Minilite wheel question

[redvetracr]

anyone a Minilite wheel expert or historian? I was informed tonight there were two styles of Minilite wheels, the difference being where the spokes attach to the flat of the center, on the wheels I have the spokes curve down to the hub, tonight I was told on the other style they are chopped off as used on the Owens-Corning Corvettes, (please click the link and then click pic #1 to make it slightly larger)  http://www.corvette-mag.com/issues/55/articles/winning-streak#.VwMvp5wrISk, my question is are there two styles or did the O-C team machine the center of their wheels? thanks in advance!!

[69Z28-RS]

It didn't have either set of Minilites on it when I got a few pix of it in the Hendrix shop a couple of weeks ago..

[Jon Mello]

In the Wheels used in Trans-Am thread there are some pics on page 5, I believe. They show a Minilite wheel with TPI stamped on it, which is thought to be Troy Promotions (Thompson/DeLorenzo team). Those wheels do not have the machined center like what is seen in the article. I think the machined center is an owner modification, not something Minilite did.

Ron Lathrop took several pictures that show the Minilites in detail, one such place is in the Michigan Wolverine Trans-Am of 1969.

[Jon Mello]

Minilite wheel from Penske's '69 Camaro at Mid-Ohio.


Photo by Ron Lathrop

[Jon Mello]

I stand corrected as I have found numerous examples of Minilites with the machined out center on various IMSA cars and IROC Camaros from looking around on the web. I had not recalled that. Sorry.

[redvetracr]

notice the chopped off spokes

[69Z28-RS]

If I were 'betting', I'd bet that the wheels were modified by the racer/owners ... maybe to accommodate fast wheel changes during races??   

PS. I LOVE minilite wheels (the look), but I do not like the appearance of the wheels with that modification...

[maroman]

I agree.

[redvetracr]

these are one of the original sets off my car, found stored in a shed after 29 years

[1109RWHP]

Something is odd about that wheel with the machined center. There is no way it had full spokes on it, they would have ended up right at some of the lug holes. Are they actually Minilites? Look at how thick the center still is even after machining it. It is very thick between the spokes also.

[Trans Åm]

I wonder if it was a custom mod done for change in backspacing or offset for incorporation with the extremely wide track versus the factory tracks of the cars.

Also, in the IMSA photo, the lip of the wheel doesn't look identical to the penske wheel above.

[Jon Mello]

Minilite changed the wheel lip design in 1970 so it didn't have the raised ridge at the very outside edge anymore.

My personal preference of design for these wheels is shown in the shot of the '69 Penske wheel above.