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Alloy road & race wheels made in Australia


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#1 kaydee

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Posted 19 January 2013 - 03:01

52D,The inspiration for the car that nearly won Bathurst this year!
The Seton Torana and the Ray Morris car have a single seat style rollbar, Bo,s is alloy!
Those wheels on Setons Torana, I wonder if Globe used those for inspiration for the Sprintmaster, they are not disimilar.


No, it was not the inspiration for the Globe Sprintmaster wheel.
The first Globe Sprintmaster wheel was released in mid 1968 and was a 4 spoke design suitable for Cortinas and Anglias etc.
This was followed in 1969 by the 5 spoke Sprintmaster in both 13 and 14 inch diameters.
The 13 x 6 Sprintmaster was used extensively by the Holden Dealer Team in both Rallies and Racing before being picked up by GM-H as original equipment for the XU-1 Torana in 1972.

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#2 Catalina Park

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Posted 19 January 2013 - 03:30

Hi Kevin, glad to see you here. :wave:
Over Christmas I got myself these for my Cooper S (though they might go onto my Moke first)
So what was the difference between Sprintmaster and Rallymaster and what should I call these?

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Edited by Catalina Park, 19 January 2013 - 03:41.


#3 kaydee

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Posted 19 January 2013 - 03:58

Hi Kevin, glad to see you here. :wave:
Over Christmas I got myself these for my Cooper S (though they might go onto my Moke first)
So what was the difference between Sprintmaster and Rallymaster and what should I call these?


Your Mini wheels are definitely the Sprintmaster style. i.e. machined or polished spoke faces with contrasting matte black paint.
The Rallymaster had a shotblast finish all over the front face and the natural aluminium colour was protected with a clear coat to stop dirt ingraining into the shot blast surface.


#4 Catalina Park

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Posted 19 January 2013 - 04:12

Thanks! I knew there was a difference I just didn't know what it was!

You don't know where I can get the centre caps for them do you?

Edited by Catalina Park, 19 January 2013 - 04:14.


#5 kaydee

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Posted 19 January 2013 - 04:44

Thanks! I knew there was a difference I just didn't know what it was!

You don't know where I can get the centre caps for them do you?


The original Globe Sprintmaster centre caps were chrome plated brass pressings with Globe and a map of the world etched in and painted yellow and black.
The XU-1 Original Equipment Globe Sprintmaster caps will also fit. These however were plain, chromed and without the etching and paint.
Later, an interchangeable (but differently shaped) plastic cap was made with a Globe decal. Mullins Wheels own the Globe brand now and may still have the plastic caps available.

Otherwise, the original brass caps sometimes show up on EBay.
Or if you have deep pockets I've just discovered this on Google - http://www.xu-1.com....rior_parts.html


#6 Catalina Park

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Posted 19 January 2013 - 05:28

The original Globe Sprintmaster centre caps were chrome plated brass pressings with Globe and a map of the world etched in and painted yellow and black.
The XU-1 Original Equipment Globe Sprintmaster caps will also fit. These however were plain, chromed and without the etching and paint.
Later, an interchangeable (but differently shaped) plastic cap was made with a Globe decal. Mullins Wheels own the Globe brand now and may still have the plastic caps available.

Otherwise, the original brass caps sometimes show up on EBay.
Or if you have deep pockets I've just discovered this on Google - http://www.xu-1.com....rior_parts.html

Thanks for that Kaydee. I have a couple of plastic ones but they just don't look right. I might have to dig into the pockets for those expensive ones.


#7 275 GTB-4

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Posted 19 January 2013 - 05:41

Thanks for that Kaydee. I have a couple of plastic ones but they just don't look right. I might have to dig into the pockets for those expensive ones.


Save up for them Mike...it's not like there is any real hurry... :cat: :blush:

#8 Catalina Park

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Posted 19 January 2013 - 06:10

Save up for them Mike...it's not like there is any real hurry... :cat: :blush:

A dollar a month and I should have them before the car is finished.

