Panasport Wheels...best place to buy?

[Tabcon]

Does anyone know of a place to get Panasports at a good price?

 

[DNK]

Any particular reason you want Pan's. They are a bit heavier.

 

[PATR8]

I have a 14 inch set on my TR8 I'd like to sell! Good shape, no scuffs but need somme TLC. I really want 15 inch for next spring

 

[Tabcon]

Any particular reason you want Pan's. They are a bit heavier.

Heavier than ?

I ordered a set of the SuperLight wheels a while back and had to return them because the offset would not work with the TR4, even though their catalog said it would. I liked the wheels but the offset was about 20+. It was a huge hassle to return them and somehow I never got a credit from Paypal for one of them. I also ordered a set of of the knock off wheels with the chrome studded centers from Moss at one time, but I hated the way they looked, like wagon wheels, so they went back also.

You know, there are a zillion different wheels out there and over time, it has come down to two that I really like, the red 15 x 6 Panasports with the polished rims and the American Racing classic Torque Thrust. The only problem with the TT wheel is that it is only offered in a 5 bolt pattern. I'd also like it to have a center spinner, a real one, so I guess it's down to the Panasport's.

Have any suggestions?

 

[tdskip]

Talk to Hap before buying anything. He's super to work with, and very price competitive and tells it to you straight even if you decide to go elsewhere.

 

[DNK]

You need to talk to Hap over in the Spridget side.
In fact, I'm surprised that he doesn't see this.

 

[tdskip]

Get out of my head Don, it is messy enough as it is in there.

 

[glemon]

Koenig makes a Panasport type for a good price with the the proper bolt pattern and a 0 offset, Discount tires direct and others carry them. I beleive the wheel is called a "Rewind"

 

[Hap Waldrop]

See the other post I made in the other wheel thread herem on our new VTO wheels with pictures, we have the correct offset for the TR4s, it's +3mm offset, which is a backspacing of 3.58", the MGBs use alot more backspacing +24mm or 4.5" of backspacing, but as mentioned we do have the correct offset for the TR4s. The new VTO Classic 8 is 13.7 pounds which is as light as the Panasport race wheels. Give me a shout if I can help, answer any questions as well.

 

[DNK]

There ya go. Shout and he shall answer. Hap helped me big.

 

[Tabcon]

Thanks Hap, I will. I checked out the VTO's last night. This was the first I had heard of them. I noticed the spline drive knock off version Superlite makes in the gray color thats listed on your site. This was the wheel I ordered way back, but in silver, the ones that didn't fit due to the offset. I think it was about a +24, and like you said, I need a +3. I didnt' notice VTO offering a spline drive wheel.

In a perfect world, I'd like to have a 15x6 spline drive with red centers and polished rims. Is this a possibility?

 

[DNK]

You need to deal with Hap direct. He'll set you up correctly.
Don't deal with Superlite

 

[Hap Waldrop]

Thanks Hap, I will. I checked out the VTO's last night. This was the first I had heard of them. I noticed the spline drive knock off version Superlite makes in the gray color thats listed on your site. This was the wheel I ordered way back, but in silver, the ones that didn't fit due to the offset. I think it was about a +24, and like you said, I need a +3. I didnt' notice VTO offering a spline drive wheel.

In a perfect world, I'd like to have a 15x6 spline drive with red centers and polished rims. Is this a possibility?

I worked directly on the 14" and 15" Superlites with R&D, fist off they wanted to put the spline adpapter on the backside of the wheel to give it the look of some works Lemans wheels of day gone buy, which was neat idea, just not easy to accomplish. At the end of the day new wheels had to be made with much greater offset to make up for the offset being robbed by the adapter on the back. I don't believe any of the offsets on the splined wheels I worked with came close to what was needed for a Triumph TR 4. Bottom line splined drive wheels were a tough market, most guys want new spoke wheels, so they sold marginal at best, we have no plans to make splined drive wheels with the new VTO wheels, you can blame me for that I convinced them to abandon the spline drive effort, they just don't sell in great enough numbers.

 

[trfourtune]

I thought the correct offset was +6mm. I thought this is what the tr6 stock 6" wheel is (which fits the tr4). The ones i have (tr6-6") seem to fit my tr4 just fine.
Rob

 

[Hap Waldrop]

I thought the correct offset was +6mm. I thought this is what the tr6 stock 6" wheel is (which fits the tr4). The ones i have (tr6-6") seem to fit my tr4 just fine.
Rob

Well we use the +3mm for the TR6, but comparing offset on a stock wheel won't tell you much, because the aftermarket wheels are almost always wider, so with width the offset changes, the difference between 3 and 6mm is .120", so say on a 6" wide rim, the addtitional 3 mm off set would move the wheel in a extra .120", they will work fine in +6mm, but the +3mm doesn't shove too much inboard, but yet still under the stock fender.

While I got you all's attention, I got some closeouts discounts on the Superlites wheels for you Triumph owners, you can see them here on my website www.acmespeedshop.com/wheels.html

 

[HerronScott]

Bottom line splined drive wheels were a tough market, most guys want new spoke wheels, so they sold marginal at best, we have no plans to make splined drive wheels with the new VTO wheels, you can blame me for that I convinced them to abandon the spline drive effort, they just don't sell in great enough numbers.

Darn, as that's what I'd like to put on my second TR4A! One with wires and the second with splined alloys.

Scott

 

[tdskip]

Me too Scott. I just pulled the original wire wheels of the TR4a IRS and was wishing there was less expensive alloy with splines option.

 

[TR4nut]

I worked directly on the 14" and 15" Superlites with R&D, fist off they wanted to put the spline adpapter on the backside of the wheel to give it the look of some works Lemans wheels of day gone buy, which was neat idea, just not easy to accomplish. At the end of the day new wheels had to be made with much greater offset to make up for the offset being robbed by the adapter on the back. I don't believe any of the offsets on the splined wheels I worked with came close to what was needed for a Triumph TR 4. Bottom line splined drive wheels were a tough market, most guys want new spoke wheels, so they sold marginal at best, we have no plans to make splined drive wheels with the new VTO wheels, you can blame me for that I convinced them to abandon the spline drive effort, they just don't sell in great enough numbers.

Hap-

Related question on market - is there a reason why VTO or Superlites aren't sold in narrower widths? With TR3s and 4s I prefer 5.5", and would defnitely consider an alloy 5" if it were available. 5" is relegated to vintage rims you see occassionally, and new rims for 5.5" are extremely limited.

Randy

 

[trfourtune]

Hap,
that's a smoking deal! How accurate are those wheels-run-out, balance, etc?
Rob

 

[Hap Waldrop]

Hap,
How accurate are those wheels-run-out, balance, etc?
Rob

I've probably sold a several hundred sets of them over the last 5 years, and had great sucess with them, in fact several folks on this forum have bought wheels from me, Don with his TR8 being one of them. The Superlite has been a great product, we're not closong them out on anyhting based on quaility, with the new VTO products it allows us to make improvments, off different styles and sizes, do all the plus you get form manufactuering your own product. So in short Superliter has been great product for us, Hey I raced my own car on them, so I had complete faith in them.