Technical Model A wheel combo

Hey guys,

I’ve recently been obsessing over the wheel combination I want to put on my car. The rear wheels to be exact. I’m building a 30 model a coupe inspired by 60s fuel coupes. I really like the American rebel champ wheel, as it’s the only wheel I feel accurately resembles a vintage Halibrand, but it only comes in a 16 rim diameter. I also like sprints and will run those if I have to since I can get them in a 15 inch. My question will a 16x10 look too disproportionate on a model A? Does anyone have pictures of 16” mags on model A’s or a 32 so I can compare? Thanks

 

Highboy or fendered? A or 32 frame? Rake or nose high?

 

Thanks I guess I should have specified that. Fenderless on an A frame. Referencing another members coupe: 5wcoupehunters car, this is close to the stance I want. Will most likely be running spindle mounts, close to what is on the car in the picture

 

I think some big/wide 16’s would be fine on a car like that. Look for some real ones. Check the classifieds, not the catalogs.

 

Thanks! I’ll keep my eyes out for a pair. Owning a real set of magnesium’s is a big bucket list item for me.

 

Original 16x10 magnesiums aren't "cheap" but they don't bring in the $$$ that 15s do, so there's some good news! If you don't have a rear end all set up, that's even better because you won't be limited by pattern. Plus, in my opinion, you'll never lose your investment on a decent pair of mags - I feel that way even at today's prices. (That could just be my own self talk convincing me to chase after a set of 15" 5x5.5 magnesium fronts, haha.)

 

Narrow fronts cost twice what the rears go for.

 

Except for spindle-mounts, so the OP is good-to-go there. Actually, @Chadcamo you should find Craig (@5wcoupehunter) on FB/IG , he had some spindle-mounts for sale a short time ago.

Alchemy, I kick myself for passing up a perfect set of fronts a few years back. Even though they were expensive by my standards, at the time, they'd be a screaming deal today.

 

The last pair of 15x4.5 magnesium Americans I bought cost a whopping $350.

 

So you want it to look like a race car. Pretty sure the early slicks were 16”, so OK there. What are you going to do about a tire?

 

15" on the front and 16" rear, just steel wheels though not mags...

 

PERFECT rear tire to fender well fitment IMO. What brand and tire size are you running? Bob

 

That’s what I like to hear. I don’t want to ask how long ago that was though lol.

 

Yep, trying to make it look like an early to mid 60’s drag coupe. I am probably going with towel city or radir. They both advertise 16” slicks that would work. I would like to go with radir as they are not recaps, but I’m not sure if they are in business anymore?

 

Thank you, stance on your coupe is perfect. Beautiful car. Thanks for the picture, they may not be mags but it gives me the rim to sidewall ratio I was looking for.

 

These are from rebel. 15x10 rear and 15x4 front.

 

These are 16" by 8.5" real rodders wheels in the back. 15 x 4.5" front.

The backspacing is a little shallow (3" or less) and they stick out pretyy far with my 40 ford rear.

Hope that helps

 

For reference, these are American Rebel Wheels

Champ:


Sprint:

 

I really like those kidneys! I didn’t know you could still get kidney

That’s exactly the picture I was looking for thank you! Your wheels have a close backspacing to the ones I’m looking at, mine are 3.25”. Love those kidney beans, I’ll have to check Realrodders out too, I didn’t know anyone made kidneys anymore. What size tires are you running?

 

https://jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/american-racing-magnesium-wheels-16x10-price-drop.1309947/

 

But will you sell them for $400? I want to run 4.5" fronts and 7" on the rear. I want 16s so I can run the Coker Firestone dirt track tires. https://www.cokertire.com/tires/890-16-firestone-grooved-rear.html
https://www.cokertire.com/tires/500-16-firestone-ribbed-front.html

 

Hello,

When I saw this Model A coupe sitting in a parking lot, it instantly took me back to 1959 and how my brother and I were going to make a hot rod Model A coupe. We had already bought an old, non-running Model A Coupe, made it run with the 4 cylinder, and then within a couple of months, before we got started doing some modifications, my brother sold it to friend. The reason was simple… he needed some money to buy the black 58 Impala that was sitting in our Westside of Long Beach driveway. He also sold his 51 Oldsmobile sedan to a friend that lived around the corner from us.