#9 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 19 January 2013 - 20:08

No, it was not the inspiration for the Globe Sprintmaster wheel.
The first Globe Sprintmaster wheel was released in mid 1968 and was a 4 spoke design suitable for Cortinas and Anglias etc.
This was followed in 1969 by the 5 spoke Sprintmaster in both 13 and 14 inch diameters.
The 13 x 6 Sprintmaster was used extensively by the Holden Dealer Team in both Rallies and Racing before being picked up by GM-H as original equipment for the XU-1 Torana in 1972.

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How marketing has changed. Go to your local speed shop! Now a myriad of tyre stores or specialist sellers..
Mullins do not have those caps, not even the plastic ones. Now a few very specialist suppliers.

#10 Dale Harvey

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Posted 19 January 2013 - 21:31

The wheels on Seton's Torana were Cairns wheels IIRC.
Dale.

#11 Ray Bell

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 03:14

Originally posted by Lee Nicolle
How marketing has changed. Go to your local speed shop! Now a myriad of tyre stores or specialist sellers.....


Is it really so different, Lee?

That looks like a fairly basic club newsletter or something (SCC of SA?), so what kind of ad would you be able to run?

Granted, the overall marketing picture has changed in that time, but if you were starting off with a product range you might do just the same as this... perhaps you'd be able to get colour pics in now, though... and I think the amount of space dedicated to race results of cars tuned on their dyno shows that it's more than just an ad for wheels.


#12 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 04:37

Is it really so different, Lee?

That looks like a fairly basic club newsletter or something (SCC of SA?), so what kind of ad would you be able to run?

Granted, the overall marketing picture has changed in that time, but if you were starting off with a product range you might do just the same as this... perhaps you'd be able to get colour pics in now, though... and I think the amount of space dedicated to race results of cars tuned on their dyno shows that it's more than just an ad for wheels.

A quality wheel manufacturer who also had a top engine dyno. Does that happen now? Speed shops? a thing of the past almost.Only one left in Adelaide. And they sure dont sell locally made wheels. Centreline etc is more their go.as is drag racing instead of circuit.
That add actually was ran in national magazines, I recognised it immediatly. Possibly one you wrote for!

#13 Ray Bell

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 08:55

But did it happen then?

Globe, I think you'll find, were absolutely unique in that. Though I think it is true that Lynx had both a dyno and made the P76 Targa Florio wheels a few years later. But generally Lynx didn't make wheels and most wouldn't have gone there for dyno tuning as TACE and Waggott were more popular for that work.

#14 Catalina Park

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 09:17

CAC made the wheels for the Force 7 wheels that ended up on the Targa Florio P76. They probably had a dyno of sorts too.

Edited by Catalina Park, 21 January 2013 - 09:18.


#15 GMACKIE

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 09:59

There were quite a few dynos tucked away that I can remember.

Sonic Speed Equipment had one at Caringbah, for their own use. Bruce Peters told me one day that their first VW exhaust system, while looking very impressive, actually dropped power! After lots of testing on the dyno, they finally produced one that was an improvement on the standard VW muffler. It used very small pipes. :confused:

Mark Walker at Kirrawee also had a dyno, where we extracted 169 hp from my Sports Sedan engine, at 7000rpm.

#16 kaydee

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 10:35

A quality wheel manufacturer who also had a top engine dyno. Does that happen now? Speed shops? a thing of the past almost.Only one left in Adelaide. And they sure dont sell locally made wheels. Centreline etc is more their go.as is drag racing instead of circuit.
That add actually was ran in national magazines, I recognised it immediatly. Possibly one you wrote for!


A bit off topic I know - but just to follow up in a bit more detail on the alloy wheel posts -

I'm pretty sure that Globe were the first volume makers of one-piece wheels in Australia.
It was pretty low volume in the early days and Globe were making other automotive products.
The casting, machining and testing procedures had to be developed so that took time.
Advertising wasn't high profile as it wasn't known then if "mag" wheels would be a profitable line of business.

