If anyone on the HAMB knows anything about Original American Magnesium wheels from back in the day! I have a question about how they looked when new. I would like to know if the 5 spoke magnesium wheels came with a light gray paint or coating on the spokes when new? And the lips and everything else was machined? The reason I ask, is that most all magnesium wheels seen today are either corroded or turned that patina color or polished out. I recently saw a pare of NOS 5 spokes and the spokes had a light gray spray paint on them front and back. I had never thought about them being painted or coated. Does anyone know if they all came this way or just as a customer request? Thanks Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
I've had a few sets and seen a bunch more, some even with the foil stickers still on them. All were raw cast with raw machined surfaces. Halibrands on the other hand could have come dow coated with a gold finish.
I'm by no means an expert on them, i can only describe what mine are like. Both front and rear's on my coupe were original and untouched as far as coating etc. The front 15x4's had a unique etching around the semi polished lip. 3 roughly 1/16th" rings very close together. They absolutely look factory. I have no pics on my phone which is what im on now but can upload a pic later if you want to see what i'm talking about. I've had 2 full sets of original magnesium American 5 spokes and both sets were raw mag in the centers with polished (not super high polished though, more of a machined surface) outer lips. Tony.
I had a set of polished magnesium wheels on a 39 Chevy coupe that I built back in the early 60's As I remember I had to pay extra to get the polished finish from the factory and had to wait something 3 months to get them. As I recall the standard finish was raw cast but I wanted something different. I don't have any close up pictures but this is the car from a distance.
While alot of them ended up with painted centers; I believe American only offered them as cast or polished. I have an original ad somwhere , with them touting their virgin metal use in their alloy; not needing paint on them unlike their lesser competitors. Just my ameteur opion.
Might have been a slightly different alloy. I polished some Americans up once and could only keep a pile of the dust sparking with a constant flame. People with Halibrands say that dust will flash with little more than a spark.
Ive had a couple sets over the years and some of the best info iv found and learned from was here....http://www.roadsters.com/wheels/ Hope it helps
Are there any other wheel companies that made the Magnesium American type 5 spoke wheel? I never heard of any other companies doing this except the newer Co. Called Vintage Engineering! And how close are these to the original American Mag. Wheel? Thanks
Romeo Palamides made those wheels before American bought the concern... I bought a set in 1962, had them delivered to my Grandma's house in Santa Clara. They were clean cast magnesium, with the outer rim facings machined smooth. (no paint or coating) They came in 4 separate boxes, one of which contained a typed note: WARNING: IF USED ON STREET, THESE WHEELS MUST BE REMOVED AND X-RAYED EVERY 60 DAYS FOR CRACKS. Scared the hell outa me. So, I replaced my reversed-and-painted '50 Mercs with these American Torq-Thrusts. Drove my cool '46 Ford Club Coupe thru the drive in, most of the guys said, "Ugh! Lose the tractor wheels, put your Mercs back on!" Only took a short while before everybody loved 'em...
Ronnie Roadster here on the HAMB, or go to roadsters.com ................................... Taildragger&fenderless
I have a 15x8.5 uni lug (big chevy / small chevy ) bolt pattern 5 spoke ANSEN SPRINTS MAGS from early 70's .All one machine polish look , removed them from barn find in the early 80's .
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