Help me choose my new wheels

something to consider...
the more open the wheel, the more brake you need to not look whimpy

George, maybe I am just old school but I like the 5 spoke on the left

George, my preference is the 5-spoke.

Mark

I re voice my preference for the 10 spoke, the photoshop pictures confirmed what I was thinking in contrast, they bring out the rocker panel and offset the silver. On the 5 spoke you have too be careful of too much much silver or it can turn you blue

Julian

For what its worth - if it's between those two wheels I like the 10's.

I'm going to be a little wishy washy here. In looking at Mark's pic's I do think that the 5 spoke would be a great option if the centers were blacked out. With the car being silver and the large ribs of the 5 spoke being silver. That's lots of silver. It would really change the look. Not that I don't like silver, both my Mustang and truck are silver. The 10 spoke breaks up the silver and I think that's why it is a more appealing look. Again my 3 cents worth.
Ken

Ken, FYI

Chris from Sydney Australia also wrote he preferred the 5 spoke wheels, but in black not silver.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael 1424:

... For what its worth ...

Its worth the world to me mate. Thanks.

My two cents...... I personally have always liked the five spoke wheels and think that more of a gray than silver would look better.
But of the two options you have posted....I prefer the 10 spoke wheel. It's modern and doesn't compete with the silver color of your car.


Rick

Thanks for asking George....my vote would be the 10 spoke. If you want to go to a modern look I think it is better matched to the Pantera's lines than the 5 spoke.

I also vote for the 10 spoke wheel. I think it looks much better with the silver of your car.

Jake

Regardless of which wheels you go with George, be sure to get in touch with Scott Bell for a big brake kit to put behind those wheels or it's going to look silly. Just sayin!

Garth & Joe, 6018 is equipped with an older set of Wilwood brakes, 4 piston calipers, 1-3/8" thick (race style) rotors, 12-3/4" diameter. Sized for the 17" wheels that were on the car when I purchased it. They were a $5000 set of brakes when they were new, and they were one of the reasons I chose this car.

I've already had an 18" front/20" rear wheel set on the car. The front brakes didn't look bad with an 18" wheel, however the 12-3/4" rotors did look a bit puny in the rear with the 20" wheels. So perhaps I should go up to 14" (or possibly 15" if it will fit), same size at all 4 corners. I wouldn't want to stagger the size of the rotors (bigger rotors in the rear) because the brakes are so well balanced as-is.

So far the voting is:

5 spoke wheel: 5
10 spoke wheel: 12

Thanks to all who've contributed. More comments and voting will be appreciated.

I like the 5 spoke, similar to the yellow car on the prior pages. I have ADV.1 Deep Concave 05 on my Mercedes SL65 and like them, but maybe too modern looking for the Pantera?:

SL65 by JanDaMan, on Flickr

Why do you want modern rims on your classic Pantera ?
There is a low speed limit into the US , not needed to have high speed tires?

For a good looking ,big rims needs also big brakes like the Lamborghini's and other modern sports cars .
Or is it your personal taste?

Simon

quote:

Originally posted by DOES 200:

... maybe too modern looking for the Pantera? ...

Hi Jan, my dear friend. Your observation, along with those of others, is the type of input and discussion I'm inviting, and want to read. I'm not the only person that shall benefit from the discourse. Should a Pantera be equipped with an old fashioned period correct wheel, or do modern wheels complement its appearance? It seems many people have preferred the more modern 10 spoke wheel.

quote:

Originally posted by Simon:

... Why do you want modern rims on your classic Pantera ...

First, please understand my “classic” Pantera shall soon be my daily driven car; it shall not be pampered as a classic.

Second, I prefer to use modern tires which are (1) easily obtained, (2) readily available, (3) reasonably priced, and (4) which are up to date in terms of modern tire technology. Back in the late 1970s there were tires available in 225/55R15 and 275/55R15. Those size tires were quite acceptable for a car with the Pantera’s capabilities, and I believe they remain so today. If modern tires were readily available today in those sizes (as matched sets), I would be satisfied.

To keep the 15" wheels owners resort to (1) using tires of lesser rating than the OEM tires, (2) using tires of the wrong size, (3) using tires of different make & model between front & rear, (4) using tires rated LT for light trucks, or (5) using DOT legal racing tires. These compromises in engineering are not for me. My preference is to stack the OEM wheels in the garage and utilize modern tires, which requires larger diameter aftermarket wheels.

quote:

Originally posted by Simon:

... There is a low speed limit into the US, not needed to have high speed tire ...