Globe's first wheels were sand cast and were produced in 1966/67. These were later followed by gravity die cast permanent (metal) mould castings in 1967/68.
I think Tony Simmons started around the same time but I think that he only produced 3-piece wheels which were more lower volume and custom built.

As "mag" wheels became more popular other local manufacturers sprang up, mainly in Adelaide where the "technology" was centred. These included -Aunger, Magnum, Cheviot, ROH, Performance, Mullins, Castalloy etc. Sankey-Benson started up in Sydney and CAC started up in Melbourne and yes, CAC were the suppliers of wheels for the P76 Targa Florio.

Most of the above "mag" wheel manufacturers have now long since shut up shop and I think there are only two left who are still producing locally. These days, 95% of our "mag" wheels come in from China.

Kaydee

#17 Ray Bell

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 10:46

Originally posted by Catalina Park
CAC made the wheels for the Force 7 wheels that ended up on the Targa Florio P76. They probably had a dyno of sorts too.


Were they machined by Lynx, then?

There's a magazine item somewhere about Lynx having a part in them.

#18 275 GTB-4

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 10:54

These days, 95% of our "mag" wheels come in from China.

Kaydee


That a worry :well:

#19 gray chandler

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 11:09

A bit off topic I know - but just to follow up in a bit more detail on the alloy wheel posts -

I'm pretty sure that Globe were the first volume makers of one-piece wheels in Australia.
It was pretty low volume in the early days and Globe were making other automotive products.
The casting, machining and testing procedures had to be developed so that took time.
Advertising wasn't high profile as it wasn't known then if "mag" wheels would be a profitable line of business.

Globe's first wheels were sand cast and were produced in 1966/67. These were later followed by gravity die cast permanent (metal) mould castings in 1967/68.
I think Tony Simmons started around the same time but I think that he only produced 3-piece wheels which were more lower volume and custom built.

As "mag" wheels became more popular other local manufacturers sprang up, mainly in Adelaide where the "technology" was centred. These included -Aunger, Magnum, Cheviot, ROH, Performance, Mullins, Castalloy etc. Sankey-Benson started up in Sydney and CAC started up in Melbourne and yes, CAC were the suppliers of wheels for the P76 Targa Florio.

Most of the above "mag" wheel manufacturers have now long since shut up shop and I think there are only two left who are still producing locally. These days, 95% of our "mag" wheels come in from China.

Kaydee

Lest we forget Len Walker of REBEL WHEEL fame. Another Adelaide manufacturer.


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#20 Ray Bell

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 12:31

As far as I recall, Tony Simmons first made his wheels for his Hustler clubmans... without checking I'd say that was some time early in 1967...

He soon learned that the spokes were too light in the centres and beefed them up, but as Kevin thought, they were all 3-piece wheels.

Then some time in the late seventies or early eighties he had rims cast and machined by one of the high-volume manufacturers and made 2-piece wheels he could produce more economically alongside the 3-piece ones.

Ultimately, he found that the only wheels he got to make were those that nobody else would do. It all became too hard and he dropped out of the game.

#21 Paul Hamilton

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 16:03

As far as I recall, Tony Simmons first made his wheels for his Hustler clubmans... without checking I'd say that was some time early in 1967...

He soon learned that the spokes were too light in the centres and beefed them up, but as Kevin thought, they were all 3-piece wheels.

Then some time in the late seventies or early eighties he had rims cast and machined by one of the high-volume manufacturers and made 2-piece wheels he could produce more economically alongside the 3-piece ones.

Ultimately, he found that the only wheels he got to make were those that nobody else would do. It all became too hard and he dropped out of the game.


Tony had developed a reasonable export market for his wheels before deciding to drop out only in the last few years. His machinery, patterns and designs were sold to a Chinese company and he spent some time in China helping them to set it all up but I am not sure whether they are still in production.

