Hi,

After many months of searching I've found a set of rare magnesium alloy wheels. However, it appears that they've been on a car that's suffered a major side impact; 2 of them are buckled. You can't see any marks / gouges on the wheels themselves, they're just not true and do not roll straight. It looks like someone tried to hammer them into shape before, but in an amateur fashion. They've never been refurbished, so I assume it was an amateur who had a go at them.

The question is, do I wait for years to find another set or do I get these repaired? I know there are companies that specialise in repairing wheels, a couple of which are run by people who prepare race cars, i.e. you'd like to think they know their onions. The examples on their sites appear far worse than mine. In photos you wouldn't even know these were buckled - it's only if you roll them on the ground.

Would this be a risk too far in your mind? I can find a similar modern Speedline wheel, but they're thousands for a set.

Assuming the repairer is good, what are the risks? Neither wheel is cracked or dented, just kinked.

Many thanks in advance.

Justin

Perfect candidate for the Navy Test.

Throw them in the ocean. If they float, then pull them out of the water, dry them off and put them on your car.

x2

We use wheels like that for show purposes only, never on a car that actually has to perform.

The float test isn´t bad but what are they off of that might mqake the wheels of value??

Regards

Thats a new one on me, anybody care to enlighten me on the Navy Test?

Pretty self-explanator, no?

It really did come from the U.S. Navy in WWII. In the Army Air Corps they simply called it "gravity testing."

This doesn't get as much mention as it should today, but aircraft carriers had complete repair facilities on board because the flyable aircraft count was so critical. Lathes, mills, hammer-forming machines, English wheels, everything. They could fabricate any component or rebuild a plane from the ground up below decks. Pieces that didn't pass inspection were thrown overboard, aka "float testing."

There are still full machine shops on aircraft carriers, but I suspect they can't do quite the aircraft rebuilding they once could. I worked with an ex-Navy machinist at one point. Good guy.

I thought this was the test for witchcraft.

It works for both...

Hi Flat

Back in post #5 I asked, ¨what are they off of that might make the wheels of value??¨

I´m still waiting for an answer because if I knew the answers I would tell you what I would do under the circumstances.

Regards

Coffee tables? Hose reels? Garage art? Probably too light to make a decent lamp base.

Bolt em to a post, put a circular cushion on them, and hey presto, bar stools.

I knew a guy restoring an old Elfin Catalina racing car who, after a lot of searching, tracked down the original alloy wheels, and that's what they were: bar stools!

Side tables - I used to have a Penske rear wheel, but gave it to a friend, I now have a Formula 3000 wheel, but it is not as good as the Indy-wheel, which had a small lip that retained the glass top. On the F3000 wheel there's no lip, and the top moves a little.

Mentioning the Penske wheel reminds me of a Christmas Day morning, many years ago, me with a killer hangover, three hours sleep and in charge of the turkey - two young children nibbling a late breakfast in the sitting room out of the way, using the wheel as their table. with Mother-in-law and Mother both due any minute I decided on a last check, to be confronted with an elliptical light-coloured mark on the mid-grey sitting room carpet, right by the Penske table. Hurling curses at the children I went for a damp cloth, and with a pounding head started to scrub at the mark. After a moment I realised that it had transfered itself to the back of my hand... It was the weak winter sun shining through the glass top and exiting through the valve hole...

No. You use a duck to test for witches.