Hi listers
I have been in contact with the sellers in both of the eBay auctions I
mentioned previously (items 4535304211 and 4553363123). I am convinced that
they both acted in good faith, thinking they had the real deal. I regret the
accusatory tone of my initial post.
Having spent several years trying to track down a set of "correct" aluminum
8-spoke rims myself, I'm still not 100% sure I've got the right ones either
(they are completely unmarked), and I would really like to know definitively
which (if any) of the 15" 8-spoke aluminum wheels out there were actually made
by ARE for Triumph.
I think we can all agree about the magnesium wheels. All the magnesium
"Silverstones" I've seen - early (threaded centers) and late (unthreaded),
narrow (5") to wide (6") - have exactly the same spoke design on the front and
"T-shirt" depressions on the back between the lugs. They look just like Option
V387 in the dealer brochure, and they also match the wheels used on the Shell
4000 car. The 13" versions (for Spitfire, GT6, etc.) are the only ones I've
seen that actually say "American Racing Equipment Silverstone" on the back.
But the aluminum 8-spokes are a different story. I have never seen one that
looked exactly like the magnesium wheels.
On my wheels (15x5" with threaded centers), the recesses around the lug
holes on the front are more "square" than the ones on the magnesium wheels.
The "T-shirt" depressions on the back are there, but they are also a bit more
angular.
On the eBay wheels, the recesses around the lugs on the front are round but
very small. The design of the back is completely different, more similar to
some "Empi style" wheels I have seen. (The term "Empi style" is the vintage VW
equivalent to "Minilite"; that is, it has come to refer to 8-spoke wheels made
by multiple manufacturers, not just Empi). The eBay wheels also have "safety
beads", which are the ridges right next to where the tire bead sits. None of
the other wheels I've seen - Mg or Al, early or late - have this feature (wish
they did!).
The bottom line is this: I have seen the eBay wheels with the VW bolt
pattern, but I have also seen wheels like mine (except with unthreaded centers)
with the VW bolt pattern. I think mine look more like the magnesium
Silverstones, but they are not a perfect match either. Since neither wheel
says "American Racing Equipment" on the back, I can't be certain.
Can anyone on the list produce a photo of an aluminum 8-spoke "Silverstone"
that was definitely made by American Racing Equipment? The 2005 version
doesn't count. :)
For reference, here are some photos of the wheels described above:
Magnesium, early and late:
server3.uploadit.org/files/1962tr4-mg_late_and_early.jpg
Magnesium, inside:
server3.uploadit.org/files/1962tr4-mg_late_inside.jpg
Aluminum, early:
server2.uploadit.org/files/1962tr4-al_early.jpg
Aluminum, late:
server3.uploadit.org/files/1962tr4-al_late_outside.jpg
Aluminum, inside:
server3.uploadit.org/files/1962tr4-al_late_inside.jpg
eBay wheels:
server3.uploadit.org/files/1962tr4-al_ebay_outside.jpg
eBay wheels, inside:
server3.uploadit.org/files/1962tr4-al_ebay_inside.jpg
eBay wheels, edge:
server2.uploadit.org/files/1962tr4-al_ebay_edge.jpg
"Empi" wheels (item #4552604298):
server3.uploadit.org/files/1962tr4-al_empi_ebay.jpg
-Nick
|