Another early wheel manufacturer in Sydney was Dave Mawer who began making his 2 and 3 piece wheels in around 1969/70 using his own cast centers. Dave's patterns etc. are now owned by John Giffard but I don' think he is currently in production.

#22 Paul Hamilton

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 16:03

As far as I recall, Tony Simmons first made his wheels for his Hustler clubmans... without checking I'd say that was some time early in 1967...

He soon learned that the spokes were too light in the centres and beefed them up, but as Kevin thought, they were all 3-piece wheels.

Then some time in the late seventies or early eighties he had rims cast and machined by one of the high-volume manufacturers and made 2-piece wheels he could produce more economically alongside the 3-piece ones.

Ultimately, he found that the only wheels he got to make were those that nobody else would do. It all became too hard and he dropped out of the game.


Tony had developed a reasonable export market for his wheels before deciding to drop out only in the last few years. His machinery, patterns and designs were sold to a Chinese company and he spent some time in China helping them to set it all up but I am not sure whether they are still in production.

Another early wheel manufacturer in Sydney was Dave Mawer who began making his 2 and 3 piece wheels in around 1969/70 using his own cast centers. Dave's patterns etc. are now owned by John Giffard but I don' think he is currently in production.

#23 Ray Bell

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 21:18

Yes, at one time he was doing a lot for Porsches in North America...

Dave's wheels began with the need for wider and wider rims for Minis. Ron Hopwood was spinning rim sections all along, there would have been others making centres (going back to Ron Tauranac etc) while later on Ray Eldershaw was making a lot of wheels for speedway in the same manner.

In Melbourne we had Mario Costa making very lightweight wheels with no wellbase, these were used principally on Cheetahs, but all of this is getting away from the type of stuff Globe were doing. It could well be a subject in itself.

#24 GMACKIE

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 21:40

And don't forget Bob Britton.

Anyone remember Keel wheels, at Kingsgrove?

I'm sure Glasson's foundry made wheel centres [Simmons?], back in the '60s. Arthur Glasson, and his son, Ray, ran a very successful non-ferrous foundry at Arncliffe.

#25 Ian G

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 22:57

There were quite a few dynos tucked away that I can remember.

Sonic Speed Equipment had one at Caringbah, for their own use. Bruce Peters told me one day that their first VW exhaust system, while looking very impressive, actually dropped power! After lots of testing on the dyno, they finally produced one that was an improvement on the standard VW muffler. It used very small pipes. :confused:

Mark Walker at Kirrawee also had a dyno, where we extracted 169 hp from my Sports Sedan engine, at 7000rpm.



...and Ted the Tooner in Brookvale,i was there one day and this guy runs across the road(nearly hit by a car), and must have thought i had something to do with the Business, and sticks his nose in my face and starts yelling(& spitting) about the noise. He started turning a bright purple and had completely lost control by the time a friend of mine got him to calm down,big plus for gun control in Oz.I think the Council eventually closed the Dyno down in the mid 1970's.
Lynx used to X-ray(?,or somehow test) new alloy wheels but not sure if they manufactured them or not.

Looks like the Norwell( Gold Coast/Brisbane) circuit is a goer,guy from IMETT was on a Sydney radio sports show on the Weekend,Tilke design.

http://www.imett.com...tml#motorracing

Edited by Ian G, 21 January 2013 - 23:22.


#26 Ray Bell

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 22:59

Glasson's might have done Simmons centres, but I recall Tony mentioning another (forgotten!) name in Alexandria...

The Simmons centres were used as the basis for Col Wear's wheels for his Clubmans. Bob Britton's wheels have previously been covered (with photos) somewhere on this forum. This included discussion on his monocoque wheels.

#27 GMACKIE

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 23:23

Glasson's might have done Simmons centres, but I recall Tony mentioning another (forgotten!) name in Alexandria...


Linder's?...... The more I think about it, the more Glasson's comes to mind. Didn't Tony Simmons 'take over' Glasson's foundry, at Arncliffe?

#28 Ray Bell

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Posted 22 January 2013 - 01:36

Ah yes, I think that was it...

