Back in the mid 80’s had small window 15 x 8 on the rear of my daily driver 77 Ford truck and 16 x 6 small window on the front. Sold everything for $400 as baby #2 was on the way. Bought a second set from Halibrand on e-pay when the then owner of Halibrand had a cash flow problem and the wheels went to the high bidder. I bought a pair of 15 x 7 and a pair of 15 x 4.5 for $850 freight included to Texas. By this time, they were ALL aluminum—no more new magnesium like the first set. They are mounted on my 32 Henry cabriolet hiboy.

 

I took these kidney bean 15x6 wheels as well as a pair of magnesium D spoke 15x9-1/2s on trade for a job recently. I’ll add a photo of the backside of the Halibrand’s. The bolt circle is 5 on 4, which led me to believe they were Corvette Sebring rims that were drilled through and hogged out for lugs. However, the spokes are incorrect.

 

Didn’t Halibrand make a blower for the flathead?

 

Here's my 50 Business coupe with 8" rear 6" front

 

Roxy
Are those rear Hals possibly 10 inchers narrowed to 8 inches?

 

Here is my 50 Business Coupe
409/409 5spd, C4 Rear end. ....And 8"X15's rear & 6"X15's front genuine Halibrands!

 

Anyone know where I can get a replacement screw on spinner for my Halibrand wheel?

 

These were handed out with every purchase of Magnesium wheels we sold.

 

I bought this set from Halibrand in 1995... Dennis McPhail was the salesman.
Sam

 

In 1975 I went to the first Shelby American Automobile Convention in Oakland CA. A guy showed up with this chopped 5 window on a trailer. He wanted 10 grand for it. It ran and drove but everyone thought it was too much money. What's interesting it's sitting on a 427 Cobra chassis. Yes the Cammer has the magnesium valve covers and it even gets better when you find out the price included the 10 extra Halibrand Cobra wheels in the bed of the truck. The 427 chassis was restored as a Cobra a few years later. I heard the Coupe was also finished but on a period chassis.
I'm looking for a pair of 4 or 5x16 and a pair of 6x16 mags - steel - wires anything to mount these on for my Banger race car build - https://www.cokertire.com/tires/890-16-firestone-grooved-rear.html - https://www.cokertire.com/tires/500-16-firestone-ribbed-front.html

 

My gawd how I'd like to hear the full story behind that guy but that's quite a mashup.
A lot of people nowadays think they are so hip and us greybeards are out of touch but when I see cars from back in the day with all sort of racing components in their builds it's obvious they were of the "beyond average" mindset.