<VV> Hands Wheels **REPO's**

[Rick Loving]

Clarks advertised them in their flyers. They will most likely be in
their next catalog unless they completely run out.

About the Repo's, I am going to assume, (someone please correct me if
I'm wrong) that they got the Repo's From Sunbeam Specialties in CA or at
least the same company that cast his.

The Sunbeam Tiger used the Hands wheel with a different spinner and it
was called the LAT-70 option.  They were a 4 bolt Ford pattern.

Rick from Sunbeam Specialties patterned a new wheel design from an
original wheel and added a few minor changes to make it a little
stronger.  (This is his statement as to the changes) and found a company
that would make them for him.  

I approached him years ago to try and buy a set of "NEW" Hands wheels
that were un-drilled so I could drill the Chevy bolt pattern.  I was
told that when they ordered a new casting run that they were drilled for
the Ford pattern then and couldn't be purchased un-drilled.  At the time
I seem to recall that there was a minimum order of 200 rims at around
$250 each and I only needed 4.

I even bought a single rim to see if I could uni-lug it or cross drill
it and make it work but never went that route.  I ended up selling the
extra rim to a Tiger owner.

Rick from Sunbeam said he would not know when he would ever be ordering
another run as he had quite a few on hand. At the time he had runs or
4x5.5 and 4x6 wide rims.

The LAT-70 rim I bought was of amazing quality and looked beautiful.
The hub size for spinner mount on the LAT-70 was too big for the spinner
that was used for the Corvair and Devin application but I figured that
the hub could easily be milled down.

I again assume that Clark's addressed the hub size for the spinner mount
when they ordered their run of rims.

Rick Loving



<SNIP>Subject: <VV> Hands Wheels

    Larry Said
If Clark's had not gotten these as repros (so I would not have to have
them restored and polished), I would be right there in the feeding
frenzy with you guys. As it is, the set of four wheels from Clarks is
FABULOUS! Check them out. Brand new and ready to show!
  --------------------------------------------
  Smitty says:  Must be one of their better kept secrets.  They
obviously let you in on the secret though, so are they exact replicas or
just something that looks similar, but isn't?  When you want a Hope
diamond you don't go down on the lower end of Mail street and buy one
that looks kinda like it.