That's just off the highway between the Tempe bridge and the Arncliffe railway station. Would that be right?

It's hard to recall exactly now, but Tony had a place in Marrickville, after Arncliffe he was somewhere in Mascot.

#29 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 22 January 2013 - 02:48

A bit off topic I know - but just to follow up in a bit more detail on the alloy wheel posts -

I'm pretty sure that Globe were the first volume makers of one-piece wheels in Australia.
It was pretty low volume in the early days and Globe were making other automotive products.
The casting, machining and testing procedures had to be developed so that took time.
Advertising wasn't high profile as it wasn't known then if "mag" wheels would be a profitable line of business.

Globe's first wheels were sand cast and were produced in 1966/67. These were later followed by gravity die cast permanent (metal) mould castings in 1967/68.
I think Tony Simmons started around the same time but I think that he only produced 3-piece wheels which were more lower volume and custom built.

As "mag" wheels became more popular other local manufacturers sprang up, mainly in Adelaide where the "technology" was centred. These included -Aunger, Magnum, Cheviot, ROH, Performance, Mullins, Castalloy etc. Sankey-Benson started up in Sydney and CAC started up in Melbourne and yes, CAC were the suppliers of wheels for the P76 Targa Florio.

Most of the above "mag" wheel manufacturers have now long since shut up shop and I think there are only two left who are still producing locally. These days, 95% of our "mag" wheels come in from China.

Kaydee

I am not certain who made 1 piece wheels first, almost certainly in Adelaide. ROH were one of the first and still make some. Though for how much longer is debatable. There is a current court case about the imports at the moment. Dont know the details. Though clearly [again] some tarrifs would have saved some local manufacturing.
The so called Australian cars are assembled from overseas components largely. Chinadores and China coons! Though at least they are DESIGNED here for our conditions. Sort of,,,
Aunger made 2 piece wheels [Aunger Hustlers] before the the full cast, that was probably as early as 67? ROH made a similar style for Ford up until the mid 70s.
Sampson Enginneering made Magnum Wheels from the early 70s. That was the big 3 then, Magnum, ROH and Aunger with Globe, Rebels, Tasman [2 piece] Herbert [2 piece] Then specialist race composite race wheels like Asp. Brian Randall still has the patterns and dies for them.And I guess if you push him he may get some made for you.
As far as I know Performance Industries Challenger [Globe Bathurst style] and Superlites and trailer and 4 wd wheels and ROH are the only remotely volume manufacturers of 1 piece rims in Oz. Most are made in Asia, some are ok, some bloody dreadfull. And the styles change as often as womens dress styles. Break one, you will not get another.So bin the rest. Also so many of them are heavier than the 70s styles and dont seem as strong!
I sell new and used rims and fit tyres to a lot of these rims. Generally oval heaxagonal square. Round is unusual! But 40y/o ones are generally pretty good.
With the composites really they are no longer trendy. Probably why Simmons sold up. Though ROH made some very good ones in the last decade or so here for a while and still have some parts.
Simmons parts can be bought from Whitehorse Industries in Victoria. They do make some composite race wheels too.
One other minor player is Dragway Engineering.[Ian Splatt] He has a few styles made in the 2 piece manner.Been around for about 30 years, maybe longer. Heavy but look good and are reasonably strong. I have just cleaned and polished a set this morning for sale.


#30 kaydee

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Posted 22 January 2013 - 10:36

