The magnesium elephant in the room

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by rodneym

It's not the backspace, its the thickness of the rim, as in the clearance you need for brakes, but in this case the edge of the billet suspension.
Phil Schmidt said I could have the wheels turned to make them slightly thinner. Not loving that idea. I'm just keeping them as is for the next owner.

And the difference in backspace is between Vintage and Trigo. Trigo same as Hali. Fran, don't know.

So, the Trigo and Vintage wheels are thinner (less material) castings?

[rodneym]

Probably. The space where the brakes go, wall to wall diameter, is greater on the Trigo/Vintage.
I can't say for sure if there's less material. Maybe the Halis are thicker where the tire covers the rim.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by rodneym

It's not the backspace, its the thickness of the rim, as in the clearance you need for brakes, but in this case the edge of the billet suspension.

Just a stretch here but possibly trim the offending suspension bits? Don't think that would hurt integrity...
Call K's??

[patrickt]

You know, considering none of us own original cars, and after looking at the pics of those new wheels up close, I would say that carefully crafted painted replicas would not only be easier, but would look better as well. Remember, we've already hashed out the weight issue and even Chas admitted that the modest savings were not compelling....

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Just a stretch here but possibly trim the offending suspension bits? Don't think that would hurt integrity...
Call K's??

Last time I looked, the fit between the rear suspension, brakes and wheel was extraordinarily tight.

[rodneym]

Chas,
IIRC, the suspension parts are already tapered by design. Any more would, I'm sure, start to mess with its integrity.
And it is indeed a tight fit.

- stay tuned for a quip from patrickt about integrity.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by rodneym

Chas,
IIRC, the suspension parts are already tapered by design. Any more would, I'm sure, start to mess with its integrity.
And it is indeed a tight fit.

- stay tuned for a quip from patrickt about integrity.

Better that than the person who will usually come along on this thread so they can inform us that magnesium is highly flammable, thus we shouldn't "vape" near them.

Rodney could tell us what the weight savings is in a jiffy since he has both Trigos and Halibrands. I'm sure it's at least 100 lbs between all 4 wheels.

[rodneym]

Roddo,
It's somewhere in here...towards the end...
Halibrand Magnesium 427 Wheels

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Remember, we've already hashed out the weight issue and even Chas admitted that the modest savings were not compelling....

---AT THE COST FACTOR IN EFFECT TODAY.
When I bought mine in '92, they were less than half the cost of these. And I was building a car that was 'pretty snotty' then but rather routine now.
Even Cliff 2076, building his race FIA out of tissue paper uses heavier steel wheels.

[patrickt]

... and my point is that there are "restoration guys" out there that could paint your Trigos in such a way that you would swear they were original mags (excluding valve position and the like).

[ERA Chas]

Edit:
My Halibrands actually came from Halibrand and their foundry. Kress' may be M&A or elsewhere. '60's owners may care about that.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Edit:
My Halibrands actually came from Halibrand and their foundry. Kress' may be M&A or elsewhere. '60's owners may care about that.

Other than the fact that they have some magnesium in them, they are no more real than a set of Cragers from PepBoys. And, frankly, they don't look all that good. I know nobody wants to come out and say that out loud, with them costing six grand and all, but they really don't look that great. A talented restoration painter could pull that off with little difficulty. Plus, if you wanted them to look like really nice mag wheels, he could do that too.

[NewYorkGuy]

Since my name was dragged into the slush, I will respond.

Remember the school dance and the boys were on one side and the girls on the other and everyone was standing around waiting for the first person to make a move.

Well, that is what u have here with these mag wheels. Members A, B, C standing on the sidelines, worried about public perception. Any questions about the wheels could be answered with a call to Mr. Kress. But that would be too easy and less drama for members A, B, C. They just want to show off their hot rod cobra smarts to other cc members.

The mag wheels are the 'MacGuffin' in the Cobra community here. The real buyers buy.

Mr. Kress did not ask for a thread to sell his wheels. He simply place an ad and the price is the price, just like a real Shelby Cobra. Either u want it, or u get an imitation.

Cars are a great hobby but when the hobby crowd becomes your master, it's time to get a new hobby or just ride solo and enjoy the air in the front.

nyg

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by NewYorkGuy

Since my name was dragged into the slush, I will respond.

Remember the school dance and the boys were on one side and the girls on the other and everyone was standing around waiting for the first person to make a move.

Well, that is what u have here with these mag wheels. Members A, B, C standing on the sidelines, worried about public perception. Any questions about the wheels could be answered with a call to Mr. Kress. But that would be too easy and less drama for members A, B, C. They just want to show off their hot rod cobra smarts to other cc members.

The mag wheels are the 'MacGuffin' in the Cobra community here. The real buyers buy.

Mr. Kress did not ask for a thread to sell his wheels. He simply place an ad and the price is the price, just like a real Shelby Cobra. Either u want it, or u get an imitation.

Cars are a great hobby but when the hobby crowd becomes your master, it's time to get a new hobby or just ride solo and enjoy the air in the front.

nyg

Speaking of prospective Porsche 550 Spyder replica buyers, read this recent thread on the topic:

any Porsche '550 Spyder' replica experts here? - Rennlist Discussion Forums

Otherwise, seriously, do some research. You've added nothing to the discussion here, other than recount your memories of Kevin Bacon in Footloose.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by NewYorkGuy

Any questions about the wheels could be answered with a call to Mr. Kress.

Mr. Kress did not ask for a thread to sell his wheels. He simply place an ad and the price is the price, just like a real Shelby Cobra. Either u want it, or u get an imitation.

nyg

And secondly, do you know how many countless phone calls and emails Rodneym and I have made to Fran over the years about mag wheels? Let's just say ALOT.

And thirdly, as for the REAL comment, these wheels aren't Halibrands. They would be real magnesium wheels that are replicas of Halibrands, produced by M&A Castings and sold by Fran Kress. But Rodneym does have a set of REAL Halibrands.

And fourthly, no one on G-d's Green Earth knows if these replicas will ever fit a Kirkham without first trial fitting them.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by patrickt

And, frankly, they don't look all that good. I know nobody wants to come out and say that out loud, with them costing six grand and all, but they really don't look that great.

What are you talking about? They look great.

OTOH, beige on a Cobra, not so much.

[rodneym]

NYG, not sure of your real identity.
Me thinks you're a shill.
Now, who could it be?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

What are you talking about? They look great.

You only think they look great. They really don't.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by patrickt

You only think they look great. They really don't.

OK, how many hours have you spent dragging 2 decade old mags back from the dead and kept them 'show'-that qualifies you to make that empirical statement???

NYG-NOBODY here drags your name into anything useful unless the subject is trolls and posers. You instigate yourself into a subject you're clueless about and are dispensing parliamentary explanations about what's taking place.
You have NO value at all on this forum.
You are living proof that DB's can flourish on forums these days.
Many of us don't know why you're allowed.............

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

OK, how many hours have you spent dragging 2 decade old mags back from the dead and kept them 'show'-that qualifies you to make that empirical statement???

All one has to do is compare yours, after your labor of love, and one can tell the others don't look nearly as nice. Surely you would agree with that.