Hey all, I'm really struck by the notion of running something a bit different for my 67 Barracuda Coupe.. I'm starting to need some Rogaine for my 14" rallyes so I figure-- if I'm replacing tires, I'm going to upsize the deal.. I have 15" cop rims, but they need some finish work (ie: blast them to de-rust them and paint...)

I started also thinking about going with something a bit more vintage.. And, I thought how nice minilites looked on a friend's barracuda..

Anyone have a source for good Minilite style wheels? I'd like to not break the bank since this is my daily driver.. 17" is okay as long as it'll fit stock suspension (A-body 8-1/4 rear, 73+ suspension and brakes)..

I saw the ET Wheels (http://www.etwheels.com/ac/15flac3.html) LT-III.. Looks real nice (price is $295 for a single piece casting 17" rim..).. I like that it looks like the Minilite sport rims.. (For some reason, I dig the lip and sunken lugnut area)..

I also saw Superlites (made in Australia, imported by VTO), but they only make it up to 16".. I figure, it's either 15" or 17" because of tire availability..

I'm told there's a guy name Phil (PSE Engineering) that does vintage style 15" rims but he's a one-man shop and I don't have the time to hound someone so they can sell my their product..

I've also seen that Minilite sells in the US.. But, it appears that the sport doesn't appear on their website? (www.minilite.us)..

Am I missing anything? I considered Vector SE rims from American Racing until I saw they're now discontinued.. Hmph. How can I get my retro racer fix!?

...My eventual plan is to go B-body rear end with Dr. Diff cobra brakes all around..

...I guess that suggests 17" is the way to go..

And, on that note, any suggestions as to what 17" rim I should look for backspacing wise, etc?

I *do not* want to run spacers.. My car is a daily driver and I want to keep it as MacGuyver possible as possible.. (IE: its 8:45pm on a Sunday.. The parts store closes in 15 minutes.. Are they going to have something that will let me skate by with my car..

Thanks in advance!

Raj

I have some Optima minilite looking rims. Bought them at a swap meet (where else?).

They are 15x9 with 4 1/4 backspacing. Not real great. I will have to do some folding and/or cutting of my front fenders to get them to fit.

I think they may offer a 15x7.

The P.S. Engineering rims are real nice, but they are pretty expensive. You can get them through Tim at www.alltimeracing.com The neat thing with those is you can get custom backspacing.

On 17" backspacing... How wide of tires do you want to run?

Read Clair Davis's site: http://www.moparfins.com/CLAIRDAVIS/Cobra_Wheel.htm

5.5 backspacing with 275/40/17 can be run up front if you cut the front lower fender edge back 3/4-1" and triangle it up 2-3 inches.

5" backspacing with 235/45/17 17x8 might still need slight fender message.

Hey, Raj,
Rota Wheels has some minilite-looking wheels, their RB/RBR series, and they're available in 15 and 17" sizes. Weights aren't bad, and neither are prices. Their catalog sucks because it's hard to see what offsets and bolt circles are available on what sizes, but that info is out there somewhere. Venturing out from vintage, the Slipstreams are clean and fairly light, too.

Clair

Try Vintage Wheel Works
http://www.vintagewheelworks.com/products/wheels

Mustangs plus sells them too and you may be able to get them cheaper that way.

With the current exchange rate, REAL Minilites can be purchased in 15" sized for $255 each in 15x8 size. Below is an email I recently received from them about wheels for my Challenger.

Many thanks for your enquiry. We have supplied several sets of 15 x 8s for MOPAR Muscle, but not yet the 15 x 10, so thanks too for the possibility of a first!
The backspace range for the 15 x 8 is between 4" and 4.5", and typically for your Challenger it would be at 4.5".
For the 15 x 10, we can custom make to your preference, between 4 3/4" and 6".
Competition steel inserts are always fitted to these big wheels, at no additional cost.
Here is the quote:



For a pair of genuine Minilite® wheels, size 15 x 8, in traditional silver, including spun alloy centre caps and chrome- finish lug nuts, the cost will be $510 ($255 each), and for the 15 x 10s, $572 ($286 each).

To this must be added the shipping cost from England to my warehouse here in Akron, Ohio, which, including various “handling” fees, duty, security charges and freight, has averaged about $48 per wheel for the 15 x 8s, and around $62 for the 15 x 10s. From Akron to you in Colorado Springs, I would use FedEx Ground, the cost of which is unlikely to exceed $18 and $24 per wheel respectively, but only if you can provide a ship-to address that FedEx will recognize as a business; delivery to a residence can be significantly more, So, your door-to-door total should be in the region of $1382, provided that the freight companies do not give us a nasty surprise

This quote will be effective for 90 days, and thereafter subject to review in the event of currency exchange or freight rate changes.