I am not certain who made 1 piece wheels first, almost certainly in Adelaide. ROH were one of the first and still make some. Though for how much longer is debatable. There is a current court case about the imports at the moment. Dont know the details. Though clearly [again] some tarrifs would have saved some local manufacturing.
The so called Australian cars are assembled from overseas components largely. Chinadores and China coons! Though at least they are DESIGNED here for our conditions. Sort of,,,
Aunger made 2 piece wheels [Aunger Hustlers] before the the full cast, that was probably as early as 67? ROH made a similar style for Ford up until the mid 70s.
Sampson Enginneering made Magnum Wheels from the early 70s. That was the big 3 then, Magnum, ROH and Aunger with Globe, Rebels, Tasman [2 piece] Herbert [2 piece] Then specialist race composite race wheels like Asp. Brian Randall still has the patterns and dies for them.And I guess if you push him he may get some made for you.
As far as I know Performance Industries Challenger [Globe Bathurst style] and Superlites and trailer and 4 wd wheels and ROH are the only remotely volume manufacturers of 1 piece rims in Oz. Most are made in Asia, some are ok, some bloody dreadfull. And the styles change as often as womens dress styles. Break one, you will not get another.So bin the rest. Also so many of them are heavier than the 70s styles and dont seem as strong!
I sell new and used rims and fit tyres to a lot of these rims. Generally oval heaxagonal square. Round is unusual! But 40y/o ones are generally pretty good.
With the composites really they are no longer trendy. Probably why Simmons sold up. Though ROH made some very good ones in the last decade or so here for a while and still have some parts.
Simmons parts can be bought from Whitehorse Industries in Victoria. They do make some composite race wheels too.
One other minor player is Dragway Engineering.[Ian Splatt] He has a few styles made in the 2 piece manner.Been around for about 30 years, maybe longer. Heavy but look good and are reasonably strong. I have just cleaned and polished a set this morning for sale.


There is no doubt that Globe were definitely the first volume one-piece alloy wheel maker in Adelaide by at least a year or maybe two.
It took about that time for Globe and Ess Goods (the foundry) to develop a casting process that would produce consistent quality wheel castings. Once Ess Goods got up to speed Aunger, Magnum, and ROH then started up their alloy wheel businesses using Ess Goods as their casting supplier. So the other companies definitely piggybacked on Globes initial development work.

Only ROH and Performance remain as local manufacturers and that may soon reduce unless the Australian Government imposes a tariff on imported wheels. A fully finished Chinese wheel can now be imported for around the same cost as a local manufacturer can make just the casting let alone machine, paint, pack and freight etc.



#31 GMACKIE

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Posted 22 January 2013 - 21:19

Ess Goods had a factory near mine, at Caringbah [NSW]. They produced a wide variety of products, including wing nuts. Not far away, at Kirrawee, J.Bazzano & Sons made small die-cast alloy trailer wheels.

This was back in the dim, dark days....when most of the stuff you bought was 'Made in Australia'. :rolleyes:

#32 rms

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Posted 23 January 2013 - 04:23

Only ROH and Performance remain as local manufacturers and that may soon reduce unless the Australian Government imposes a tariff on imported wheels. A fully finished Chinese wheel can now be imported for around the same cost as a local manufacturer can make just the casting let alone machine, paint, pack and freight etc.


I wonder why it is that an Adelaide wheel manufacturer can produce, package and freight to the USA........then I can buy from the USA....freight them to Oz.....have them delivered to my home address........and it costs me substantialy less than I can buy them from Adelaide ?????????? and they want tariff protection !!!!!!!!!!!

#33 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 23 January 2013 - 06:15

I wonder why it is that an Adelaide wheel manufacturer can produce, package and freight to the USA........then I can buy from the USA....freight them to Oz.....have them delivered to my home address........and it costs me substantialy less than I can buy them from Adelaide ?????????? and they want tariff protection !!!!!!!!!!!

Are the wheels made in Adelaide,, or in China? Exports have considerably less tax than locally sold products.
Ion Automotive used to make Harley wheels, in fact Harley bought an interest in the company to keep them solvent until they got their Chinese supplier up and running. I dont think they do much now at all. I drive by there regularly and not much us happening. They used to make transbodys, and a lot of alloy castings for Holden. All Chinese now.
As I said the China dore and Chinacan. As well as the Chinota.. But China has tarriffs against outr manufactured goods. DoOH

#34 rms

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Posted 23 January 2013 - 06:44

Lee, their ad says "genuine Australian made" ?????


