Looking for some Monogram wheels. Where do I start?

[Monty]

Years ago, Monogram put out a car model (probably a muscle car/street machine) that had a distinctive type of solid aluminum wheel somewhat like the Centerline Auto/Drag, but more along the lines of these:

If memory serves, the wheels didn't have rivet details like an Auto/Drag or the American Racing version etc, but did have about 10 diamond-shaped designs machined into, but not through, the surface of the wheel. I believe the 1:1 versions were made by Fenton, but Google has not been my friend today.

If someone could post up a pic of the kit I'm thinking of, I'd be grateful.

PS These are Auto/Drags. These are not the droids wheels I am looking for.

[Guest]

Could the wheels be the ones found in the Corvette SS Hatchback? I have the kit and can take a photo of the wheels. The Monogram '66 Chevelle SS also has a set of solid wheels that are like Cragar Super Tricks.

[Mark]

Those look like Fenton "RT" wheels. AMT's '59 El Camino kit has had those wheels since the mid-Seventies. All four are the same width; relatively narrow. To fit wider tires on the rear, AMT included thicker wheel backs.

E-T had a similar wheel, but I can't recall the name. I believe four of those (in two different widths) were included in Monogram's Corvette SS Hatchback kit (a later variation on the Tom Daniel Street 'Vette). I had a set of the 1:1 E-T wheels; no longer have the wheels but still have the plated plastic center caps and a bunch of the Uni-Lug inserts and nuts. If anyone can use them, I'll shoot you a good price on everything...

[Mark]

The Monogram '66 Chevelle SS also has a set of solid wheels that are like Cragar Super Tricks.

The wheels in the Chevelle are Super Tricks. The rears in particular are the best ones out there in my opinion. The fronts, though not perfect, are pretty decent too.

The 1:1 spun aluminum Super Trick wheels were never meant for street use; they aren't built to withstand rough road surfaces, curb strikes, and other calamities associated with daily use. There are inner and outer halves that bolt together, with a cast aluminum slug that goes in between the halves to lend strength to the bolt hole area. The halves can be mixed and matched to create different widths and offsets.

I borrowed a set of 1:1 rear wheel halves and measured them. The Monogram Chevelle wheels have the correct center area detail (rises outward slightly to accomodate the cast aluminum center slug). They also have the dual bolt pattern that most of the wide rear wheels have, also the correct number of bolt heads around the perimeter to hold the two halves together. Most other Super Tricks in 1/25 scale are dead flat across the center, have only one bolt pattern, and/or have the wrong number of bolt heads around the perimeter.

[Guest]

Here's a photo of the wheels from the Corvette SS Hatchback:

[Fat Brian]

What about the wheels from the Moving Violation Willys and the Austin Gasser, those look similar.

[Mark]

Mark, how can we tell a Super Trick from an SST [street Super Trick] ? They look the same to me.

The S/ST (Street Super Trick) was chrome plated. The center section was cast aluminum, the outer rim steel. The center was probably attached to the rim in the same way as the Cragar S/S wheels: steel tabs were cast into the aluminum center which were then welded to the rim. The bolt head detail was decorative. The Street Super Tricks were HEAVY, and the plating started peeling on the centers (and the outer rims started rusting) not long after they were put on the car.

The racing Super Tricks are spun aluminum, they may have been anodized clear when manufactured in order to keep them from dulling. Still, they will have a more natural aluminum finish. Most rear wheel halves (and a lot of fronts) had dual bolt patterns (five lug, Ford/Mopar/AMC and GM pattern). The rear wheels are a lot more common than the fronts, most racers had more than one set of slicks but seldom had extra front tires.

Centerline wheels are similar to the racing Super Tricks, except the halves are stamped (not spun) and are permanently riveted together. They have a slug sandwiched between the halves in the lug bolt area like the Super Trick. I am not sure if the slug is steel or aluminum. There are more rivets around the perimeter of a Centerline wheel than bolts on a Super Trick wheel (fifteen bolts if I remember right). The Centerlines I have seen have only one lug pattern (either Ford/Mopar/AMC, or GM) not dual pattern. Centerlines are supposedly a bit lighter (when comparing similar sizes), and could be used on the street.

[Hawk312]

You don`t mean the bigs and littles from the 66 Malibu kit?

[Casey]

Those look like Fenton "RT" wheels. AMT's '59 El Camino kit has had those wheels since the mid-Seventies. All four are the same width; relatively narrow. To fit wider tires on the rear, AMT included thicker wheel backs.

E-T had a similar wheel, but I can't recall the name. I believe four of those (in two different widths) were included in Monogram's Corvette SS Hatchback kit (a later variation on the Tom Daniel Street 'Vette). I had a set of the 1:1 E-T wheels; no longer have the wheels but still have the plated plastic center caps and a bunch of the Uni-Lug inserts and nuts. If anyone can use them, I'll shoot you a good price on everything...

E-T "X" wheels:

[Monty]

Wow, despite all my lousy clues you guys solved it. I thought it would be the custom yellow Chevelle SS, but all the pics I found showed it with Cragar SS wheels. Plowboy & Mark remembered the actual kit they came from & Casey came through with a picture of the 1:1wheels. Mark was also correct about the first set of wheels I posted - they came up during a Google search of Fenton wheels. Lots of interesting info on the Super Tricks & S/STs, too.

Bunch of brainiacs on here.... Thanks!

[blunc]

That was a fine bit of rivet counting...

[Rob Hall]

They resemble the drag wheels w/ the '77/78 Trans Am, but are those Centerlines?

[jaydar]

There were a set of centerlines in the Monogram Street Hemi Cuda kit as i recall.

joe.

[Casey]

On 11/5/2012 at 9:06 PM, Casey said:

E-T "X" wheels found (only?) in the 1/24 Monogram Corvette SS Hatchback kit, #2212:

See yellow chrome plated wheel at far right: