Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Packard wire wheels #446280 were: mfd by Motor Wheel
dealer net 53.40 5=267.00
list ------- 89.00 5=445.00
trade net- 66.75 5=333.75

Dayton Wire Wheel charges $650.00 to rebuild/rechrome and true (.020) your Packard wire wheels. That's $3250.00 for all five. They do a superior job. Vintage Wire Wheel charged $450.00 a wheel back in the mid-90s. Neither cost includes shipping (out and back).
Vintage used stainless nipples as well as spokes.
Dayton does not use stainless nipples claiming they will seize on the stainless spokes. Not being a metallurgist I take them at their word.
Motor Wheel wires contain 52 spokes.
On the long spokes the right-most spoke goes OVER the left.
On the short spokes the left-most spoke goes OVER the right.
I have one original untouched wire wheel if anyone needs a picture. They are a PITA to clean.
Modern brake shoes create a lot of dust which will eat into the chrome and also soil your white walls in a very short time. I run asbestos on the front but have found no good substitute for the rear lining.

There is a set if wire wheel hub caps on eBay right now for 1200.

They are rare and these look very good.

Quote:

Color code is MG which is a blue and white. Remember, colors on screen vary depending on a number of factors. The avatar snap is grossly oversaturated; the Grant snap is about right (to me, on my computer).

The relatively common blue and blue blues are darker and lighter than my blue.

I took a pic of this original wire wheel. Someone had a set and thought there was a chance they were not original.
The wheel is stamped
MADE IN U.S.A.
BY MOTOR WHEEL
To the left of the name and at right angles to it is stamped
15L
_6
721

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Here's a close-up of Motor Wheel's markings from another wheel from a 56 Carib. Photo courtesy of the Beard Bros.

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There is a symbol to the right of the MADE IN.
I can't figure out what it means???

I assume it's Motor Wheel's corporate logo. I tried to enlarge it, but w/o much success. It's a stretch, but it looks a bit like a stick-figure of a man holding a wheel.

Maybe (some version of) this? This was their logo circa 1965.

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Here comes the third attempt, although less creative. The below mentioned source keeps another version available, with "O" instead of "A".


[picture source: www.board.moparts.org]

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