Speed rating is not the issue. The OEM tires were speed rated "V". By law I should use at least what is equivalent to the original equipment. I believe this is typical of transportation laws anywhere in the world. No? But of course, the tires I would choose shall be rated higher than “V”, simply because technology marches forward.

quote:

Originally posted by Simon:

… For a good looking , big rims needs also big brakes like the Lamborghini's and other modern sports cars …

Please see my reply to Garth & Joe above.

quote:

Originally posted by Simon:

… Or is it your personal taste …

If I’m going to purchase new wheels, they shall reflect my personal taste of course. I also demand good engineering of myself (perhaps resulting from my German heritage ). The tires shall be sized to match what is appropriate for a car with the Pantera’s capability, and sized in terms of wheel diameter and aspect ratio to what shall be available for a long time to come.

I’d like my choice to be as “wise” as possible. I seek the opinions of forum members like you as a reality check for myself. All good designers submit their work for peer review, no? (my college degree was in design)

quote:

Originally posted by George P:...

By law I should use at least what is equivalent to the original equipment...

All good designers submit their work for peer review...

never heard LAW about maintaining OEM speed rating. My tire dealer included lower speed ratings in quotes and I'll go with on next purchase for the wife's Monte Carlo and TR6. I don't even recall the speed rating for my Yukon since I change from OEM pursuit tires to a more approaite snow/mud thread. I would not use a lower load rating though

our unwritten policy at work if performing a peer review, you were not doing justice unless you found at least one item to challange

5 spoke

5 spoke if the spokes are narrow ala Pantera Chris. 10 spoke if not.

Hi George,
Late to the party here but I slightly prefer the 10 spoke as well. I think a 5 spoke wheel is more vintage but neither of the wheels you've chosen has a vintage style anyway.

BTW, in my humble opinion the sidewalls are too thin and the wheels too big in the photoshop versions. I'd prefer a little more sidewall to not have the wagon wheel effect.

Basically you won't go wrong with either one. Once you have them on the car, you will soon move on to other things to ruminate about and forget about this discussion!

Dennis

quote:

Originally posted by sjdennis:

... ruminate ...

LOL ... that's what I'm good at, rumination. I grew up on the knees of some great ruminators, and I've been ruminating myself since a young age.

On the sidewall issue, I have my personal limits, but what I realize about myself is that my "sidewall limits" are much thinner than the limits of other De Tomaso enthusiasts. I really liked the previous set of wheels and tires on 6018. The car looked more bad-ass in person than any Grp4 clone I've ever seen, even though the wheel wells weren't flared.

I am emotionally pulled towards an 18" front/20" rear wheel pairing, because it looks so good. If that emotional "pull" weren't there, my logical mind would steer me to an 18" front/19" rear pairing, or a 19" set at all 4 corners. The 17" tire market has been a dead issue for a long time, the variety of 18" tires offered by various manufacturers is now on the decline. A 25" diameter front tire, mounted on a 19" wheel, only has a 3" sidewall. That is a short sidewall even for my taste. But when you factor future availability into your choices, those are the things necessary to consider.

Thanks for your comments Dennis, and thanks to everyone else for your comments and votes as well. I can't help but believe there are more people than myself learning from this thread.

Hi George,
I'm waiting for the new wheels & tires I purchased for my 73 to arrive. They are 18" x 9" for the front and 20" x 12" for the rear. They are 10 spoke so my vote is for the 10 spoke. Choosing the tire/wheel combination has been the most difficult decision for my build so far.
Mike

After following this thread intensively, here is my vote for this song contest: Number one, five spokes but only with darker inserts, possibly matt grey. Number two, ten spokes.

I made this, and I don´t like about it. So I´m changing my mind and I´m now voting for the 10 spokes.

Hey Georgie, Pantera becoming a daily driver? You may be the ultimate fan, good for you!

And if we must choose between the two wheel choices...

I'm in the minority - as usual, but we claim our taste is rare and elevated - and prefer the 5 spokes. Also, in near blasphemy, hope you'll strongly consider the smaller diameter rears.

To my eyes, there's a proportional upset much larger than 18 (realizing 17s are nearly done for). The narrow sidewall coupled with so much metal face distorts the notion of 'classic' and forces too much attention to the wheels. Like an elegantly mature lady wearing age-inappropriate shoes. Photoshop will of course be your friend there.

But, I'm a freak. My NSX had 19's on it when I got it and I pulled/sold them instantly. My Boxer's ancient and idiotic metrics (what were they THINKING? or DRINKING?) could - at the time - only be 'upgraded' to 18's.

