Build Thread: The Roaring Season Firebird

[Steve Holmes]

Wheels and Tyres:

Wheels:

I don’t want to sound too much like an anorak by making this statement. But choosing the right wheels is hugely important for the look of any historic race car. In fact, I’d go as far as to say the decisions made in this area can make or break the look of the whole project.

The 1960s were a time of massive progress in motor racing. And that was no more the case than in the SCCA Trans-Am series. The Trans-Am quickly grew to become a massively successful and competitive series that was followed throughout the world, and whose influences were global. This wasn’t just a championship in which there was a manufacturer war between Ford, Chevrolet, etc. There were battles going on right throughout, including a tyre war between Goodyear and Firestone, a war between the oil brands, and even a war between the various specialist wheel manufacturers.

The first two years of the SCCA Trans-Am series were actually run to FIA Group 2 touring car regulations. It was only from 1968 that the SCCA started writing its own regulations. From 1968, the maximum wheel width allowed was 8 inches.

The Trans-Am series was very specific when it came to wheel choices, and wheel designs can be pin-pointed to certain years. So too, the various makes and model of car can be tied directly to the wheel styles that were the most popular choice for each year. The first season of the Trans-Am was 1966, and many cars were fitted with steel wheels, or factory alloys. However, for the really serious teams, ie, those with plenty of money, they could go to specialist companies such as American Racing, who produced their beautiful 5-spoke wheel commonly referred to today as the Torq Thrust.

In 1966, American Racing were a small cottage industry company, and produced wheels to order, usually with the customers name hand-punched into the centre of the wheel. And it was all pretty organic. I saw a great example of this a few years ago when visiting Nigel MacDonald, who owns the former Frank Bryant/Red Dawson 1967 Shelby Mustang. Nigel has managed to track down three of the original magnesium American Racing wheels that were ordered for his car when new. On one of the wheel centres, they’d made a spelling mistake when punching in name Frank Bryan Racing, misspelling Bryan with Byran.