Re: 1956 Packard 400 Wire Wheels

Posted by DavidPackard On 2021/4/13 18:50:36

Andrew M

My experience with these wires is not exactly in-line with Ross’s comment, but then again garages in Phoenix are not noted for their excessive humidity. I wash the wheels, off the car, about once a year when I do the whitewalls . . . otherwise they are wiped with a moist microfiber cloth. I have not waxed the wheels, but I suspect an annual coat would help in corrosion protection in other climates.

I put a set of wires on both my ’54 and ’48, while I was buying new tires. The whole mess came from Coker, but before you point-out that’s not the same as Vintiques consider the following. Coker ships to Arizona from a California location. When you type the address of Vintiques into Google Maps the building is marked as Coker Tire. On Google Maps street view the building has many ‘Coker Tire’ signs, and ‘Coker Tire’ 18 wheelers outside, but nothing identifying ‘Vintiques’. By the way the name ‘Vintiques’ is not featured on the Coker website, but there is a statement that the wires are made in the USA . . . and the ‘Vintiques’ website states the wheels are made in City of Industry, CA. There is no claim as to the location where the chrome plating is done . . . my bet is 120 miles down the road. They do point-out that its triple chrome plating like there is a different, and lesser, process for chrome plating.

All of those things taken together my bet is ‘Vintiques’ is a subsidiary of Coker . . . in fact the Wikipedia article about Coker Tire states that there are six companies in the Coker Group, but does not specifically state the six company names.

I was told that the wheels are basically tubeless, but may need tubes after 5 years (leakage at the nipples). The ’54 wheels are 7 years old and have not begun that process as yet.

I know from my chrome plated wire wheel experience on motorcycles the chrome flakes off the spokes in very short order. When stainless spokes became available the problem pretty much went away. The ‘Vintique’ wires have stainless spokes and nipples.

If you need the diameter of the center hole I’ll measure it this weekend, but perhaps knowing the wheels fit a ’48 Deluxe, and a ’54 Cavalier the fitment on a ’56 could be inferred.

dp