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Big Healey-strange wheels

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aeronca65t

aeronca65t

Great Pumpkin
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OK, kids, here's one that has me stumped.

One of my students suggested I attend our local "Car & Coffee NJ" event. He mentioned that there were some interesting sports cars there.

I was unable to attend so I browsed the C&C-NJ website.
Sure enough, there was several MGs, some Loti, an Alpine.....and this Austin-Healey.

Looks like it has an original engine and otherwise sound car (I doubt that roll bar would be of any use).

But the wheels are what got me. Obviously, not MGA Twin Cam wheels. They sorta look like the old, steel knock-off wheels on 1930s BMWs. Thoughts?

ah-with-knock-off-steel-wheels.jpg
 
I dunno about where the wheels came from but they do not look "right" to me. Beyond the unusual way they are painted the fact that they are not vented makes them look like they are from an earlier period as you surmise.

Sometimes you come across a car where the execution is great and the design is--less than great. To my eye at least, this--with the vent and scoop on the front wing, the tiny amber running lights and the out-of-scale and useless roll bar--is one of those cars. That said, I'm sure the owner is very proud of it.
 
I've seen close, but not like that exactly. I copied it, cropped it, lightened it and blew it up.
It almost looks like some one else's steel wheel with a Healey wire wheel centre section (no spokes) welded in, lug holes welded up and painted.
If so, not sure I'd like to drive it.
 
I like everything but the roll bar and the font of the numbers. Not for me but it looks pretty cool, not being a Healey purist type I don't mind the intakes on the side and stuff and the wheels are very reminiscent of the old BMW's. Probably what he was going for. Nice hot rod.
Chris...
 
stuntflyr said:
Freaky, Rick. Was it a wrap? Does the guy do it every month? That'd be fun, now that I think about it!
Chris...
Click to expand...

No idea. If you blow up my pic, it looks like he has a picture of the car in its white and red iteration displayed on the windscreen. Maybe it's red and white with steel wheels on the driver's side and black and white with wires on the passenger's. I never would've noticed it except the roll bar was exactly the same.
 
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Look at the reflection in the green MGB. You can see the roundel and number 55 with the red coves. It is definitely a jekyl / hyde car.
 
There was a guy in Lafayette (Lynn Craddick) that had a TR4 with wire-wheel hubs welded to stock TR vented steel (bolt-on) wheels. I'd seen him on the streets (while underway) a few times before I'd actually met him, and the wheels appeared to run true. I don't remember too much about how the wheels were finished, but I do remember that you could still see the spoke holes in the hubs.

Jim, I do believe that you are right! Got to hand it to the guy for marching to his own drum! Sure would be a tragedy though, if his head wound up on the backside of that rollbar__the SCCA/GCR should be required reading before ANYONE dares to consider a rollbar! Chances are, it's just thinwall tubing, or something found at Pep Boys for the bed of a truck...
 
It is the Austin-Healey version of a mullet--all business on one side, all fun on the other.
 
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