Panasport 3 piece: where to find parts?
One of the next tasks for my new Beach Mk4b-II is to find appropriate front wheels.
The 2 sets which came with the car are both 13x7, which is 1" too wide per the original spec.
To be faithful to the spirit of vintage racing, I'd like to find some 13x6's or modify the fronts that came with the car.
Plus, it would stop my friends in 23b's from making an excuse when I catch up to them.
The 'good' wheel set that came with the car are Panasport 13" modular (race) rims.
They are practically new.
I called Panasport in CA, but was told they don't make/have rim halves for these in a 13" size anymore.
Any ideas where/how to find some narrower rim parts?
John
Back in the day........history, for what it's worth....
When I was young and serious HP racer, we had to run 5" rims on the H car, G Sprites could use 5.5, and F Sprites 6.0. Very few 5" x 13 with 4 on 4, race mags available, none cheap....... Revolution had just started selling in US (about 1974). They came out with an offering for 5",cast, H car wheels. I jumped on one of the first sets. Got them and they had taken a wider rim, cut out a section and welded them back together. Boy was I upset. Several calls, got nowhere, so I kept and used them for over 6 yrs, Finally sold the car, Next owner wadded it up, and the wheels were bought by another racer. He needed some more, so he called Revolution, told they NEVER make 5" rims, explained what he had, and was told to stop immediately using them, send back or junk, but definitely, in no uncertain terms, should they be used, as Revolution NEVER made such an item. Got a huge laugh out of that. Think those rims are still around. Funny how things go with time....
Also, Ed Alsbury in KC, used to repair race damaged Minilite/American (real mag) wheels that had crash damage. He'd cut out damaged section, straighten if possible, then weld back into rim...machined welds down to point of never being able to tell they had been repaired. Never heard of any failures.... Of course Ed has passed years ago, but that guy truly had some serious "race fabricator" skills.... Started with building Jabros, hung around and helped Dick Durant over many years....
You are likely right on SVRA checking rims.... never have seen anyone but SCCA do it... and most vintage racers today never heard or worried over old rim size rules, let alone try to hold to them.... I had a set of steel wide rims for the Bugeye, Sprite centers welded into Corvair rims. Still have a set of wide steel rims for my GP Spitfire, that were welded up locally in Tulsa...... again, common practice then, seldom done today.....
VTO makes copies (alum) that are close to the Libre/Revolution and Minilite/Panasports.... that are likely your best bet/find new/value. Oh yeah, I found cast is better than modular...on wheels. While modular wheels might be lighter, cast is more rugged. less likely to leak. Know of a few wheel to wheel incidents with modular rims that cost a race, where as cast one lived.... Sort of same of steel valve stems vs. rubber... Rubber might give, where steel usually goes away right off. Not just car to car contact, but car to ditch or kerb/sleeping police....
Happy motoring.............
Bob L.
