Ansen slots. When did they come about?

Did the Sloted rims Ansen, Indy, Fentos come in 15x10 with a 5 inch backspace and 5 on 4.5 BP? Thanks, Im currently looking for a set of these if they exist.

Don

 

I have a pair of 13x7" Ansens on the back of my midget.

 

I have seen a pair of 15 x 5 1/2" Ansen sprint slots (with screw on centre caps) with 1/2" positive offset cast into the back....

did the 15 x 5 1/2" Ansen sprint slots only come with one back space measurement?

 

First set of Ansen Sprints I ever saw was in early '64. We were all in love with the look because it was so much different than American's. I had a nice chat with Mr. Senter at the L.A. Roadster show some years ago. I would have liked to talk some history but he was trying to sell me his U.S.A.C Silver Crown car.

 

Just picked up a set of 15X7.5 on 4 3/4" pattern today. I'm confused though. It appears that the back side of these use the insert for the multi fit but the wheels are drilled for the 4 3/4" pattern. So what gives, do these just blot on or do I need the insert for the proper installation? The wheels didn't come with lugs either so I can't see the lug nut shank length either.

 

Can anybody give me a clue about these? 15" x 5 on 5-1/2", 7" wide fronts, 8-1/2" wide rears (measured between the beads).

Fronts - 3-1/4" deep, 3-1/4" backspace,inscription * MEETS SEMA SPEC 5-1*, drilled for hubcaps

Rears -5-1/4" deep, 3" backspace, no inscription.

U.S.Indys maybe? Thanks.

 

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 **** KIETH it would be easy to help out if we knew about your time period I have a 1965 Ansen Catalog that does not have any slots in it. I have a 1970 with Ansen Sprints in it.

 

I remember then as early as 1964.... same with Cragar SS which some guys claim are later but they were introduced in '64...

 

I'm wondering if they weren't actually Ansens... This scan from Hot Rod, March 1965 surprisingly introduces a cast aluminum 5 slot from Astro - of course typically known only for their steel slot wheels.

The same issue also introduces the seldom seen Ansen Apollo and Arrow one piece five spoke wheels, via an ad and a mention in the "What's New" column, but there is no mention of the Sprint anywhere.

And there is an ad for Cragar S/S in the October 64 Hot Rod.

 

What I read, I believe, said a few top fuel teams started running Ansen's aluminum slots on the rears and started a trend... that would have been 1964.

I believe they were the first and all the others followed...

 

I don't doubt you for a bit, I wasn't around then, just saying they weren't advertising the sprint in Hot Rod yet, and it appears there were some other aluminum slots available.

It is entirely possible Ansen was making only a few slot mags for just for drag racing, not seeing a demand for them as a street wheel. Seems like I saw a quote (probably on the HAMB) attributed to Lou Senter himself stating they began making the sprint as early as '63. I am a big fan of the Ansen Sprint.

EDIT - I am a bit slow today, the quote from Mr. Senter about making them in '63 was a couple pages back in this thread in hotroddon's post!

 

They ran some pretty small ads considering the large size of their catalog... things were so different then. You could get a "free" catalog my sending in postage stamps! Many catalogs were simply mimeographed pages done in someone's kitchen and stapled together.....

 

My 15x3.5 Fenton Gyros. I have found that if you need center caps,
Billet Specialties caps and cap spacers are the same bolt pattern
that Fenton used which is different from others I have tried.

I have bought a set of these nicely polished cap spacers from JEGS
and plan on running them by themselves (no caps) to trim out the
setup in the first photo with the nice aluminum spindles poking through.