[DeTomaso] Fw: FOR Sale Rant

Will Demelo wdemelo at cogeco.ca
Sat Sep 19 12:02:03 EDT 2009


I'm trying to order 10 spoke GR4 rims in a 17" height.
Will
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tomas Gunnarsson" <guson at home.se>
To: <detomaso at realbig.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 19, 2009 11:29 AM
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Fw: FOR Sale Rant


> Will,
>
> I don't think you can get away with 6.5" BS with 15" wheels as the 10" 
> rears have about 5.5" BS and there's not an additional inch to spare 
> against the A-arms as far as I can tell. With larger rims this is not a 
> problem but if you're trying to duplicate stock wheel offsets something 
> sounds wrong.
>
> Tomas
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Will Demelo" <wdemelo at cogeco.ca>
> To: <detomaso at realbig.com>
> Sent: Saturday, September 19, 2009 5:10 PM
> Subject: [DeTomaso] Fw: FOR Sale Rant
>
>
>> Julian K went with 4 5/8 F and 4 3/4 R with 10" F and 13"R rims. This
>> happens to be exactly what Larry Stock states as factory.
>> Byers states that their 4.5" and 6.5" backspacing measurements are 
>> factory
>> because his wheel manufacturer uses  orig wheels as templates.
>> Who's on first?
>> Will
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Tomas Gunnarsson" <guson at home.se>
>> To: <detomaso at realbig.com>
>> Sent: Saturday, September 19, 2009 10:39 AM
>> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] FOR Sale Rant
>>
>>
>>> Will,
>>>
>>> I'm not particularly fond of using backspacing for specifying rims. I 
>>> like
>>> offset combined with rim and tire width better. Anyway, as you're doing 
>>> a
>>> Gr4 conversion the basic idea must be to replicate fender flares that
>>> cover GT5 sized wheels. Starting at the rear, the GT5 rims are 3" wider
>>> than the 10" GTS rims. The 345 tires are 60 mm or about 2.5" wider than
>>> the 285s which means the outer edge of the 13" wheel is about 3" further
>>> out than the 10". The GT5 and GTS wheels have similar but not identical
>>> back
>>> spacing, it's as simple as a question of not hitting the lower A-arm
>>> mounts. Up front the deal is similar. Rims are 2" wider with similar
>>> backspacing, tire is again 60 mm wider so outside of wheel should be 
>>> about
>>> 2.5" further out. Kjetil Finne converted his narrow body with Gr4 flares
>>> and retained his old 17" wheels for narrow body. Up front he built new
>>> A-arms to move the wheels out and at the rear he uses monstrous spacers,
>>> IIRC more than 4", to get the right look. Someone with a GT5 maybe has 
>>> the
>>> offset
>>> numbers available? They're stamped on the wheels. If you're going to use
>>> larger wheels than 15" diameter you'll be running into other clearance
>>> issues as the OD of the wheels will likely go up. You'll have to choose
>>> whether to retain the position of the wheel in the wheel well or the
>>> ground clearance.
>>>
>>> Tomas
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Will Demelo" <wdemelo at cogeco.ca>
>>> To: <detomaso at realbig.com>
>>> Sent: Saturday, September 19, 2009 3:56 PM
>>> Subject: [DeTomaso] FOR Sale Rant
>>>
>>>
>>>>I appologise for last weeks post with the expletives.
>>>> I am trying to convert my car to GR4. The fibreglass flares are going 
>>>> to
>>>> be riveted on, just as from the factory.
>>>> I ordered wheels from a vendor last fall and the agreed upon price was
>>>> not charged to my card. Apparently there was more machining involved.
>>>> After waiting 3-4 months, I gave up and cancelled the order. The wheels
>>>> had not beed started yet (confirmed by Kodiak). I had to threaten 
>>>> credit
>>>> card fraud to get my money back.
>>>> I recently placed another order to another vendor. I was told that they
>>>> had converted many cars. I mounted the flares on my car using clamps 
>>>> and
>>>> took measurements to the hub surface.
>>>> After requesting the backspace measurements 3 times, I was finally told
>>>> 4.5"F and 6.5"R.
>>>> The reproduction Campys I have on my car now, with stock narrow body,
>>>> have a 6.25" backspacing. Now I'm no math major, but how are new 
>>>> wheels,
>>>> with almost the same backspacing be correct after I extend the flares
>>>> outward about 4"??
>>>> I was told by the vendor that I was doing things backwards. I should 
>>>> get
>>>> the wheels and then modify the flares to accomodate. I don't agree with
>>>> this. There is zero movement with my flares. They have to meet front 
>>>> and
>>>> rear body lines and then the upper portion gets pushed to meet the 
>>>> body.
>>>> I don't inderstand how I can't mount my flares to the body, take
>>>> measurements and order wheels with custom offsets.
>>>> Ron L has just spent $5500 on GR4  wheels from a vendor and he requires
>>>> 1" spacers in the rear. I know of another fellow with a factory GT5 and
>>>> the GR4 wheels he ordered with "factory" specs required 1 1/2" spacers 
>>>> in
>>>> the rear and 3/4 in the front.
>>>> I'll be damned if I am going to spend uwards of $5k to then have to
>>>> replace studs and install spacers.
>>>> I try my best to send all info and communicate to only have vendors 
>>>> ship
>>>> me parts, at my expense.
>>>> Will
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