<VV> Re: Hands wheel repros

[Robert Hawley]

<A month or so ago, the repro hands wheels were discussed here on VV.  Does anyone have the email which <stated where they were manufactured?  

Howdy Doug (et al)
This issue was discussed more recently than the following older posts would indicate,  but they may answer the question:  
>From Craig Nichol on 11/29/04: The Hands wheel copy has been identified! Several have mentioned that Dan Gurney sold a "Hands-like" wheel, plus I also learned that the wheel was marketed under the Offenhauser name. Another knock-off was made by Western wheel but looked identical; these are the ones I used to purchase at low cost in the 70's. Perhaps Western was the actual maker of the Gurney and Offy wheel? 

Also Rick Loving wrote:  That would be a Dan Gurney rim...Dan Gurney of racing fame came out with his own line of rims and one of the styles was the classic "Hands" look. You will find them in all bolt patterns, 13, 14, & 15 inch sizes and an assortment of rim widths. They do not have the cast in "raised" hub for the spinner but a thru the
back hub can be used if you like the spinner or just use a cap if you like.

The Hand style rim was also used on Sunbeam Tigers as the LAT-70 option. Sunbeam Specialties of CA makes a reproduction in the 4 bolt ford pattern for $250 ea, Rick Loving  29 Nov 2004 

>From Smitty 1/16/05:I asked Larry if his wheels were exact duplicates and got the normal VV answer. (little or none).   So we really don't know much about the new wheels except what Clarks says and Larry doesn't say.  As a matter of fact the original wheels are made of magnesium and not the aluminum that I suspect the new ones are.  The originals I have weigh 12 lbs which may be accounted for by the material difference if the repros are aluminum.  


I emailed Clark's last month to ask them the wheel composition, but only got a response that they were sold out - though, now,  apparently they are back in stock..  The consensus from the recent posts was that the Hands repro is Aluminum.  Hope this helps, R. Hawley (1963 Spyder conv.)