Options include a diamond polished “highlight” rim, which looks most attractive, and a range of colours, either of which adds $15.00 per wheel. The more popular colours are anthracite (a mid-grey metallic), black (satin or gloss), white, and gold.



Since most Minilite wheels are custom made to order, and of course, trans-Atlantic freight costs are incurred, a non-refundable deposit of $350 is requested to secure your spot in the production schedule. I do accept Visa, MasterCard, or Discover, and naturally a cheque is more than welcome! It will be helpful if you can provide a shipping address at the time of order, so your wheels can ship upon receipt at my warehouse.

Typical lead time from date of order to delivery is eight to ten weeks; air-freight direct from Minilite in England, at a surprisingly modest premium of about $10/wheel, can be arranged to slice several weeks out of this time.



Please feel free to email or call my cell phone, should you have any questions. I look forward to hearing from you shortly.



With kind regards, and best wishes for 2009! John


John Targett
TargettMotorSport, Ltd.
for Minilite Wheels,
550, Crystal Lake Road,
Akron, Ohio 44333 USA
cell 00 1 330 283 3668
fax 00 1 330 666 6269
www.minilitewheels.us
JBRITCARS@aol.com

Minilite do have dealers in the US, 3 of them in CA, try giving them a call and see what they say.

Minilite US dealers

This is what I picked up.http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360060490783&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:MOTORS:1123
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That's Perfect. Good job on the Chally.

Most of the real Minilites on Vintage T/A cars were painted white or a medium silver, no polished rims; Penske's Camaros ran yellow ones. Depending on what you're looking for, painting them in a contrasting color to your car looks pretty wicked.

Quote:

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I thought how nice minilites looked on a friend's barracuda..

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Minilites are my favorite wheel an an E body...

I wouldn't hesitiate to buy a new set of copies, the ones that boyd got for his challenger are nice. Buying new gives you the ability to order exactly what you want. I would cruise ebay and craigslist. I ended up finding a set local to me of westerns wheel copies 15x7 and 15x8.5 argent finish for $300 with 8 center caps, big box of lug nuts. I'll have them on my Challenger for Willow springs this year. I ended up giving a set of 15x7 copies to a buddy for his car.

Wheel Dude has sets of 15x7 as low as $465, and 15x8's as low as $550, at least it what I was able to find quickly. Those don't seem like the best prices I've seen, but they were at the top of the Google search. Might be worth a call to make sure they have the hub bore in 73mm and can provide a centering ring in the Mopar size.

Clair

The good news is that Wheel Dude is in Norcal so shipping might be a bit nicer..

So far as I can tell, the Rota wheels appear to be the best deal on minilite copies without breaking the bank.. I'd like to own some legitimate Minilites, but the first curb-rash I get it going to just drive me nuts.. With a knock-off, I can feel only slightly better.. The price of a daily driven car..

Raj
...is going to hit up wheel dude sometime after this weekend.. Sunday is the Long Beach parts swapmeet and you never know what you might run into there.. (Last time I was there, the place was swimming in Mustang 5-spoke torque-thrust style rims and tires..).. I could get lucky with something vintage and 15"..

And don't forget Pomona is a month away... Lots of wheels out there too

Ultimately I ended up going with a powdercoat job on the police/state trooper rims I have.. I'll go 17" to fit the Doctor Diff big brake upgrade in a few years I think..

Of the wheels out there, I did like the look of the Rota the best.. I didn't see that they had a 5-on-4.5 in the 17" size, though.. (Then again, would that make a minilite copy look too much like a tuner rim at 17"?)

Thanks gang.. ($300 for 5 rims prepped and powdered was going to be better than $600+shipping for new rims that I will eventually replace..)

Raj

Not sure if anyone is still interested in this ancient topic but another option has surfaced.

Trans Am Race Engineering

They're offered in 15x7, 15x8 and 17x8, any of which can work on our cars but 15x8s won't clear the UCA on some Mopar models...so beware. The 17x8s will clear the upper control arms but 0mm offset/4.5" backspace will stick out too far for the front...

When I spoke with a rep from the company, they said that the 17x8s could be made with a +19mm offset/5.3" backspace...which should work for most Mopars. Summit doesn't carry these yet.

Anyway, I just wanted to pass the word along.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/tae-spl158140/overview/

Has anyone tried these yet?

there may be an interest in these over on the "cornering" section. you should post there as well.