Alternative Yenko Corvair wheels?

[Matt Bacon]

Building an AMT Corvair as a Yenko Stinger at the moment. Not only is the car pretty small, but the rims/tires are tiny, just like real thing. The kit tires are a bit rubbish, so if I could find a decent set of replacements to upgrade those that would be a start.

Many modern racer cars go up a size to 15” rims, but with lower profile  rubber. My first thought was swapping from a Camaro kit, but the wheels from the AMT and Revell versions I have are huge by comparison, and the tire sidewalls way too deep. Have looked at 1/24 Mini parts, but they’re too small and the tire proportions are all wrong. 1/25 small Minilites would work, but the only ones I have are larger, 1/24, and would work out to 17” or more in 1/25.

If anyone has any thoughts on where I might source better tires for the kit wheels, better same size racing wheels/tires, or sensible 15” alternatives that will fit the AMT Corvair, any suggestions would be appreciated!

best,

M.

Edited May 18, 2022 by Matt Bacon

[Oldcarfan27]

Try the wheels in the VW Rabbit, Golf and Scirocco kits. Although they're 4 lug and ICR if Corvairs were 4 or 5 lug wheels. 

Also, the wheels that were available in the Monogram 1/24 import series (280z, Porsche 924 & 911, Capri and Mercedes 450SL) would be perfect for your car, if someone has them available. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Yenkos and '65-69 Corvairs in general ran 5-bolt OEM wheels.

13" diameter was standard for Corvairs, 14" optional. To be SCCA race legal in the old D prod., I'd assume a Corvair would have to run 13 or 14 inchers.

EDIT: According to HSR rules, only 13" wheels are legal...so your wheel choice will be determined by what kind of car your model is supposed to be: historic racer, track day special, street ride, etc.

EDIT 2: Here's the HSR Yenko Stinger specs, based on the '67 SCCA PCS (Production Car Specs), below:  

https://hsrrace.com/wp-content/uploads/GM-6-Yenko-Stinger-HSR-2021.pdf

I ran Chevy 6X14s and 6X15s on my '65 140HP ex-race car on the street...so any old AMT kit with skinny 5-bolt 15" steel wheels will get you that look.  And of course, any 5-bolt Chevy-pattern aftermarket wheel that's not too wide looks good too.

Always thought Minilites looked best, and Casey makes and sells 5-bolt 15" resin Minilites on eBay: 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265168033506?hash=item3dbd3f16e2:g:IoEAAOSwC71gBMJn        (ABOVE)

EDIT 3: There appears to me to be enough meat and enough depth on Casey's Minilites to turn the rims down to 14 inchers if desired, and to narrow them for a more Corvair-friendly offset...if you have a lathe.

 

He also offers several different sets of 5-bolt steel wheels:   

https://www.ebay.com/itm/324340560228?hash=item4b84343164:g:QbkAAOSwyQtV0i-t

 

Happy hunting.

Edited May 19, 2022 by Ace-Garageguy

[Mark]

I built a Yenko a few years back, as what would probably amount to a more altered "historic" version: fully gutted interior, vent window frames removed, and so on.  I believe that, when new or near new, they had to run wheels and tires pretty close to original equipment, but as time marched on the rules opened up a bit.

I wound up using MPC Minilite wheels, which came in early Seventies Vega and Mustang kits.  All of them were five-lug even though they should have been four-lug for the Vegas.  The R&M resin wheels pictured look like they are modified from MPC wheels.  For tires, I used four of the smaller Goodyear racing front tires that were included in a number of kits including the SSP reissue Monogram slot car body sports cars.  Their racing version Shelby Mustang fastback had four of them too.  Another tire that might work would be either size of the Round 2 hollow Goodyear Polyglas tires, which can be had with other lettering or striping also.  The Fireball 500 Barracuda and Warren Tope '73 Mustang have good looking versions of these tires.  First step might be to try tires you already have on hand...if you find something you like, they're already paid for!

[afx]

Maybe the AMT Falcon Ranchero.

[deuces wild]

The Revell '67 er '68 Camaro kit has a set of minilites... Look into it..

Hope I'm not wrong...?

[Draggon]

You might want to take a look at the tires in the Revell Lowrider kits. As I remember it, they were about the outside diameter of the Corvair kit tires, but much wider.