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Re: American Racing Rims

To: 66austin@mursuky.campus.mci.net
Subject: Re: American Racing Rims
From: "Robert M. Lang" <blang@mit.edu>
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 19:10:53 -0500 (EST)
Cc: triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
Date-warning: Date header was inserted by ISIS.MIT.EDU
Hi,

I'm sure you got responses to your post about the 4-spoke American Racing
Wheels, but I'll throw in $.02 worth.

If your friend will sell them, buy them. If he really has a full set of
rims, they are worth $800 - $1000 depending on the condition. If they need
refinishing, they are are worth considerably less.

If you do buy them, make sure that they are not magnesium. The real
magnesium wheels are very rare and are not good street wheels as they are
fragile and if they have been "raced", they may be beyond their servicable
use. This is a safety issue!!!! If they are real magnesium and servicable,
they are worth more money, but you'll probably have a hard time finding the
right buyer.

If you bring them somewhere to get them refinished, make sure that the shop
that does the work is qualified to do the work - get references. A bad job
of bead blasting can really wreck the wheels.

Now, the 4 spokes were available in 5.5 inch, 6.0 inch and 7.0 inch widths.
Forget about finding 7.0 inch rims, they are really scarce. The 5.5 inch
rims are distinguished from the 6.0 inch rims by the interface of the spoke
section to the rim. With the narrow rims, there is a pronounced dish. The
6.0 inch rims have a standard "step".

If you don't want the rims and nobody else offers, please drop me a line.

FWIW, I talked to a guy at VTR last summer in Ft. Worth who had picked up a
'74 TR6 with low miles and a set of 6.0 inch American 4 Spokes. He told me
that he had called American Racing to find out about getting a "spare" rim.
As anyone that has been on this list for a while can tell you, these wheels
are pretty hard to come by, but when ARE found out he had a full set in
PERFECT CONDITION, they offered him $1000 on the spot. The car is from the
Dallas, / Ft. Worth area.

Incomplete sets are worth less. I know of several partial sets on the east
coast that are still incomplete after over 4 years of looking myself. I
bought a partial set in 94 and I negotiated with a guy for two years before
I finally bought the 4th wheel. I won't tell you what I paid for the three,
but the 4th was over $200.

Good luck!
Bob Lang
MIT Computer Services
And TR6 owner - with one set of ARE 4 spokes.

---------------------------------------------------------
Bob Lang                       | Editor          | New England Triumphs
Phone: 781-438-2568  |                   |
FAX: 617-258-9535     |                  |
---------------------------------------------------------



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