And every pic I saw made it look like that car was auditioning for the ballet.

Anyway, said my peace: meatier side wall, 5 spokes. Tom Tjaarda would be on my side by the way! You may want to get the *ultimate* opinion from him. An honor for you both.

Whatever you choose will still get my thumbs up if it makes you happy.

I agree with Adams on both points (5 spoke and sidewalls).

There is a Scandinavian car with really big (20"?) wheels with very low profile tires - the look of the wheels doesn't suit my tastes.

You asked for it (opinions), you got it, (Toyota)Pantera!!


I like something like this (Interceptor Mark III wheels), but I am sure they wouldn't fit the car, and certainly couldn't give you the width in the rear.

I agree with Adams and Rocky. The biggest wheel on a Pantera is 19" like the ones from Chip Foose. For wheels on the Pantera I would either run the Pantera replica wheels 17" or 18" front and 18" rear, the Chip Foose wheels 18" front and 19" rear, or the wheels Ron McCall has on his Pantera. The wheels that you posted are okay, but look too spokey for me. With the 18" x 11.5" rears you can run a choice of 295/35/18's, 315/30/18's, or 335/30/18's. Good luck with your decision.

George, times change and you're just ahead of most of us. When I put 17"/18" HRE's on my Pantera, some people who saw it didn't like the short sidewalls. That was in 2006 and I can still buy a matched set of 245/335 section width tires. The reality is, you need to buy wheel sizes where you stand some chance of buying a matched set of tires three years from now. That means 18", 19" or 20"'s. You can make the sidewalls appear taller by using a rim that's on the narrower side of recommended widths. Also, using stepped outer rim sections makes the sidewall visually taller. Using tires that are OEM on current models will help to ensure future availability but that's not always the case, as evidenced by 17"/18" Viper sizes. As far as your wheel decision is concerned, I'd ask non-Pantera owners and six year olds for their opinions. I think you'd find a strong bias towards the 5 spokes. Ask yourself, if Hot Wheels came out with a George Pence Pantera, which wheels would it have? Mind you, a Hot Wheels Pantera would have 335's on the back! Hey, you know I couldn't resist that last comment!!!

quote:

Originally posted by David_Nunn:

... As far as your wheel decision is concerned ... I think you'd find a strong bias towards the 5 spokes. Ask yourself, if Hot Wheels came out with a George Pence Pantera, which wheels would it have?

Perhaps one of these. Comments anyone?

...See New Avatar.

George, Go Black! It's the Latest Wheel 'Look' for Today!

...with lime green brake calipers.

But the first five spoke wheels were better.

quote:

Originally posted by Marlin Jack:

... Go Black! It's the Latest Wheel 'Look' for Today ...

Marlin, my friend from Manteca. Tú eres mi hermano del corazón, para siempre. OO-Rah!

quote:

Originally posted by David_Nunn:

... But the first five spoke wheels were better ...

David, how did you know my brake calipers were lime green?

Can you expand upon why these last 5 spoke wheels are worse than the first 5 spoke wheels?

Like many of you I am a pilgrim negotiating the path of De Tomaso ownership. The wheels last pictured answer some of the concerns of the folks who have posted over the last 7 pages, at least I thought they did. Its the peer review concept. I'm throwing ideas against the wall, and watching to see which ones stick. My learning process goes on ...

I appreciate YOUR help. Let everyone understand that your honest opinion is welcomed and appreciated. You can't hurt my feelings.

George, IMO the Pantera needs a wheel that's less "bulky" looking than the second 5 spoke design.

Check out Zito Wheels (http://www.zitowheels.net/). They have the sizes you're looking for and have great sales on sets of 4, from time to time.

I've always thought the FR500 (Mustang) Wheels in a matte silver look great on our cars.

There are a few running them.

They look like the ones David posted above, but not as deep.

I haven't been able to the the sizing figured out, though.

Rocky

TSW has an identical 5 "Y spoke" design. Available in a greater range of wheel diameters, and less expensive than the Zito (which was only available in 19" & 20"). Obviously the wider wheels having less offset will be a bit more concave (deep dish look) but not as dramatic as the Zito. Almost every wheel manufacturer has a wheel like this in their inventory, so I guess the design is popular. So does this work for some folks?

The first 10 spoke wheel I posted back on page 1 was actually a 5 "Y spoke" design too.

I like it!

Here are some wheels that are nice that were on the Ring Brothers Pantera.

These are wheels I like.



It's like the wheels Jimmy posted, which I also like, but could never afford...

Rocky

I like the 5 Spoke with the Matte black!