Now, he had enough to buy the next step in his drag racing adventures. But, for those months, we decided to go the 283 SBC motor route, LaSalle transmission and a Positraction rear. After we drove the now running 4 cylinder around, we noticed that a couple of brothers were sitting close by in the stock seats. It was a little stuffy and even with the windows down, felt cramped.

That may have been the start of my brother having doubts about continuing the build. The other guess was the black 58 Impala sitting in our driveway. Fast, cool and no building or modifying, just to go fast. Now, where is that Lion’s Dragstrip located, again?

Jnaki

Within the year, we had gone to a huge drag race event in Riverside Raceway, several hours away. It was supposed to be the biggest drag race event in the West coast history. All of the big names from the USA sections were coming to race the West coast contingent. It was also the playground for some hot Gas Coupes and Sedans, just up our alley, so to speak.

As we were walking around, we saw what we thought our modifying idea of a Model A Coupe was going to be or should have been. Joe Pisano had his fast Model A Coupe sitting in the pits and when he fired up to go to the starting line, it was music to our ears.

1959 Joe Pisano Model A Coupe A/G class Riverside Raceway

By the way, the tires were perfect for the Model A Coupe. They filled up the wheel well openings and did not detract from the overall cool style of the street legal, Gas Coupe.

Within a couple of years, we saw the Model A Coupe again in Pomona at the Winternationals. Now it was a different color, but still had the overall look of one good looking and great performing coupe.

1961 Winternationals VS. Grist Brothers Willys coupe

Drag News Feb 1961

NOTE:
For an Altered Model A sedans from drag racing’s past:

If you have access to the June 1961 Hot Rod Magazine or October Car Craft Magazine, there may be color photographs and information on the tire/rim sizes. It is one good looking/proportionately designed Model A sedan. Which could be used as a model for your coupe proportions.

Old Friday Art:

Ray Callejo had/has a well rounded background in hot rods and drag racing. He was at the Fremont Dragstrip with his 1931 Model A Sedan and a 283 C.I. SBC that ran in the B/Altered class. This was the Altered Coupe and Sedan Class many years before they dropped the designation and included Altered Roadsters.

Ray Callejo Model A Fremont Drags

Clay Smith Cams located in the Westside of Long Beach.
The research shows that the copyright for all show photos belongs to a person that has not made them public.

The old designation of BA-7 is no longer correct and should have read A/A-7. (with 584 c.i.)

The Model A Sedan with the twin 292 SBC motors was featured in Car Craft and Hot Rod Magazines back in the early 1960s.It has been a long time.


Note:
If no one noticed, the larger tires and rear rims still fill out the rear opening and give the Model A Sedan, a clean look without sticking out too much to be a nuisance to other drivers on the street, if that is the direction of your Model A coupe. YRMV

 

This is Awesome!! Thanks for the history lesson. Seeing pictures like that always makes me wish I got to grow up in that era

 

A bit late, but 5.00x16 front and 7.50x16 rear on plain steel wheels and a Model A frame.

John

 

That does look good! Is that a 409?

 

16x7 on rear and 15x6 on front

 

It’s a 348, but thanks for noticing. Runs like a Swiss watch.
John

 

I'm in the same boat, but for my dragster. I love the look of the Champ, and not really into the Sprints - that inner lip on the windows kills it for me. When I was at the Grand National Roadster show, I stopped by the American Rebel booth and talked to them about it, and told me that if I ordered a set of 15" Sprints, they could machine off that lip to make it look like the Champs. I haven't taken the plunge yet, but that's the plan - so I'll have 5 spokes on piecrusts for places like Eagle Field, and on a regular strip, I'll have the 15" Sprints converted to Champs on regular slicks.