#35 seldo

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Posted 23 January 2013 - 06:56

I believe it's the same with the Melbourne manufactured Harrop True-Track LSD - cheaper imported from USA than they are from Melbourne.

Edited by seldo, 23 January 2013 - 06:57.


#36 GMACKIE

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Posted 23 January 2013 - 07:23

Add Albins to that.

#37 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 23 January 2013 - 10:55

Lee, their ad says "genuine Australian made" ?????

Which brand? And which style. Not a lot made here as has been said.

#38 GMACKIE

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Posted 23 January 2013 - 21:09

Keel Wheels was a small family business, operated from their Kingsgrove [Sydney] home. I think their name was Leek, as I seem to recall thinking that's how the 'Keel' name came about [Leek reversed]. After paying them a visit [late '60s?] and considering a set of these wheels, which had steel rims attached to cast alloy centres, I decided they were far too heavy. They looked good though

#39 Ray Bell

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Posted 23 January 2013 - 22:53

Other race wheel makers were ASP and Rod Dale, while there would have been many in the fifties that I don't know about...

Those alloy centres with steel rims were ultimately banned from the roads, weren't they? At least the ones where the rims were rivetted to the centres.

And if you think they were heavy, you should flex your muscles and try picking up a modern 'lightweight' 19 x 8 or 20 x 8 wheel!

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#40 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 24 January 2013 - 04:35

Other race wheel makers were ASP and Rod Dale, while there would have been many in the fifties that I don't know about...

Those alloy centres with steel rims were ultimately banned from the roads, weren't they? At least the ones where the rims were rivetted to the centres.

And if you think they were heavy, you should flex your muscles and try picking up a modern 'lightweight' 19 x 8 or 20 x 8 wheel!

There is a few wheels around still made like that, steel rims and alloy centres. Both here and the US. That is the way Dragways were always made, and still are. I have a set here at the moment.
ROH made that style until the mid 70s at least. Though I still dont know how they weld alloy to steel! The Dragways are bolted.
Modern large dia cast wheels are very heavy, and because of the lack of wall height inevitably still bend or crack the rims.
Though I have just fitted a set of 295x50x15s onto some 10" Challengers [Globe style] and they are decidedly heavy too. Going on an LH Torana. Though those rims will not crack, the tyres are 27" high

As I said the other day Asp wheels are probably still advailable. Brian Randall has the patterns, dies etc to make them, last time I was there still had quite a few spun 15" halves. I have used them on my speedway car for 15 years. Which is what the car used in the mid 70s.
I got a new set of panels out of the original moulds too!

Edited by Lee Nicolle, 24 January 2013 - 04:38.


#41 Ray Bell

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Posted 24 January 2013 - 06:04

As mentioned, they were rivetted...

I think it was Tasman was one of the brands of road wheels that had chromed rims rivetted to alloy centres. But they weren't alone.

#42 Ray Bell

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Posted 24 January 2013 - 06:49

The question of the location of Simmons Wheels...

I just found some ads, Tony moved from 13 Tilford St, Zetland to 26 Harriett Street, Marrickville some time in the middle of 1975.

That was prior to the Arncliffe move.

#43 Ray Bell

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Posted 24 January 2013 - 08:06

Here's an ad for Rod Dale's wheels:

Posted Image


#44 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 24 January 2013 - 20:45

Here's an ad for Rod Dale's wheels:

Posted Image

Those centres look like Hopwood, either he aquired them or made one very similar. Though Asp had centres quite similar too.1 spoke less.
My Sports sedan used that style of centres, as does my old Speedway Super Mod. Though originally that used the Asp version in the mid 70s.
The last ones of those I bought from Ian Boetcher though he has sinced passed that stuff on to another Qld business.

