Larger steel wheel with factory poverty caps?

Rod Paxalot

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I would like to put an 18" wheel on my 69 Fury, paint the body color and stick the poverty caps on. With some research, there are some companies that make wheels like this, even 20". Problem is they are several thousand dollars a set. There is a write up on forabodies only, and a company https://detroitsteelwheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2019-Detroit-Steel-Wheel-Catalog_v2.pdf that has the same idea and makes some good looking wheels. I would be happy to find a factory steel wheel off of a Crown Vic cop car maybe? I know the newer Avengers have the same bolt pattern and have basic steel wheels in 17." They sell "Mobsteel wheel clip set" that are drilled and tapped for our caps to fit just about anything. Shows them about 80% of the page down. Is anyone running bigger steel wheels with poverty caps and done it with junkyard or secondhand wheels? This link shows the vehicles with our 4.5 bolt pattern 5x114.3 - Bolt pattern - Wheel-Size.com
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I like steel OEM type wheels with the dog dish/ poverty caps but I run 15 inch wheels. I got all the wheels new made by Wheel Vintiques. There is a thread here with all different wheel tire combos.I also have a 69 Fury III. Front are 15/7 wheels with 235/70/15 and the rear are 15/8 wheels with 275/60/15's.
 
Here ya go ,browse through this for some ideas. Being older I guess I am personally not a fan of big wheels but there are exceptions to every rule. Good luck!


C-Body Wheel and Tire Survey
 
Jay Leno, Max Grundy and the Grand National Roadster show crowd use custom 18 19 20 etc etc aluminum wheels that look like factory hubcaps. I’ve seen poverty cap and full cover style wheels for sale and on very expensive custom cars at the show. A big aluminum wheel will definitely be lighter than a giant steel wheel. Not sure what your price range is but I asked last year cause I just had to know and the beautiful fake full wheelcover type 19” wheels were about three grand. Some of these had fake white walls built & painted into the wheel lip. Some real deal art right there.
 
Here’s some off the net. The fin cars are max grundys I believe. The polara wagon I saw 2 years ago ? at GNRS and it had exactly what you’re talking about only billet aluminum.

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Just my opinion but this is the only wheel I’ll ever pay big money for if I find a set for sale complete & at the right time.
 
Here’s some off the net. The fin cars are max grundys I believe. The polara wagon I saw 2 years ago ? at GNRS and it had exactly what you’re talking about only billet aluminum.

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Just my opinion but this is the only wheel I’ll ever pay big money for if I find a set for sale complete & at the right time.

Great pics! That chopped and dropped '61 Chrysler "skull" is absolutely gorgeous! I've always loved the lowriders, but could never do it to one of my car's. And I know, it's not what the original poster is asking for, however, I must give a shout out to Stockton wheels in California, in business for 124 years. Want an 18x8 road wheel? 20x10? 18x8 stock steel wheel? They can do it, and do it right. Of course, they're not cheap.
 
Great pics! That chopped and dropped '61 Chrysler "skull" is absolutely gorgeous! I've always loved the lowriders, but could never do it to one of my car's. And I know, it's not what the original poster is asking for, however, I must give a shout out to Stockton wheels in California, in business for 124 years. Want an 18x8 road wheel? 20x10? 18x8 stock steel wheel? They can do it, and do it right. Of course, they're not cheap.

Fun fact. Stockton wheel is where Caterpillar Inc came from. Crazy how all that big yellow iron came about because of a little wagon wheel shop in the hay fields.
 
I just remembered this trick I heard of years ago, never done it, apparently it works though. If you can find an 18 inch steel wheel of your liking, you can arrange and weld 3 or 5 approximately 1/2 inch ball bearings that will hold the cap on. Also, try wheel vintiques.
 
Went through the first 40 pages so far. Haven't found what I am looking for, but really enjoy the thread so far!

It is interesting for sure. I think it is just as important to really know what you don't like also and why.
That whole thread reminds me of that old movie title.
The Good ,Bad and the Ugly!
 
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You might get some examples here but if not use your bolt pattern match website and pick a popular make (like ford) and dig around in their forums to see what they are using. The wheels on the charger look like a 15 center welded to a new bigger hoop. I have seen that before but not sure who does it. Plus it usually looks odd. Also Rat Rod sites would probably have examples. Year One does a few 17" OEM versions but not plain steel wheels. And while I was searching for a spare for another car (used that same website you linked to) it dawned on me that most spares are funky looking steelies. Just need the hoop to be widened a bunch. Offset is crap too but would be a cool story. And FYI my rears are almost 29" tall and probably could go taller if needed. Just make sure your front/rear suspension isn't too tired and saggy.

And in case your are interested, a 2005 mercury mountaineer spare will fit a 2014 infinity Q50. I spent too much time on that not to share.
 

That is such a perfect shade of bland appliance green/grey, I am absolutely inspired! Reminds me of my friends Dads friends, they were old Harley guy's. Kevin was the odd man out riding a sportster, while most other's had 1200 shovelheads. On top of that it was slightly chopped and wore an odd shade of turquoise that was obviously not stock. One day I asked him, why that shade? He just chuckled and told me how when he was young, his dad came across a alot of free, high quality industrial turquoise paint. And so everything that needed to be painted, was, turquoise. So he grew to hate it, and then in retrospect, love it.
 
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