Looking for pictures of Z cars with WIRE WHEELS

[logan1]

I am trying to decide if I should buy some wire wheels from my 240Z.

If anyone has picture of a Z car with wire wheels please post. I really like wire wheels but am a little unsure as to whether or not they will look right on a Z.

[lonetreesteve]

This is a picture of my '71 240Z that the previous owner in Phoenix sent me before I had the car shipped here to Colorado. Since I'm looking for a more stock look, I plan to put on the dealer-optioned slotted wheels on the car.

[Mike B]

Here is a picture of my 1972 just before I bought it. It had these Dayton wire wheels on them when I got it. The prior owner paid something like $1200 for them in the early 90's. I didn't like the look, so I took them off immediately and sold them a couple of years ago.

-Mike

[Arne]

Here's mine with a set of 14x6 Appliance Fine Wires on it, as it was when I bought it. Like Mike, I didn't like them, and removed and sold them shortly.

Wire wheels can look good (if you like that look), and have a lot of visual pop. But they are also heavy, not always round & true, and often have an offset that is inconvenient for a Z. They're hard to keep clean as well.

[Travel'n Man]

I had a White 240Z '73 back in '77. That was a great car! It had wire baskets that were removable so I could have to totally different personalities with the wheels - one sporty - and one a little more dressy. Damn, I miss that car. I ran into my high school girlfriend a couple months ago and asked her if she had any pictures of that car.

If I can find any I'll post them.

[Inf]

There's also this one, not sure of the source, but I've seen the car a few times over the years on the web.

[Arne]

There's also this one, not sure of the source, but I've seen the car a few times over the years on the web.

Mr. K's car. Same Appliance Fine Wires as I had on mine.

[Kathy & Rick]

I am trying to decide if I should buy some wire wheels from my 240Z.

If anyone has picture of a Z car with wire wheels please post. I really like wire wheels but am a little unsure as to whether or not they will look right on a Z.

Hi Everybody,

I'm tagging onto the original request, but am asking advice on Logan1's

behalf before he spends megabucks on something he might be unhappy

with long term.

I've been away from cars (I mean REAL cars) for so long that technology

has probably improved a lot. But here's the question: Do you still have to

adjust the tension of the individual spokes periodically like you used to have

to on the MG's, Healeys, Morgans, and the like~ or are wires pretty stable

nowadays?........................Rick

[Arne]

Do you still have to adjust the tension of the individual spokes periodically like you used to have to on the MG's, Healeys, Morgans, and the like~

Well, the answer to that isn't as cut and dried as it seems like it should be. Today's "modern" wire wheels typically have some sort of sealant in the drop center of the rim to allow you to use tubeless tires. This is pretty much a good thing, as tubeless is a huge improvement over tubes.

But the sealant is there to seal the air chamber where all the spoke nipples go. So the spoke nipple heads are sealed to the rim, making it impossible to adjust the spoke tension, even if it should be necessary. No way to adjust them at all, turning the nipple will damage the sealant.

The fact that you can not adjust them, doesn't mean that they will never need it. In fact my experience after years in that industry has been that any wire wheel in normal use will be out of true after a few years.

While the look of the chrome and the flash is great, I would never recommend wire wheels for a car that is going to be driven much, especially driven in the manner that Zs encourage.

[26th-Z]

Here's a picture of a silver car with wires. I would have to agree with Arne's observations about wires and comment that wires would not be, necessarily, period correct as compared to the English cars Rick mentioned. By 1970, wire wheels were arguably a technology of the past.

And for Inf a picture of that car he sees floating around the internet. I think the guy standing next to me is the previous owner.

[Zs-ondabrain]

Sorry to hijack but I felt left out. I know they aren't the same but maybe someone can tell me if these were a Dealer part or if they came off another Datsun car???

Dave

[26th-Z]

Those are very interesting, Zs. I have no record of them associated with the S30 however I can tell you with all certainty that the cob webs are aftermarket!