The wheel pictured is presumably a 13" as it only has 8 bolts holding it together. I have never considered that enough, some other people also have been the same, I have seen several 13" composites with another 8 bolts added!
Most 13s of any brand use the 8 bolt pattern, 15,16 17 are generally 20 bolts, Or BBS, ROH etc are 24.
Notwithstanding bolt pattern most halves interchange between the brands. I used spun alloy heavy guage Simmons halves [scrounged ex GpA] with Hopwood centres on the Sports Sedan and similar but with Asp halves [undrilled] on the Super mod.
And yes over the years a couple have cracked, something you always have to keep your eye on. Those lightweight Simmons halves were the demise of KBs Chev and the Bob Morris XE as they cracked and let all the air out!!

Edited by Lee Nicolle, 24 January 2013 - 21:00.


#45 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 24 January 2013 - 21:08

As mentioned, they were rivetted...

I think it was Tasman was one of the brands of road wheels that had chromed rims rivetted to alloy centres. But they weren't alone.

Tasmans were also welded, alloy to steel. I saw a set recently. They seem trendy on resto hotties. Yet in their day the majority hated them [or at least in my crowd] with the domes sticking out further than the rim.
I have never seen rivetted except ofcourse in steel rims. They were very handy. I once built some 15x6 for my FJ stockcar by gring the rivets off some Customline [Mainline?] rims and putting the FJ centres in them. Then welding the centres in. Far more cursory than welding a band in the rim! Though have had that done too.
A little off subject but John Crowhurst [Big bad John] of speedway sedan fame has made 100s of speedway and hotrod rims like that and still does a few. With classic speedway how more classic can you get than getting the man who made the rims in period make them now!!

#46 Ray Bell

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Posted 24 January 2013 - 22:51

I hope you work out how they welded steel to alloy...

Nobody else can do it!

Hopwood also spun alloy sections, but used the same dies as he did for steel. The extra thickness of the alloy meant that the rims were very hard to get the tyre beads onto and if the tyre fitter wasn't careful they would slip off and deflate.

Ask me how I know that one...

#47 GMACKIE

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Posted 24 January 2013 - 23:07

I have a feeling Keel wheels had 'welded in' alloy centres. From memory, there were steel 'lugs' cast into the alloy, and then welded to the rims.....maybe that was what made them so heavy?

#48 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 25 January 2013 - 09:53

I hope you work out how they welded steel to alloy...

Nobody else can do it!

Hopwood also spun alloy sections, but used the same dies as he did for steel. The extra thickness of the alloy meant that the rims were very hard to get the tyre beads onto and if the tyre fitter wasn't careful they would slip off and deflate.

Ask me how I know that one...

Buggered if I know. I could put some pics up of the ROH ones but Imageshack changed and it is beyond me again!
I had a couple of those spun alloy Hopwood halves. Not nice wheels. They folded up fitting tyres and became scrap alloy.
After a also run tourer shed a wheel into the crowd at I think Winton Hopwood wheels were banned by CAMS. Though I am told it was an operator error, eg they were not done up tight .Late 80s?
Can anyone remember more about that ?

#49 Catalina Park

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Posted 25 January 2013 - 12:17

I had a document from CAMS about the Hopwood wheels. I will see if I can find it.
I was told by a chief scruit that the problems was the centres were cast using an alloy that should have been forged. I have no idea if this was the truth or not.
I did see a few of them with cracks. The ones I saw usually cracked from a stress riser machined onto the spokes. I was at the Winton when the wheel went into the crowd but I didn't know about it till later in the day.

I will also see if I can find an advert with the alloy centres welded to the steel rim. One company was using it as a selling point.

#50 Fred.R

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Posted 26 January 2013 - 05:53

From a few years ago

http://forums.autosp...w...=105389&hl=

A life time ago i worked for Mullins Wheels, the Alloy/steel wheels did indeed have a steel insert cast into them and this inturn was welded to the rim ( and a ROH rim at that)

But i seem to remember that the Dragaway wheels were bolted with a button head cap screw

does any one have any info on "Costa" wheels and "Costa Engneering" Mario Costa in melbourne i think


Edited by Fred.R, 26 January 2013 - 05:55.