DeTomaso Mailing List: February 1997, Message #181
     



From: MikeLDrew@aol.com

Subject: Re: wilkinson wheels

Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1997 13:08:44 -0500 (EST)



Capt Mike Drew

150 Westgate Dr.

San Francisco, CA  94127



Home/FAX:   (415) 334-7860



E-mail:  MikeLDrew@aol.com



Brian wrote:



I am interested in those Campy look alike wheels from Wilkinson.  Does

anyone know what they cost?  If I was to buy them, would the 17x11 fit

on the rear of a stock bodied Pantera?  What are the

benefits/drawbacks of going with either 16x8 or 17x8 for the front?

Do I need to adjust the suspension for this wheel swap?  What are the

best tires for this set up?



>>>Aren't those wheels just beautiful?  If I was ever to run a non-factory

wheel, those would be the ones I'd choose.  I priced them three years ago,

they were something like $860 each.  I'd expect them to be more now.  Expect

to pay at least $300-350 for each tire too (why bother buying modern wheels

and then fitting crappy tires, right?)



The nice thing is, they fit beautifully under a stock-bodied Pantera with no

body modifications whatsoever, and the car looks like it was made to have

those wheels (i.e. it doesn't look like a car with aftermarket wheels tacked

on that don't quite work with the car's overall design.)



Wilkinson's original design had a 17-inch rear and 16-inch front wheel; this

is the combo that's featured in his beautiful color ads seen in back issues

of PI and PROFILES.  He has started making 17-inch front wheels, and I think

this is a terrible mistake.  Mike Coffel's beautiful pushbutton car has these

17-inch front wheels, and I think they look terrible.  The wheel is visually

too large for the wheel opening, and necessitates a terribly low-profile tire

that looks like little more than a rubber band.  I'd expect the ride to be

extremely harsh as well.



I don't think there's much advantage to having 17-inch vs 16-inch wheels in

the front; with a stock body you're still limited to a 245 width.  There's

plenty of great 245 tires in 16 inch available, they stick great, give a

decent ride, and esthetically balance out well with the rear tires.



You can fit a 335/35 in the back, but most folks recommend a 315, because

again, you can't put more than a 245 in the front; if you put TOO much rubber

on the back, the car will push (understeer) something wicked.



Remember what we 'talked' about a few days ago, putting bigger tires will

obviously stress the other components of your suspension (including your

brakes!)  Don't expect stock rear wheels bearings to live long if you're

regularly beating on the car with such sticky rubber transmitting huge forces

through them.  As far as I'm concerned, tapered bearings are the only way to

go; that old double-roller-bearing trick might be marginally better than

stock, but I view that as a band-aid at best.





Brian further writes:



Also, what are the benefits of going to the larger rear sway bar?

Are the bushings a different size for the different bars?  Whats the

best material for bushings?



>>>Without a doubt, the single best overall improvement anyone can make to a

a Pantera, regardless of the tires being used, is to fit a larger, 7/8"

so-called 'GTS' rear sway bar with the stock front bar.  It completely

transforms the handling characteristics of the car, from progressive

understeer to complete neutrality.  PCNC conducted extensive tests several

years ago using a Valentine G-meter, starting with a car with stock sway bars

(7/8" front, 3/4" rear), then progressively adding bigger and bigger bars.

Going to 7/8" rear resulted in DRAMATIC improvement in roadhoadling ability,

up to .93 G's with P-7's.  Putting a 1" front bar with the 7/8" reduced it to

.91, then 1" front and rear went down to .89.



A bigger bar requires appropriately-sized bushings.  Modern poly is the only

way to go.  First-generation poly bushings squeaked, but modern ones are

formulated with graphite impregnated.  Don't waste your time with rubber

bushings on your swaybars (although I'm still an advocate for rubber a-arm

bushings for Panteras that will see a lot of street use.)



Finally Brian asks,



One last question, Has anyone ever seen a small black plastic "fasten

seatbelt" sign on an early Pantera dash, on the right side of the

radio?  Mine has one and I was wondering if it is original.(I don't

think it is)



>>>No idea.  Because yours is a weirdo early European pushbutton car, it

COULD be original, but I sort of doubt it.  The only thing I'd expect to see

on your car is a small plate crudely affixed with two rivets that says, "pull

for fresh air."  Be REALLY careful of that fresh air knob, by the way, they

have a tendency to break and they're not available anymore.



Mike